Disappointment and fear for Julian Alaphilippe. About twenty kilometers from the finish of the Flèche Brabançonne, the reigning double world champion fell. The Frenchman touched the wheel of his compatriot Brian Coquard, himself pushed by the passage on the left side of the road of a car from the Quick-Step team, of which Alaphilippe is a member. Another runner was involved in the fall. The Belgian team’s car seemed to have difficulty managing its speed, and found itself level with the peloton.
After holding his elbow and shoulders for long weeks on the ground, raising fears of a serious injury, the Frenchman finally got up. He even got back on his bike. But preferring to play it safe, the runner from the Quick-Step formation preferred to give up. If he recovers, he will be able to take the start of the Flèche wallonne next Wednesday, before racing in Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday 24 April.
Magnus Sheffield, a young Briton from Ineos-Grenadier training, just 19 years old, snatched victory after starting alone four kilometers from the finish. Frenchman Benoît Cosnefroy placed second ahead of another Frenchman, Warren Barguil.