Philippe Gilbert improving after a disappointing start to the 2012 season
After his mind blowing performance in the past season, Philippe Gilbert has struggled to find form in the 2012 season so far.
The cyclist has not registered a single victory in the current season, after the first three months, because of some health issues.
However, he has shown some signs of improvement during the recent performance at the Tour of Flanders.
This time last year, the Belgian had as many as three wins in his pocket and his current form is nowhere near to his previous performance.
The long lists of his victories include the overall wins at the Ster ZLM Toer and he claimed the second overall spot at the Eneco Tour.
The cyclist filled his bag with a number of stage victories at the Eneco Tour, Ster ZLM Tour, Tour de France, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Volta al Algarve 2011.
Gilbert finished first at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the Amstel Gold Race, the La Fleche Wallonne, the Clasica de San Sebastian, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec, the Montepaschi Strade Bianche, the Brabantse Pijl and the GP de Wallonne in the 2011 season.
He started riding with Team FDJeux.com in 2003 and spent a period of six years with the side.
The Belgian accepted an offer from Team Silence-Lotto in 2009, and stayed with the Belgian side before finally agreeing to ride with Team BMC in the 2012 season.
Team BMC is amongst the most expensive sides in the peloton.
It has hired some of the top cycling stars in professional cycling including, Alessandro Ballan, Steve Cummings, Cadel Evans, Thor Hushovd, George Hincapie, Taylor Phinney, Marco Pinotti and Philippe Gilbert.
Despite its fully loaded line-up, the team has struggled to register any wins in the first quarter of the season.
Cadel Evans helped the team with its first victory, the Australian sealed the second stage and the overall victory at the Criterium International 2012.
While commenting on his current form Gilbert told Sporza, "I was better than last weekend, the team was super good. In the finale we were still with seven men in the peloton at 60 kilometres from the finish which was very good".
"Ballan was good and also confident. After the Koppenberg I talked with Ballan and he told me that he was confident that he could mix in for the win today".
Philippe’s next big goal is the Amstel Gold Race, the event he won last year. The cyclist will skip the Paris-Roubaix and Scheldeprijs to ensure his peak form ahead of the Dutch race.
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