The crowd in Boulogne-sur-Mer erupted when they saw Julian Alaphilippe in the lead with 500 meters to go on the second stage of the Tour de France. The French national hero was suddenly back in the spotlight with a chance of winning the stage.

A flashback to 2019, when the French rider triumphed in Epernay with a spectacular show that earned him the yellow jersey until the final mountain stages.

Alaphilippe is now 33, but he seems to have returned to his best form this season, after switching to Tudor Pro Cycling. A fifth-place finish at the Tour de Suisse confirmed his form, allowing him to join the group of 26 riders that fought for the victory. Despite a recent bout of flu that made him lose ground on the first stage, he bounced back strongly on the second.

The French crowd cheered his name in hopes of a brave bid for victory, but Alaphilippe revealed that he had tried to launch teammate Marc Hirschi for the uphill sprint. The plan didn't work but he showed that he was back to his trademark aggressive style.

"If I compare where I was a few days ago and also compared to yesterday, which was a terrible day for me, today was better . I'm happy to have been in front," explained the Frenchman.