Former World Champion Julian Alaphilippe reveals he raced with fractured knee head during spring season

Updated 12/04/2024 at 08:00 GMT

Former World Champion Julian Alaphilippe has revealed he has been cycling through a fracture in his knee joint which he suffered after his fall in March race Strade Bianche. Alaphilippe said "I should have taken care of myself," but the Soudal-QuickStep racer added that he did not want to make excuses for what he considered to be a poor start to the season.

Watch highlights as Longo Borghini pips Niewiadoma to win Tour of Flanders

Two-time UCI World Road Champion Julian Alaphilippe has revealed he has been racing through injury since falling at the Strade Bianche in early March, which prohibited him from crossing the finish line.

Alaphilippe said he has raced through the spring season with a fracture in his left fibula head, caused by the fall in Italy. The 31-year-old since competed in the Tirreno-Adriatico, the Spring Classics in March, Milan-San Remo, E3 Classics, Dwars door Vlaanderen, and the Tour of Flanders.

Alaphilippe said he did not want to speak up about his injury issues, in worry it will be seen to excuse what he considered to be a poor start to the season. But the Frenchman said "I should have taken care of myself."

Tour of Flanders Men

Gilbert tips van der Poel as ‘favourite’ for Paris-Roubaix after ‘hardest ever race’

02/04/2024 at 16:28

“I didn't want to say it because I didn't want people to think I was making something up. I suffered a lot from that fall in Strade Bianche," Alaphilippe told Le Parisien.

"My morale was damaged because I had good legs before and because it is a competition that I really enjoy. This fall was a big blow to me, and I had pain in my left knee.”

While Alaphilippe said the pain was more an annoyance than truly hampering during the Milan-San Remo, in which he finished ninth. But an X-ray after the race revealed the extent of the issue.

Alaphilippe added the Soudal-Quickstep medical team allowed him to decide whether or not to take part in the Spring classics. He went on to take part in three one-day races, culminating in a 70th-placed finish in the Tour of Flanders.

The former World Champion admitted it was "the wrong decision" to race through the pain.

"In those tough races, you have to be 100 percent anyway," he said. "With my injury, that was impossible.

"I was motivated, and I didn't want to pass after all my efforts, but I should have taken care of myself."

Stream top cycling action, including all three Grand Tours, live on discovery+

Tour of Flanders Men