Julien Alaphilippe will be supported by a strong French National Team when he competes in the UCI Road World Championships road race in Yorkshire, England on September 29.

The eight-man team, led by this year's Milan-San Remo, Fresh Wallonne, and Strade Bianche winner Tony Gallopin (AG2R La Mondiale) and Groupama-FDJ heavyweight Anthony Roux Anthony Roux are also included.

Not surprisingly, Alaphilippe is accompanied on his Yorkshire ride by two compatriots from the Detunink-Quickstep trade team, Florian Seneschal and Remi Cavagna, Christophe Laporte (Cofidis), and another as yet unnamed There is one more player whose name has yet to be decided. French national team manager Thomas Voeckler said they would be chosen after next week's World Tour races in Canada, the Quebec and Montreal GPs.

"Once Julien informed me that he had recovered from the Tour de France, I gave him permission to be selected for the World Championship road race. It seemed logical because I wanted to put together a group that could give 100% for him and that he would be happy with. And it was a unanimous decision who I chose for this World Championships," Voeckler said on the French Cycling Federation (FFC) website about the team selection.

"Julien has already put a lot of effort into this season and winning the World Championships will be just a bonus in what has been a great 2019 for him. But he is definitely our best chance of success," continued Voeckler, who just retired after the 2017 Tour de France.

"We needed a rider willing to work for him, and luckily a cycling powerhouse like France has a wealth of options. He needs a teammate who can work from the beginning of the race all the way to the finale."

Regarding the omission of last year's silver medalists Romain Bardet, Thibaut Pinot, and Warren Barguil, Voeckler reiterated that the course is more suited to riders like Alaphilippe, and that France's pure climbing stars have a chance elsewhere.

"These three riders know they have a chance in next year's competitions: the road race at the Tokyo Olympics, the World Championships in Martigny, Switzerland, and the European Championships in Italy.

"Around Julien, we have recruited riders who are well established in the international peloton, who are trusted by their opponents, and who know their roles because it is a very technical course," Voeckler explained.

"In addition to the wear and tear of the race distance, the first 110 km will be a real battle for position. The 300 km (284.5 km) at the end of the season is not a distance to be ignored.

Voeckler admitted that while Alaphilippe starts the race as one of the favorites to win, he does not want to put too much pressure on the 27-year-old's shoulders.

"Of course I want to win, but this is still a sport and at the end of the day only one athlete can stand at the top of the podium.

"It's not about being in the top 10 or having three guys in the top 20," he said. We want to win through great team performance and execution of our plan." But this is not a life or death race for Julien, or a make or break career."