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Just when the creativity, individuality, and variety of the Tour de France seemed to be crushed by science, numbers, and negative tactics, along came Julien Alaphilippe and swirled through the race. The Frenchman has colored the Tour de France from gray to monochrome, and it is symbolic that he has spent more time in the polka-dot or yellow jersey than in his team kit on the last two occasions. His resilience, confidence, and aggressiveness have attracted fans and media alike. And he does not have Peter Sagan's interaction with the press or Vincenzo Nibali's studied lack of confidence.

I remember grabbing Alaphilippe to talk to him on the second rest day of the 2018 Tour. He was dutifully drinking a can of Maes 0.0%, which his Deceuninck team had announced as a sponsor that day, and I suggested to him that a French rider performing well in his home race must attract a lot of attention. I wanted to know how this pressure was affecting him. In French, 'pressure' and 'draft beer' mean the same thing. Without pausing, he held up a can and informed me that 'précision' was delicious.

However, before we consider sports and results, the most important thing about Julien Alaphilippe is that he is completely, unequivocally, and indisputably himself. He cannot explain where it comes from. It just happens all the time

"I am the same person I was a year ago, or five years ago, or even ten years ago. But nothing has changed in the way I am, the way I live, the way I work, the way I look at life." [As a rider, it's harder to get into escapes. But I work very hard and I know what I want to do. It's been that way since I was a little girl, regardless of the results or events of the last couple of seasons. I like what I do and I like who I am."

"The best question is, "Why should I change?

This is an excerpt from an interview with Julian Alaphilippe in the June 2020 issue of Procycling magazine, on sale now.