Philippe Gilbert (born 5 July 1982) is a Belgian former professionalroad bicycle racer, who is best known for being a rare versatile rider who was able to win four of the five very different profile cycling monuments and also theWorld Road Race Championships in 2012,[8] and for being one of two riders, along withDavide Rebellin, to have won the threeArdennes classics – theAmstel Gold Race,La Flèche Wallonne andLiège–Bastogne–Liège – in a single season, which he accomplished in2011.[9] Gilbert also finished the 2011 season as the overall winner of theUCI World Tour.[10]
A Classics specialist, Gilbert has won severalclassic cycle races, includingParis–Tours twice (2008,2009), theGiro di Lombardia twice (2009,2010), the Amstel Gold Race four times (2010,2011,2014,2017), La Flèche Wallonne (2011), Liège–Bastogne–Liège (2011), theClásica de San Sebastián (2011), theTour of Flanders (2017), andParis–Roubaix (2019). He is the second person (and first Belgian) in history to win all threeArdennes classics in a single year. In 2017, Gilbert became the third rider afterEddy Merckx (1975) andJan Raas (1979) to win both the Tour of Flanders and the Amstel Gold Race in the same year.
He has also won stages at each of the threecycling Grand Tours: three stages at theGiro d'Italia (one in2009 and two in2015), one stage at theTour de France (in2011), and seven stages at theVuelta a España (two in both2010 and2012, one in2013 and two in2019).
Gilbert retired as a professional, after the2022 Paris–Tours.[11] He celebrated his retirement inValkenburg aan de Geul where he became world champion and won four Amstel Gold Races. He was honoured with a mural in the caves of theCauberg.[12]
Gilbert currently resides inMonaco.[13] With his ex-wife Patricia Zevaert he has two sons, born 2010[14] and 2013.[15][16]
Gilbert's younger brotherJérôme has also been a racing cyclist.[17]
Gilbert committed to serve world peace through sport by joiningPeace and Sport.[citation needed]
During the2021 UCI Road World Championships inFlanders, he was elected to a four-year term as a representative for road cycling on theUnion Cycliste Internationale Athletes' Commission, winning 66 per cent of the vote.[18]
Born in Remouchamps in the municipality ofAywaille, Gilbert turned professional in 2003 by joiningFDJeux.com after riding asstagiaire for the team in late 2000. During this season he recorded his first victory by winning a stage in theTour de l'Avenir. In 2004 he began by winning a stage in theTour Down Under as well as the young rider classification. He participated in theCycling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's individual road race at the2004 Summer Olympics where he finished 49th. He also won theParis–Corrèze. In 2005 he won several races in France, which allowed him to win theCoupe de France de cyclisme sur route. These victories included theTrophée des Grimpeurs, theTour du Haut Var and thePolynormande. He also took stages in theFour Days of Dunkirk and theTour Méditerranéen.
2006 would become his most successful year to the point when he won the prestigiousOmloop Het Volk after repeatedly attacking until he got away alone with 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) to go.[19] During the season he also won theGrand Prix de Fourmies and theGrand Prix de Wallonie as well as stages at theCritérium du Dauphiné Libéré and theEneco Tour.
In early 2007 he had a skin cancer lesion removed from his thigh,[20] delaying the start of his season. That did not stop him from trying himself duringMilan–San Remo, where he managed to escape on the Poggio withRiccardo Riccò before being captured 1.2 kilometres (0.75 miles) from the finishing line. He could not get any victory during the season until theTour du Limousin, where he claimed his only victory in 2007 by winning a stage. InParis–Tours he was caught with 500 metres (1,600 feet) to go along withKarsten Kroon andFilippo Pozzato.
Gilbert started 2008 by winning the King of the Mountains competition at theTour Down Under and the overall classification as well as two stages of theVuelta a Mallorca. He also finished third inMilan–San Remo, accomplishing his first podium in a monument. He later wonOmloop Het Volk for the second time in his career after a solo attack with almost 50 kilometres (31 miles) to go. Four days later he won theGP Samyn. He finished the year by winning the classicParis–Tours race in a late breakaway where he won a sprint between his three breakaway companions. The peloton finished four seconds back.
