Alaphilippe: 'Don't expect to see me again' after gruelling Alpe d'Huez stage, raising retirement talk
The double world champion, 34, suggested after a punishing 20th stage that he may not return to the race, finishing arm-in-arm with Warren Barguil over 25 minutes behind winner Richard Carapaz.
The stage 20 ordeal
Julian Alaphilippe crossed the line at Alpe d'Huez in 29th place, more than 25 minutes behind stage winner Richard Carapaz, after a gruelling day with three hors catégorie climbs. The 34-year-old Frenchman, riding his eighth Tour de France, finished arm in arm with compatriot Warren Barguil. Shortly after the finish he spoke to Eurosport, visibly exhausted.
There's nothing official, but you shouldn't expect to see me again.
The comment, though made in the heat of the moment, has fuelled speculation that Sunday's final stage in Paris could mark his farewell from the Grande Boucle.
A season of struggle
Alaphilippe's 2026 Tour de France has been a far cry from his glory years. He failed to crack the top 20 in any stage, often working as a domestique for team leader Yannis Voisard, who sits 11th overall. By the end of stage 20 he was languishing in 125th place in the general classification. His broader 2026 season has yielded a single top‑10 finish (fifth at the GP Ginningen in Switzerland), compared with eight top‑10 results by the same point in 2025, when he also won the Grand Prix de Québec and placed third on stage 15 of the Tour in Carcassonne.
- 2025
- 8 count
- 2026
- 1 count
The legacy if it ends here
Should Alaphilippe not return, he leaves a rich Tour de France legacy: six stage victories, the polka‑dot jersey of best climber in 2018, and 18 days in the yellow jersey (14 of them in 2019). Off the Tour, he was world champion on the road in both 2020 and 2021. Those achievements are etched into modern French cycling. He remains under contract with the Swiss Tudor squad until the end of 2027, so any retirement from the Tour would not necessarily mean the end of his career, but his words suggest the toll of the race has become too great.
- Wins polka dot jersey as best climber.
- Wears yellow jersey for 14 days.
- Wins first road world championship.
- Retains world champion title.
- Wins Grand Prix de Québec; finishes 3rd on stage 15 of Tour.
- No stage top 20; hints at final Tour after stage 20.
Emotional exhaustion
After the stage Alaphilippe let slip deeper frustration. Speaking to reporters, he said:
I just want to hug my son. I don't want to think about tomorrow, I don't want to think about anything at all. No, no, I no longer have any pleasure, that's it, it's over. It's time to stop when there's no more pleasure.
The outburst, reported by Franceinfo, reflects the mental and physical fatigue accumulated over three weeks of racing.
What comes next
Sunday's final stage, reshuffled in Paris, may be Alaphilippe's last as a Tour participant. He has made no official announcement, and his post‑stage comments were delivered in a state of exhaustion, so a definitive retirement decision could still be weeks or months away. For now, the peloton and fans await the finale, aware it might be the end of an era.
