'You need certain skills to ride the cobbles, it's not like you lose those overnight'
Philippe Gilbert says that you never lose the skill of how to ride fast on the cobbles of Belgium, as he faces a full classics campaign for the first time in five years
Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) is not surprised that he is riding so well on the cobbles this 2017 season even though it has been five years since he last raced a full Classics campaign.
Gilbert, who joined Quick-Step from BMC Racing this winter, helped team-mate Yves Lampaert win the Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday and stormed to second place behind him. It marked his first cobbled classics podium since the 2010 Tour of Flanders.
"I didn't ride the cobbles for a long time, but riding on them is like playing football, you have certain skills and it's not like you lose those overnight," Gilbert said.
Fans greeted their national champion with screams on Friday morning in Harelbeke, west of Brussels, like one of their own, even though he is from Belgium's southern Wallonia region.
Gilbert cut his teeth on the Flemish cobbles racing as an amateur and with Marc Sergeant's Lotto team. Sergeant already knew Gilbert from working with him when he was the national coach and he remembered young Gilbert learning Dutch to acclimatise in the cycling-strong region, where Tom Boonen was maturing at the same time.
Eventually, though, his biggest results came in the country's south and over the border in Maastricht. He won all three Ardennes Classics in 2011 and the World Championship in 2012 when it used some of the Amstel Gold Race course in Valkenburg.
In his period with BMC Racing, from 2012 through 2016, Gilbert rarely raced on Flemish roads. BMC, instead, led with Greg Van Avermaet and sent Gilbert to race in his home area, in the Ardennes Classics.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Now, and with the strongest classic team, Quick-Step, he returns to the cobbles. He teams up with Boonen, who is on his farewell tour ending with Paris-Roubaix on April 9, and stars like Niki Terpstra.
>>> Cobbled Classics 2017: Latest news, reports and info
"It's really nice to race these cobble classics with team Quick-Step, you feel the experience that it has and the staff has. Everyone in this team is really into it," Gilbert said.
"This is a Belgian team, it's normal, everyone is more focused and more concerned about these races."
Quick-Step have showed many times that they are not afraid to play one of their multiple cards to beat their rivals. As with Sky in Milan-San Remo, they may need to do so in order to beat Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe). This could allow Gilbert his chance.
"For sure, I'd like to win one cobbled race this season," Gilbert added. "Flanders? Why not. The most important is to see the team winning."
After Flanders, Gilbert will take a break and prepare for the Ardennes classics two weeks later. Instead of Boonen and Terpstra, Gilbert will team with Julian Alaphilippe and Dan Martin in Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Fans are wondering: is Gilbert a cobble or Ardennes cyclists cyclist? And like Michal Kwiatkowski, does he need to choose one series of races over another?
"It's always been a problem, I can do both. Maybe I'm a little bit better in the Ardennes," Gilbert explained.
"Yeah, it’s always hard to choose. Of course, though, it's a good problem to have."
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
Zwift extends free Play Controllers worth $99 with all eligible Zwift Smart Trainer purchases until Monday 14th October
Deals Zwift is celebrating ten years of virtual cycling and everyone's invited
By Paul Brett Published
-
I'm about to turn 40 - how can I keep riding fast?
Approaching a landmark birthday, Charlie Graham-Dixon explores how ageing affects cycling performance and what can be done to stay ahead of the curve
By Charlie Graham-Dixon Published
-
'All the pressure was on him': Philippe Gilbert impressed by Kasper Asgreen’s form ahead of Paris-Roubaix
Danish rider finished seventh for Soudal Quick-Step after Patrick Lefevere called for riders to ‘save team’s honour’
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Philippe Gilbert says Julian Alaphilippe could benefit from fresh start at new team
Former Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders winner says Alaphilippe may enjoy new challenge away from Patrick Lefevere's Soudal Quick-Step team
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Philippe Gilbert slams UCI for ‘negligence’ at Vuelta a Burgos
‘It’s time safety topics are taken seriously’ says Belgian former World Champion
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I’m still having to pinch myself a little bit, what a ride!' : Reinardt Janse van Rensburg’s journey to a sixth Tour de France
The 33 year old South African rider feared his career was over before Lotto Soudal came calling.
By Tom Thewlis Last updated
-
Mark Cavendish wants to continue for 'at least' two more years
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sprinter turns 37 this weekend
By Adam Becket Published
-
Retiring Philippe Gilbert ends 966-day drought without a win
The Belgian rider won the third stage at the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, his first victory since September 2019
By Ryan Dabbs Published
-