Julian Alaphilippe Has Reportedly Called an Early End to His Professional Racing Career
L'Equipe said the 34-year-old will skip the rest of the season and give up the final year of his Tudor Pro Cycling contract.
- Professional cyclist Julian Alaphilippe, 34, announced his immediate retirement on Thursday night, forgoing the final year of his Tudor Pro Cycling contract after completing stage 21 of the 2026 Tour de France.
- The move to Tudor was intended to restart his career, but Alaphilippe struggled to regain form throughout 2025 and 2026, recording multiple DNFs; his sole victory with the squad came at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec.
- Across a distinguished career, Alaphilippe secured 45 victories, including back-to-back world titles in 2020 and 2021, six Tour de France stage wins, and 18 days wearing the yellow jersey.
- French news outlet L'Equipe confirmed the retirement Thursday, though Tudor Pro Cycling has yet to issue an official statement regarding roster adjustments following the departure of their star rider.
- Observers view Alaphilippe's departure as marking the end of a transformative era for French cycling, with the sport's hall of fame expected to welcome the two-time world champion as one of its greats.
52 Articles
52 Articles
The rider announced his decision to retire, at 34 years of age, after more than a decade in the professional peloton. With 45 victories over his career, including six stages in the Tour de France and Milan-San Remo, he marked the history of his sport.
Big surprise in cycling: the popular pro Julian Alaphilippe from France ends his career. The two-time world champion exits his current contract with immediate effect - and says what he will miss and what will not.
An emblematic figure of the peloton and favourite of the French public, Julian Alaphilippe should hang up the bike. Mythical wearer of the yellow jersey in 2019 and double winner of the rainbow tunic, the racer...
According to the Dutch cycling website WielerFlits, Alaphilippe is "seriously considering ending his career" and is even "on the verge of terminating his contract with the Swiss team Tudor Pro Cycling, which runs until the end of 2027." Referring to this information from the Dutch news site, L'Equipe goes further: "Alaphilippe stops here," the sports daily headlines on its website. "Julian Alaphilippe (34 years old) has decided to end his career…
He will remain one of the monuments of French cycling: at 34, Julian Alaphilippe, double world champion, ends his career. According to the information revealed on Thursday 20 August 2026 by L'Équipe, the French rider took the decision to retire despite the contract that still bound him to the Tudor team for a year.
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