Tom Boonen and Philippe Gilbert delighted with their team’s Worlds performance
Tom Boonen and Philippe Gilbert admired Team Belgian’s performance at the 2012 UCI Road World Championships.
Gilbert’s top place finish was the biggest victory for the team as he commends his team’s support through the race.
"I also thank my team [BMC] because despite my bad season they did not put any pressure but continued to support me,” he briefed to Lavenir.
“I had three goals for 2012: the Classics yielded nothing, I found a good level during the Olympic race, and today I was super”.
The current Belgian National Champion Tom Boonen was the second best Belgian on the day after his 12th place finish at the race.
It was believed that the Belgian team might struggle under the dual leadership of Gilbert and Boonen but both the cyclists used all their experience and dig deep to achieve what was best for their nation.
"Mentally, I could not find better preparation for the world cup. And in collaboration with Philippe Gilbert, I see no problems,” Boonen told Het Laatste Nieuws.
“Phil can join in the offensive when the Spaniards let loose on the Cauberg. I can put pressure on the back. In the final Phil can attack on the Caubergitself," he concluded.
Boonen also led the Belgian side, Team Omega Pharma-Quick Step that won gold at the trading Team Time Trial event earlier on September 16th, 2012.
The six-man squad including Tom Boonen, Sylvain Chavanel, Tony Martin, Niki Terpstra, Kristof Vandewalle and Peter Velits completed the 53.2 kilometre race in a total time of 1 hour, 3 minutes and 17 seconds.
Team BMC, Team Orica-GreenEdge, Team Liquigas-Cannondale and Team Rabobank occupied the second, third, fourth and fifth positions in the respective order.
Top fifteen finishers after the 2012 UCI Elite Men Road Race are as below,
1
Philippe Gilbert (Belgium)
6:10:41
2
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway)
0:00:04
3
Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spain)
0:00:05
4
John Degenkolb (Germany)
5
Lars Boom (Netherlands)
6
Allan Davis (Australia)
7
Thomas Voeckler (France)
8
Ramunas Navardauskas (Lithuania)
9
Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Colombia)
10
Oscar Freire Gomez (Spain)
11
Rui Costa (Portugal)
12
Tom Boonen (Belgium)
13
Oscar Gatto (Italy)
14
Peter Sagan (Slovakia)
15
Fredrik Carl Wilhelm Kessiakoff (Sweden)
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