Julian Alaphilippe will not support Remco Evenepoel as he will miss the Tour de France to focus on preparing for the road race at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with Belgium aiming for overall victory.

Following Alafillippe's inspiring victory at Fano in the Giro d'Italia, it was reported that the two-time world champion was part of the twelve-man long list of Soudal-QuickStep for the tour. Coach Patrick Lefevere told Lequipe that he had discussed joining the tour with Alafillippe that night, but the Frenchman missed the race and "called Julien on the night of the stage victory at the Giro and congratulated him," Rufevere said. "He told me that I could imagine I was thinking of him for the tour, but he didn't want to do it because he had other purposes in mind.

"He assured me that he would follow our decision because we are employers, but I couldn't immediately imagine obliging him to be the first. We have never done that to anyone. I understand more than anything that Julian already has Paris in mind. It will be his last chance to live the Olympics, especially at home. Why take it away from him?

Alafillippe's Giro debut was planned in part with the Paris Olympics in mind. 

He had indicated from the beginning of the season that he planned to miss the tour with his eyes on the goals of the second half of the season: the Paris Olympics, the World Championships in Zurich and Il Lombardy.

Evenepoel will lead Soudal-QuickStep in May as he makes his tour debut with a team entirely dedicated to his general classification challenge. Alafillippe was an important support for Evenepoel in the 2022 Vuelta a España before crashing in the middle of the race, but French coach Thomas Vockler had warned that reappointing the role would undermine Olympic ambitions.

"You can't think of the Olympics as a goal after riding such a tough giro, almost every day at the front as Julian did

"You can go to the game if you see them as a goal in their own right. Or, if you can make a tour and manage your efforts, if he worked for Evenepoel, then in his case it is not."

The likely absence of Alaphilippe from the tour, in connection with his performance at the Giro, has clearly put in the frame for the spot of four French selections for the Olympics, which will be announced on the first rest day of the tour in Orleans on 8 May.

Amid interest from many teams, including Cofidis and Tudor, it is still not seen whether Alaphilippe will remain a Soudal-QuickStep rider after his contract expires at the end of the current campaign.

Despite having put out very general and personalized criticism of Alaphilippe in recent years. Regardless, Lefevere left the Frenchman on the roster in the aftermath of his Giro Stage victory

in his Het Nieuwsblad column last weekend, Lefevere revealed that Alaphilippe's agent, Dries Smets, had asked for a meeting with him in the coming days.

"The Giro has also changed Julian's market situation, of course, so I don't know if it's out of politeness or out of a genuine interest in staying," Lefevere said.