A product of the Equipe de France national foundation for the training of young riders, Julien Allemand finished 12th in the 250cc European Championship in 1998, and since then has blossomed in the Yamaha and Cagiva cups. His passage into Grand Prix in 1999 was not without difficulty and in a team with limited means, he did well to eventually finish in 21st place. Without a ride at the beginning of 2000, he was called up to the 250 Yamaha TZ Team for the Spainish Grand Prix due to an injury to Mike Baldinger at Suzuka, and finished amongst the points on four occasions - his best result being an 11th place finish in Assen.