Philippe Gilbert reveals that his decision to leave Omega Pharma was out of anger – Cycling News
Philippe Gilbert‘s transfer to team BMC was an important move for the cyclist, for his future team BMC and for his current team Omega-Pharma. Announcement was made earlier this week when BMC’s manager Jim Ochowicz confirmed the signing of star cyclist till
the end of 2014.
Gilbert’s decision of leaving the Belgian team has started a lot of chaos to which the 29-year-old commented that he was asked to pay 1.5 million Euros if he wished to leave Omega Pharma as he stated, “I felt like a threat, like if you leave, you pay. I’ve
been treated like scum and that evening, I made my decision, which was certainly affected by my anger.”
Philippe mainly had two favourite teams to choose from with one of them being team BMC and second was Quick Step-Omega Pharma as he decided to go for the US based team BMC. Quick Step’s General Manager, Patrick Lefevere stated that he was keen to have Philippe
in the team and has also discussed it with the cyclist as he stated, “I spoke with Gilbert about the classics. Two weeks ago, I met him by chance in Monaco. We had a friendly chat. He told me that he still hadn’t decided anything.”
Gilbert’s mentioned that his decision to join the team BMC was out of anger and seems like the conversation he had with the Quick Step’s management does not sound too friendly to him.
The cyclist commented about joining the new team as he told a Belgian newspaper that Team BMC is highly professional and is the best team in the world and the only reason why he has signed the team is because they have looked after his requirements such
as the length of the contract. Team BMC has managed to secure the Classics specialist for three years.
Philippe is only the second player in the history of the sport to win all three Ardennes classics in same year and the first Belgian to achieve such an honour as he also holds the win each for Tour de France and Giro d' Italia.
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