Tudor Pro Cycling is experiencing that moment when we look back on the season with curiosity to see what the future holds. For the athletes and staff of the Swiss professional team, the big news is the certainty of having wildcards for all the major races next year. A goal achieved thanks to the hard work put in over the past few seasons, with the icing on the cake in 2025, a year that has brought us much satisfaction.
The team has seen the entry of two high-profile riders, from whom a significant impact was expected: Marc Hirschi and Julian AlaphilippeSomehow, the impact was there, and if it didn't translate into results, it's a matter of details. But in the first season at a new team, you also need to give yourself time to settle in and understand how everything changes.
From supporting actor to leader
Hirschi and Alaphilippe were able to demonstrate their capabilities, Matteo Tosatto, sport director of the team, knows this well. Tudor Pro Cycling. The Venetian coach is also aware that something more is always expected from two figures of this calibre., especially if the results have not always lived up to expectations.
«Let's start with Marc Hirschi – Tosatto tells us once intercepted on the phone – it has been a year of great changes for him. It came from UAE Team Emirates where he was a reference rider, but he was certainly not the sole leaderAt Tudor, he found himself in this role and perhaps felt a bit under pressure. We never put any pressure on him, but it's an important signal: he wants to be a leader. Hirsch recorded great values, which did not always go hand in hand with the results as in 2024When you're the go-to man for a team in a match, your opponents don't leave you that much space."
Some changes
Matteo Tosatto knows that if you look at the victories, Hirschi's season can be considered too negative. For this reason, in speaking he underlines the different placings brought home by the Swiss rider.
«A first season like this can be considered decent – continues the sports director – because Hirschi is young and we know his value. He's someone who likes to run and sometimes maybe it would have been better to stop for a moment, like after San SebastianHe was coming off a tough Tour de France, during which he also got sick. Incidentally, the Grande Boucle marked his return to a Grand Tour after two years, so that's also worth considering. He had the Giro d'Italia lined up, but two crashes at the start of the season slowed him down, and we chose to keep him there. With two or three more victories it would have been an excellent seasonLet's say that the measures were taken in 2025, now we know how to move forward."
“LouLou”
The arrival of Julian Alaphilippe there were some doubts surrounding the French rider, whose qualities have never been in question but from whom more would have been expected in past seasons. The move to Tudor has given new life to the French, capable of returning to success in a race WorldTour.
«The thing that impressed me most – analyses Tosatto – is that despite the bad luck and the various stops, Alaphilippe arrived at the Tour with an incredible hunger and desire. At seventy percent of his potential, during the first week, he showed that he can stay with the topWhen he was good, he did what you would expect from a rider of his caliber. At the Tour of Britain, the Three Valleys and other races he was rubbing shoulders with the strongestI'm convinced he's still at that level, he certainly has no shortage of class."
Reference
The two-time world champion brought an enviable list of achievements to Tudor, with Monument Classics, stages in the Grand Tours, for a total of forty-five victories.
"His striking characteristic is his humility," Matteo Tosatto tells us, "and his desire to make himself available to others. At the start of the season in the Algarve he gave a hand to Dainese for the sprints, at Sanremo he gave an excellent contribution to Trentino (then ninth at the finish line, ed.). Not to mention the support given to Storer both at Paris-Nice, in the fans and on the climbs, and at the Lombardia in always staying ahead.
“We knew Alaphilippe was an incredible media personality,” Tosatto concludes, “but his sporting impact on the team was unique. The young people found themselves in front of a model and an example to follow, always proactive and kind.. And then he sees the race in an incredible way, He talks a lot on the radio and tells you what's happening in the group and gives you a perfect read on the momentHaving a rider like him in the team gives us peace of mind even in the team car."
