Twenty-four hours later, the emotion is still the same. Strongly marked by the heavy fall of Julian Alaphilippe on the roads of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Sunday, Romain Bardet returned to the accident and its causes, while reflecting on how to limit the risks when it rubs in the peloton.
“Still struggling to put words to the events of yesterday, the distress of these faces and these bruised bodies following this fall, writes the Frenchman, who came to help his friend. I’m thinking of Julian but also of all those heavily affected guys who had to see their lives go by at more than 70 km/h, the whistling of the peloton giving way to chaos, the noise of equipment and the human cries that arise. I am very touched by your posts, but I honestly think anyone in this situation would absolutely have done the same. There is no competition in the face of the danger of physical integrity. »
Alaphilippe in stable condition according to his team
“Beyond the direct consequences, this leads me to reflect on our common responsibilities to avoid this kind of accident which could have been tragic, on the respect that we must grant each other as riders. I saw everything, I was behind Tom Pidcock and Jérémy Cabot when they collided. The responsibility we have when we take risks to get a place at the front of the peloton can have serious consequences for the 100 guys behind us.
On Monday, Quick-Step gave news of Julian Alaphilippe, confirming that he had broken two broken ribs, that he had a fractured scapula and a hemopneumothorax (effusion of air and blood in the pleural cavity). His condition is stable but he remains under observation in the hospital.