French Cyclists Skip National Championships Ahead of Tour de France
Prominent French cyclists, including Julian Alaphilippe, skip the National Championships for Tour de France preparation.
Key Points
- • Julian Alaphilippe, Pavel Sivakov, and Clément Champoussin will not participate in the Championships.
- • Benoît Cosnefroy is out due to a knee injury from the Tour de Suisse.
- • Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is also skipping the event to prepare for the women's Tour de France.
- • The Championships are set to take place on Sunday in Les Herbiers, Vendée.
Top French cyclists are choosing to forgo the 2025 French Cycling Championships to concentrate on their preparation for the upcoming Tour de France, set to begin on July 3 in Lille. Noteworthy absentees include Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor), Pavel Sivakov (UAE), and Clément Champoussin (Astana), who are all focusing their efforts on gearing up for the iconic race.
Benoît Cosnefroy has been ruled out from the Championships due to a knee injury sustained during the Tour de Suisse and has also confirmed he will miss the Tour de France. Other riders such as Axel Zingle and Christophe Laporte from Visma are still recovering from injuries. In the women’s category, reigning Paris-Roubaix champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot will also miss the Championships as she shifts her focus towards the women's Tour de France, scheduled from July 26 to August 3. The Championships will take place this Sunday in Les Herbiers, Vendée, marking a significant trend in French cycling as athletes prioritize peak performance at the Tour over national titles.