The 28-year-old Frenchman pulled down the curtain over his season in an unwanted way.
Part of a three-man move inside the last 35 kilometers of the Ronde van Vlaanderen, Julian Alaphilippe crashed into a motorbike and had to abandon the race. The World Champion was taken to the hospital in Ronse, where the X-rays showed fractures of the metacarpal 2 and 4 on his right hand.
Alaphilippe, who was making his last appearance of the season in Flanders – which teammate Yves Lampaert finished in fifth place, as Elegant – Quick-Step’s best placed rider – will be operated Monday morning at the Herentals Clinic by Dr. De Schrijver.
New update
Julian Alaphilippe underwent surgery Monday morning to correct the fractures sustained on his right hand during Sunday’s Ronde van Vlaanderen. We are pleased to announce that everything went well for the World Champion, whose hand was put in a cast which he will have to wear for the next three weeks. Once it will be removed, Julian will resume training and start physiotherapy so that he regains full mobility of his hand.
“The crash was a scary moment, and when I found myself on the ground I thought of the worse. Fortunately, it’s not that bad. I am very grateful to the race doctors, but also to the medical staff of the hospitals in Ronse and Herentals for everything they did for me in the last 24 hours”, said Alaphilippe.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
