“We are very sad to learn of the death of Jo Alaphilippe, Julian’s father and Franck’s uncle (Julian’s coach, who joined the Belgian team at the start of the year). The thoughts of the Deceuninck-Quick Step team go to them. “
It was the Deceuninck-Quick Step team that announced the sad news on Sunday evening in a press release. Father of Julian and Bryan (pro runner at Saint Michel-Auber 93), Jacques dit “Jo” Alaphilippe, suffering for several years, died at the age of 80.
We are very sad to hear of the passing of Jo Alaphilippe, father to Julian and uncle to Franck. The thoughts of the Deceuninck – Quick-Step family are with them. ⁰⁰While thanking you for your support, we would like all to respect their wish for privacy at this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/yUATafZW4C
– Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) June 28, 2020
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Despite the age difference (Jo had had his children from a second marriage), Julian Alaphilippe, 28, was very close to his father. We remember her tears after the first stage victory of her career at the Tour de France, July 17, 2018 in Grand-Bornand. “I hurt myself, I know my father was watching, it’s a lot of emotion,” he whispered between two sobs.
A few months earlier, the runner was in Colombia when his father suffered a stroke in January, from which he never fully recovered. He wanted to return to France immediately, but his family dissuaded him. Julian Alaphilippe finally found the resources to win a stage.
“Before leaving for Colombia, we have a good time with family and when you come back, it’s not the same person anymore, it’s cruel, it’s life. Either I plunged into the bottom of the hole to persevere with my father’s fate, or I used it as a force. This is what I managed to do. “
Opening act for Johnny Hallyday
He thus won his first classic the Flèche Wallonne in spring 2018, a victory in the form of a click for the one who had long collected the second places.
During the last Tour de France, Julian Alaphilippe, wearing the yellow jersey for 14 days, had another great emotional moment when his father, weak and in a wheelchair, came to see him during the last stage on the Champs- Elysees.
