Alaphilippe leaves a year before his Tudor Pro Cycling Team deal expires through 2027, voluntarily cutting short a contract rather than grinding out a final season. The signal was already there at the 2026 Tour de France: twice in early breakaways, unable to stay with the climbers when the road tilted up. His statement at Alpe d'Huez — «Il n'y a rien d'officiel, mais il ne faut pas s'attendre à me revoir» — was the clearest retirement speech a rider can give without calling it one. Two world championship rainbow jerseys, 45 wins, and the judgment to stop before the decline writes the final chapter.