23 year-old Julian Philippe is set to return to action this week at the inaugural running of La Provence (UCI 2.1) which takes place from the 23rd to the 25th of February.
The young Frenchman enjoyed a great 2015 season – only his second in the pro ranks – finishing runner-up at the Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and winning the queen-stage of the Tour of California en route to coming second in the overall rankings.
Unfortunately, his preparation for this year has been hindered by mononucleosis, which forced him to take a long break before commencing training. Alaphillipe plans on taking things slowly as he returns and therefore does not have any specific goals in terms of results.
“I’m happy to return to competition, to ride alongside my teammates and enjoy again that unique feeling racing gives you. It’s something that I’ve missed a lot. Last time I raced was at the World Championships, in September, and on Tuesday will be fantastic to pin again a number to my jersey.”
“Concerning my condition, I don’t know where I find myself at the moment, but I will get an idea about it this week. The important thing is that I feel better and that I’ll add some kilometres under my belt”, said Julian Alaphilippe ahead of the race.