Belgian building form for first big Classic
Philippe Gilbert has said that he believes he will be in strong condition for Milano-Sanremo, despite a modest performance in Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday. The Omega Pharma Lotto rider was 43rd in the race, five minutes and five seconds behind Sebastian Langeveld (Rabobank Cycling Team) and Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky Procycling).
While it wasn’t a good day for him, he knows that every rider can have an off day and that there’s no reason to panic just yet.
“Quite simply, I had no legs,” he told La Dernière Heure. “In three weeks time [Milano-Sanremo], this will be different.”
In the last two seasons, Gilbert has proven himself as one of the world’s top Classics riders. He won Amstel Gold last spring with a stunning finishing burst, and then dominated the Giro di Lombardia. In between, he also picked up a stage win in the Tour of Belgium, two victories in the Vuelta a España and the Giro del Piemonte. He’s already topped the podium once this season, picking up stage one of the Volta ao Algarve.
The latter result appeared to bode well for Het Nieuwsblad, a race he won in 2006 and 2008, yet he felt off-form on Saturday.
“I must admit that the rain and cold weather made the race very difficult,” he explained. “We know that when it’s like this, the strongest naturally emerge. To play a leading role, it is necessary to be in great condition. Personally, I was good but not great, as I said. I was a bit of a diesel, which lacked explosiveness.”
Gilbert realised early on that he didn’t have much in the tank, and so 100 kilometres from the end, he told his team-mate Jurgen Roelandts he could have a go and to try to do something. The Belgian did just that, later going clear in a move and gaining time over many of the others.
With a team-mate up the road, that set things nicely up for Gilbert if he had the legs to jump across; however, as things turned out, he didn’t have enough in the tank. “I tried something on the Wolvenberg and I was in front, but then I saw the group of ten go clear,” he said.
“I knew it was a important moment and crucial for the race, but I just was not able to accompany them. It’s frustrating, but it’s like that when you’re not one hundred percent. Afterwards, with Roelandts ahead, it was not for me to try something.”
Gilbert still has time to hone his form, and will take consolation from the fact that his Algarve performance shows that he has already been in strong shape this season. Het Nieuwsblad is likely a temporary blip in form rather than something more serious.
He’ll race the Strade Bianche next Saturday, then make his final preparations for Milano-Sanremo when he competes in Tirreno Adriatico.