Philippe Gilbert showing signs of improvement
Philippe Gilbert of Team BMC has shown signs of improvement during his recent appearance at the Amstel Gold Race.
The cyclist had a disappointing start to his 2012 campaign and was surrounded by crashes, bad performances and sickness during the first quarter of the season.
He is now targeting the La Fleche Wallonne and has briefed that the 6th place finish at the Amstel Gold Race has really boosted his confidence for the second race of the Ardennes Classics.
The 29-year-old rode brilliantly but could not match the likes of Enrico Gasparotto of Team Astana who secured his first victory of the 2012 season.
Jelle Vanendert, Peter Sagan, Oscar Freire and Thomas Voeckler occupied the second, the third, the fourth and the fifth positions.
The Belgian rode brilliantly in the 2011 season and succeeded at all the three races of the Ardennes Classics.
Philippe finished first at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the Amstel Gold Race and the La Fleche Wallonne along with many other victories last year.
He dominated the UCI Elite Men category with a maximum number of 698 points in his bag. Cadel Evans secured the second position with 574 UCI points.
Gilbert noted, “I'm satisfied, the fact that I had a respectable result is good for my morale and helps me recover a little faster. I knew my condition would come back one day and I’m happy to be better, it's much easier”.
However, the Belgian has admitted the fact that his current form is nowhere to what he achieved in the past season.
“I’m not yet 100 per cent, but I can sense that it’s coming along. At this level you have to be at your best and you pay for any little thing that’s lacking”.
“My condition has been getting better day after day for a few weeks, so time is on my side, it’s my biggest ally”.
He joined Team BMC for the 2012 season after spending a period of three years with Team Lotto (2009-2011).
Philippe made his professional debut with Team FDJeux.com in 2003 and stayed with the team by the end of 2008.
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