Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 10:02 AM
It is no secret that TotalEnergies would like to use the services of Julian Alaphilippe, but Cofidis is also looking at the situation of the two-time world champion with interest. Although team manager Cédric Vasseur, in conversation with GCN, does make a big deal.
Cofidis is (particularly) underperforming this season and is currently below the relegation line, if we look at the WorldTour ranking for teams. In other words, the formation runs the risk of losing its WorldTour license after the 2025 cycling season. It is therefore important for the team to collect as many UCI points as possible over the next year and a half, and so they are looking at possible reinforcements.
As a French team, signing Julian Alaphilippe, who appears to be in his final months at Soudal Quick-Step, seems a logical next step. Vasseur is also certainly interested in the now 31-year-old driver. “As team manager, I would really like to work with Julian, but we have not really spoken seriously yet,” the former rider told Global Cycling Network.
“We cannot afford mistakes”
There are also a number of ifs and buts. “We don’t want to bring in Alaphilippe just for the name. We want to bring him to Cofidis for what he can give to the team. He is having a hard time at the moment and so we will wait and see. We are a cycling team, not a retirement home. We cannot afford mistakes. We all know the situation with Peter Sagan (at TotalEnergies, ed.) and we don’t want something like that.”
“If Julian comes to us, he will have to perform. So that as a team we can move towards 2,500 UCI points,” Vasseur does not hide his ambitions. “I don’t know at the moment whether Julian is capable of doing that. I don’t want to bring him in because I value and respect him. I am looking for riders who can perform well so that we can secure our place in the WorldTour.”
