Julian Alaphilippe retires from professional cycling after 2026 Tour de France

Immediate retirement and contract termination

French cyclist Julian Alaphilippe decided to end his professional racing career with immediate effect, concluding his time in the peloton following the 2026 Tour de France. Reports published by Dutch outlet WielerFlits and French sports daily L'Equipe stated that the 34-year-old rider opted to forgo the remaining year of his contract with Swiss team Tudor Pro Cycling. Alaphilippe joined Tudor in 2025 on an agreement that originally extended through the end of the 2027 season. When asked by AFP, the rider and his representatives did not officially confirm the decision, though he will not contest any further races this year. During the Tour de France, where he finished 125th overall without a stage victory, Alaphilippe addressed his future following the mountain stage at Alpe d'Huez.

I don't know if you will see me on a bike again.

World championships and Grand Tour record

Alaphilippe recorded 45 professional victories across a career that began with his first victory in 2014. His palmarès includes two road world championship titles, won at Imola in 2020 and Leuven in 2021. In Grand Tour competition, Alaphilippe secured eight individual stage victories across all three three-week races. He claimed six stage wins at the Tour de France, one stage at the 2017 Vuelta a España, and one stage at the 2024 Giro d'Italia. His final professional road victory occurred in September 2025, when he won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec in Canada. At the Tour de France, he won the mountains classification polka-dot jersey in 2018 and wore the leader's yellow jersey for 14 days in 2019, finishing fifth in the general classification.

Classics record and recovery from injury

Prior to his transfer to Tudor Pro Cycling in 2025, Alaphilippe spent eleven seasons racing for the Quick-Step team. He established himself as an aggressive puncheur in one-day races, winning the Italian Monument Milan-San Remo in 2019. He also captured the Belgian classic La Flèche Wallonne on three occasions, winning in 2018, 2019, and 2021. His career faced a setback in April 2022 during Liège-Bastogne-Liège, when he suffered a fall on a descent while wearing the world champion's rainbow jersey. The accident left him with broken ribs, a fractured shoulder, and a serious pneumothorax, leading compatriot Romain Bardet to halt his own race to provide aid.

Transition in French cycling

The conclusion of Alaphilippe's career follows a series of departures among leading French road cyclists. His exit follows the retirement of Thibaut Pinot in 2023 and the exit of Romain Bardet in 2025, the two other prominent French figures of the past 15 years. Alaphilippe shares family life with his partner, Marion Rousse, and their son, Nino. His final moments as an active racer came in Paris, where he rode past crowds on the climb of Rue Lepic during the closing stage of the 2026 Tour de France.