The tensions between 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Julian Alaphilippe and his Soud♍al-QuickStep team bᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚoss, Patrick Lefevere, are dragging on, with each party issuing a new round of comments via the press. 

Lefevere h♎ad struck a harsh tone as he set 🍷out expectations ahead of the season, putting pressure on the two-time world champion to bounce back after an injury-ridden 2022 campaign. 

"Julian has a champion's salary, but he must confirm that he still is a champion," Lefevere said, doubting that injury and illness were fully to blame for his relative shortage of results, and hinting at a possible split: "I made him understand that he would be allowed to leave if he was tired of the🐟 environment."

Alaphilippe then countered in an interview with L'Equipe, saying: "He never said such things to my face."

Lefevere has returned to stoke the flames this week, insisting that everything he said in his interview with La Dernière Heure🎐, he'd already said to Alaphilippe directly. 

"That conversation did take place. His wife and his agent were even there," Lefevere told . 

"I told him he cඣouldn't keep hiding behind illnesses and falls. That's the cold ♑truth.

"We had a conversation๊ tha💝t was full and frank. If you get paid like Julian, it's to perform."

Alaphilippe begins his 2023 campaign at the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Challenge Mallorca on Wednesday and struc🅺k a more diplomatic 🐻tone when pressed on the matter on the eve of the race.

"Patrick and I have always been ve💫ry transparent with each oth🥀er. That has been the case from the beginning," he said.  

"That was the case when things went well and it is now also🐼 the case when things go a little less. 

"Tꦓhe stat🅠ements that Patrick has made will not change my way of working and my motivation."

Alaphilippe began his career with QuickStep in 2014 after coming through the team's development setup. His talent shone through in his early years but he really hit his stride with two stage wins in the 2018 Tour de France, which led to victories at 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Milan-San Remo, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Strade Bianche, two straight world titles, and four more 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour de France stages. 

His second season in the rainbow jersey in 2022 was beset by crashes and bad luck, with a string of serious injuries sustained at 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Liège-Bastogne-Liège ultimately forcing him to miss the Tour. He rebounded but dislocated his shoulder at the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Vuelta a España, which ruined the back e🌸nd of his campaign and left hi🌊m with just two victories for the year. 

Despite the public comments from his 🍒team boss, Alaphilippe insists he is not feeling any undue pressure to rediscover resultওs of old.

"I want to do everything I can to put eveꩲrything right again.﷽ But that does not mean that I feel extra pressure. I have never even started a season so relaxed and liberated," he said. 

"ꦫIn the winter I was able to forget about cycling for a while. I spent time with my family to find myself again. I don't know if it꧋'s because I don't wear the rainbow jersey anymore or because I have such a good winter behind me, but I don't feel any pressure at all. I'm just super motivated."