Philippe Gilbert dumps the Tour de San Luis for Santos Tour Down Under 2013
Philippe Gilbert of Team BMC has decided to kick-off his 2013 campaign with the UCI Inaugural event, Santos Tour Down Under and will forgo the Tour de San Luis.
“My winter training and preparation so far has been perfect," Gilbert said.
"I saw the parcours on the Internet and it looks good for me. So I will go there with some ambition and we also bring a great team. But for the first race, it's hard to know how you will really feel".
He will head a strong Team BMC line-up consisting of Alessandro Ballan, Martin Kohler, Klaas Lodewyck, Amaël Moinard, Steve Morabito and Danilo Wyss in the coming race.
"The Santos Tour Down Under will be very difficult," said Ballan sharing his own experiences.
"I think the decisive stage will be the next to last one - Stage 5 - with its two ascents of Old Willunga Hill and uphill finish. In my opinion, it's not too demanding, but it will be a factor".
Last year’s UCI World Tour winner, Gilbert started the 2012 season rather slowly with his first win of the season coming at the stage 9 of the Vuelta a Espana 2012.
However, the stage victory at the third and the final Grand Tour of the season was enough for the Belgian to find the right legs.
The cyclist continued his tremendous form at the 19th stage of the race and bagged his second Vuelta a Espana 2012 stage victory.
He finished second at the Men’s team time trial, UCI Road World Championships but his biggest victory of the season came with his the place finish at the UCI World Road Race Championships, 2012.
The reigning World Champion launched an excellent attack in the final kilometres of the race to restrict Edvald Boasson Hagen and Alejandro Valverde at the second and the third positions.
The fifteenth edition of the Australian race is scheduled from January 20-27 and the current winner of the race might miss this year’s race and will be replaced by Gilbert.
Santos Tour Down Under is the first World Tour race of the season and winner of the race receives a 100 UCI points to his credit while the second and the third position holders receive 80 and 70 points in the respective order.
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