(In second paragraph corrects Alaphilippe's team)
CARCASSONNE, France (Reuters) -Julian Alaphilippe endured a chaotic, emotional stage 15 of the Tour de France on Sunday, crashing early, soldiering on with a dislocated shoulder, and then mistakenly celebrating what he thought was a stage win - before discovering he had been beaten by two riders.
The Tudor Pro rider hit the deck in the opening kilometres, suffering pain and a shoulder injury that cast doubt over whether he would even finish the day.
“He had a crash at the beginning of the race,” said team sports director Raphael Meyer. “He had pain and a dislocated shoulder. He was seen by the doctor and he still has some pain. He's going to do x-rays.”
But the Frenchman fought on, eventually crossing the line — arms raised in triumph, believing he had pulled off an emotional comeback victory.
He hadn’t.
Unbeknownst to Alaphilippe, Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) had already powered away from the breakaway group earlier and claimed a convincing solo win.
Victor Campenaerts had also slipped away and crossed the line nine seconds ahead of Alaphilippe.
"He thought he was first on the line — but the radio didn’t work,” Meyer said.
For Wellens, the victory marked a brutal show of strength, and another chapter in the dominance of leader Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates, as they continue to exert near-total control over the race.
For Alaphilippe, it was a bitter-sweet finish - a gritty ride, a brave comeback, and a win that wasn’t.
It was not the first time such misfortune happened to Alaphilippe.
In 2020, he raised his arms in celebration before the finish at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege Monument classic, only to see Slovenian Primoz Roglic effectively beating him to the line.
The Frenchman was then disqualified for deviating from his sprint line.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot)
