Philippe Gilbert watchful for the 2013 season
The reigning UCI Road World Champion, Philippe Gilbert has noted that he will start the season ahead slowly and watchfully as riding in rainbow jersey puts more responsibility on his shoulders.
The 2011 UCI World Tour Winner had a rather slow start to his 2012 campaign, with his first victory of the season coming at the third and the final Grand Tour race of the season, the Vuelta a Espana 2012.
Gilbert succeeded during the stage 9 of the Vuelta and capitalised on his form to bag the 19th stage of the event, along with a third place finish at the La Fleche Wallonne and sixth at the Amstel Gold Race 2012.
He finished second at the UCI Road World Championships Men’s time trial event and bagged the first gold medal of his career after heroic performance to win the UCI World Road Race Championships 2012.
The Belgian completed the 269 kilometre race in a total time of 6 hours, 10 minutes and 41 seconds and restricted Edvald Boasson Hagen and Alejandro Valverde for the second and the third positions respectively.
Unlike his approach in the past seasons, Gilbert will welcome the New Year with participation at the UCI Inaugural event, the Santos Tour Down Under and also shown interest towards riding the Tour of Qatar and the Tour de San Luis 2013.
“I'm starting slowly just because I am now world champion, if I go out for training, people recognise me much quicker," he told Nieuwsblad.
"I do not know where I will go for my first race in 2013. I have the choice from Argentina [San Luis], Qatar and the Tour Down Under".
When asked about taking a go at this year’s Tour de France, the 30-year-old was rather vague as the Classics specialist is more tempted towards riding the Milan—San Remo , the Ardennes Classics and the Tour of Flanders instead.
"My participation in the Tour de France is an open question. Last year the start was in Liège so I was obliged to be at the start,” he voiced.
“I do know that I will once again target the spring classics like Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and the Ardennes," Gilbert concluded.
It will be interesting to see if Philippe manages to find the right momentum to bag early victories in the coming season as he gets ready to welcome the New Year in his rainbow jersey.
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