Philippe Gilbert failed to grab his third win at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
After a remarkable end to his 2011 season, Philippe Gilbert had to face the disappointment during the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday.
The two-time past winner of the race was eying his third victory at the Belgian event but could only secure the 31st position at the race.
He finished 41 seconds behind the race leader Sep Vanmarcke and admitted that he was never strong enough to claim the top podium spot.
The Belgian told dhnet.be, “I wasn’t in the race, I was there without being there. I didn’t have good legs. I was always fifteen or twenty places too far back and in these conditions, you can get caught up in a crash or puncture”.
Gilbert was determined to join the esteemed club of Ernest Sterckx, Joseph Bruyère and Peter Van Petegem.
The trio holds the honour of winning the race for a maximum number of three times each.
The 29-year-old succeeded during the 2006 and 2008 versions of the race but his performance on Saturday was a total disappointment, as he was never a threat for Sep Vanmarcke.
The young Belgian opened his 2012 winning account, as he cruised through the 200 kilometre race in the best time of 4 hours, 52 minutes and 34 seconds.
Tom Boonen, Juan Antonio Flecha, Heinrich Haussler and Greg Van Avermaet occupied the second, third, fourth and fifth positions in the respective order.
Vanmarcke told Sporza after the victory, "I couldn’t believe my eyes. I beat Tom Boonen, my big hero. I know if I have a really great day, I can sprint pretty well".
Philippe had a terrific last season and grabbed as many as 698 UCI points to lead the 2011 WorldTour Elite Men rankings. His teammate Cadel Evans secured the second position with 574 points.
He was riding his first race of the 2012 season but failed to meet the expectations of his fans, who cheered his every move throughout the race.
The Belgian is now targeting the upcoming classics and he will definitely take his performance to the next level as the season progresses.
Philippe is planning a busy season ahead and will ride the Tour de France, the London Olympics, the Vuelta a Espana and the World Championships after testing his legs at the classics.
Tags: