Julian Alaphilippe will begin his 2021 season on home soil at the Tour de la Provence four-day stage race. Photo: Tim De Waele/Getty Images
France’s world champion Julian Alaphilippe will begin his 2021 season on home soil at the Tour de la Provence four-day stage race from February 11 to 14.
The race will be Deceuninck-Quick-Step’s first competitive outing of the season having skipped last week’s Etoile de Besseges.
The Tour de la Provence will be Alaphilippe’s first race since he broke his right hand in a crash in the Tour of Flanders last October.
Following this week’s race, Alaphilippe is expected to take to the start line at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Tirreno-Adriatico, while a return to the Tour of Flanders in April is also on the cards.
Apart from Alaphilippe, the seven-man Deceuinck-Quick-Step line-up for the Tour de la Provence includes Kasper Asgreen, Davide Ballerini, Remi Cavagna, Yves Lampaert, Zdenek Stybar and Mauri Vansevenant.
The race has attracted a number of star names with Ineos’ Egan Bernal also expected to start.
Colombia’s Nairo Quintana is the defending champion.
