After Julian Alaphilippe produced his second straight win on a tough summit finish at the Tour of California, he produced a great time trial which has set him up to avenge his second place from 2015.

But the talented French star on Etixx-QuickStep insists he doesn’t want to be touted as France’s next GC rider, preferring to focus on hilly Classics (where he has already shown great potential despite his age) and week-long stage races.

“I’m really having fun on the bike. I must keep my feet on the ground,” he said. “I’m not a real climber. It requires so many sacrifices. Even if I like those finishes (like Gibraltar Road, where he won stage three and took the GC lead), you can’t really say that I’m a climber.”

The 23 year old confirmed that he doesn’t have the commitment yet to focus on becoming a GC contender and pointed out that he hasn’t even ridden a Grand Tour yet in his career. His biggest goals lie in the Classics.

“What I really would like in the future is winning a great classic,” Alaphilippe said. “I still have a lot to learn but I’m actually still learning things every day here. And this week brought me some information about myself, and what I can do. For me, every race is a lesson.”