Victor Campinaarts (Loto-Sudal) wins the Tour de Louvain, Julien Alaphilippe is conservative for his comeback – Eurosport FR

Julian Alaphilippe was in recovery mode. Beaten by Covid during his big return to the World Tour circuit at the end of July, during the Tour de Wallonie, raising his arms at Mur de Huy, the Frenchman did not weigh in in the Tour de Louvain final, Sunday, as he once again returned to competition.

The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider is currently attending the Vuelta, where he finished 54th in the race, 1’56” behind the winner, Victor Campenaerts. He was in the group behind the main peloton.

The double world champion was investigating Louvain, on his world title track last year, his return to competition after giving up the start of the third stage of the Tour de Wallonie on July 25, a Covid-19 victim.

The Quick-Step rider must take part from August 9-11 in the Tour de l’Ain, which he already won in 2014 – the first victory of his professional career – before the Vuelta (from August 19) and then the world championships at the end of September in Australia.

Camepenaerts won a duel against Stybar

So Belgium’s Victor Campinaarts (Loto Soudal) won the Tour de Louvain on Sunday by winning the race ahead of fellow Czech separatist Zdenek Stébar.

Campinaarts, 30, signed his first one-day race success on the occasion, the one who made himself known to the general public by capturing the world clock record (55.089 km) on April 16, 2019, a brand he still holds.

This Tour de Louvain, also called GP Jef Scherens (named after the seven-time world sprint champion of the 1930s/40s), was played on the penultimate of the six courses for the local circuit: about twenty kilometers from the line, Stybar and cleared Campenaerts The road to the peloton.

The Czech started the sprint from afar, snatched away by the two-time European champion in trials (2013 and 2018). Norway’s Alexander Kristof, third, settled in the peloton race.

with AFP