Julian Alaphilippe parts ways with Soudal Quick-Step, moving to Tudor Pro Cycling
By Flo Clifford
Published 16/11/2024 at 12:51 GMT
React to this story
Two-time world champion and Classics specialist Julian Alaphilippe will leave Soudal Quick-Step, the team he has raced for since the age of 17, at the end of the 2024 season. The Belgian squad, known as the 'Wolfpack', released a documentary celebrating his time with the team at the end of his 11-year stint on the roster. The Frenchman will join Tudor Pro Cycling for the 2025 season.
‘Emotional moment’ – Cavendish crowns ‘incredible career’ with win in last race
Video credit: TNT Sports
Julian Alaphilippe will leave Soudal Quick-Step at the close of the 2024 season after 11 years with the Belgian squad - with the rider moving to Tudor Pro Cycling.
Team boss Patrick Lefevere, who Alaphilippe has had a fractious relationship with, revealed the news in August, with the team officially confirming his departure on Saturday.
Negotiations over a potential one-year contract extension broke down earlier this year and instead the former world champion will join Tudor Pro Cycling for the 2025 season.
"Merci, Loulou," Soudal Quick-Step wrote, using a common nickname for the popular Frenchman, alongside a documentary chronicling his time with the team.
"The embodiment of panache and a rider who has produced some inspiring, jaw-dropping, tear-inducing, and exhilarating wins that have lifted him to truly historic territory throughout the years, Julian Alaphilippe will say goodbye to the team at the end of this year after more than a decade.
"In this beautiful documentary covering his time with the 'Wolfpack', Loulou and his Soudal Quick-Step team-mates and staff look back on how he came into the squad ahead of the 2014 season, his rise through the ranks, the victories that have left an indelible mark on the world of cycling, and favourite memories of the last 11 years."
- Mark Cavendish admits 'tactically minded' riders struggle in modern cycling - 'I would not be a professional now'
- Tadej Pogacar targets 'even better' 2025 as he reveals race he 'really wants to win' and reacts to Tour de France route
Some of those memories include back-to-back World Championships, stage wins at all three Grand Tours, six Tour de France stage victories and 14 days spent in the prestigious race leader's yellow jersey in 2019.
The 32-year-old was a Classics specialist in his prime and won several of cycling's biggest one-day races, including Milan San-Remo, Strade Bianche, and three titles at La Fleche Wallonne.
Injuries have stalled the Frenchman in recent years, but he enjoyed a return to his best in 2024, spending over 120km in a breakaway before a vintage solo attack to win a stage of the Giro d'Italia.
Now a veteran, Alaphillipe's departure from the team he has raced for since the age of 17 marks something of a coup for Tudor Pro Cycling. The Swiss outfit has a UCI ProSeries licence - the tier below the WorldTour - and is pushing for promotion to the elite level of men's cycling.
Stream the 2025 cycling season, including the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes, live on discovery+
Advertisement
Advertisement