In 2009 he joinedSilence–Lotto to lead the Belgian team in the classics, finishing third at theTour of Flanders and fourth in both theAmstel Gold Race andLiège–Bastogne–Liège. He also took his first stage in aGrand Tour by winning the 20th stage of theGiro d'Italia[21] and won a stage and the overall classification of theSter Elektrotoer. Later in the season, he repeated hisParis–Tours win, attacking on the last climb withTom Boonen andBorut Božič before outsprinting them to the line. A week later, he also won the prestigiousGiro di Lombardia after escaping from the peloton withSamuel Sánchez, beating him to the finish by a half-length. It was his fourth victory in 10 days after also winning theCoppa Sabatini andGiro del Piemonte. At the end of the season, he was awarded theFlandrien of the Year award, recognising him as the best Belgian rider of the year.[22]
In 2010 he won his first classic of the year, April'sAmstel Gold Race. After an aggressive race featuring many attacks, he won through a big attack in the last 500 metres (1,600 feet) of the climb to the finish, comfortably winning by several bike lengths from the peloton.[23] He also won the first stage of theTour of Belgium. Gilbert then ended the 2010 season in superb form. He followed up two stage wins in theVuelta a España with victories in the Giro del Piemonte and the Giro di Lombardia, repeating his 2009 wins in both races. The Giro di Lombardia was won with a solo attack in atrocious weather conditions.[24]
In 2011, Gilbert won theMontepaschi Strade Bianche, a race including 70 kilometres (43 miles) ofgravel roads. He then had a quadruple consecutive win: first, he won theBrabantse Pijl, then he repeated as winner of theAmstel Gold Race, breaking free on the Cauberg. Three days later, he wonLa Flèche Wallonne dropping his rivals on the final climb of the Mur de Huy and finally, he wonLiège–Bastogne–Liège beating the Schleck brothers in the sprint. Gilbert thus became the second rider, afterDavide Rebellin in 2004, to win the three Ardennes classics in a single year.[25] During the first half of the season he also won stages at theVolta ao Algarve,Tirreno–Adriatico as well as the overall classification and a stage of both the Tour of Belgium andSter ZLM Toer.
In late June, Gilbert won theBelgian National Road Race Championships.[26] In July he won the opening 191.5-kilometre (119.0-mile) stage of theTour de France, winning by three seconds overCadel Evans, allowing him to be the first person to put on theyellow jersey as overall leader.[27] He lost that jersey in theteam time trial the next day but still held thegreen andpolka dot jerseys after stage two. A week after the end of the Tour, Gilbert won theClásica de San Sebastián, and in mid-August, Gilbert won the 3rd stage at theEneco Tour, taking his 15th victory of the year.
In September, Gilbert won theGrand Prix Cycliste de Québec and took over the lead of the UCI world rankings with the 80 points awarded to the victor.[28] He followed that performance two days later at theGrand Prix Cycliste de Montréal by finishing third, despite stating that he felt "no pressure" after hisQuebec City victory. With that placing, Gilbert deposited another 50 UCI points in his account.[29] He would race in the October Italian classic, theGiro di Lombardia, taking eighth place after he was distanced on the final climb.[30] He eventually closed the season well ahead in theUCI World Tour rankings, with 718 points to the 584 points of his closest competitor, Cadel Evans.[31] He won 18 races in the season, more than any other cyclist in the professional peloton.[32]
Gilbert was appointed as a member of the inaugural UCI Athletes' Commission in 2011.[33]
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In 2012, Gilbert signed forBMC Racing Team on a three-year contract reportedly worth €3 million a year.[34] His goals for his new squad were to perform highly in theSpring classics and help his team-mateCadel Evans repeat his 2011 feat of winning theTour de France.[32] Neither of those came to fruition, as Gilbert's best result in the one-day spring races was third atLa Flèche Wallonne, where he got deposited on the final climb byJoaquim Rodríguez who won atop the historicMur de Huy with a slim margin of 4 seconds.[35] Three days prior, he took sixth position at theAmstel Gold Race and was pleased to achieve a top ten ranking in theArdennes race.[36] He missed out on his goal to bring Evans in yellow to Paris and his best placing in a Tour de France stage was fourth.[32] He also lost both of the Belgian National Championship titles he held, finishing third in theBelgian National Time Trial Championships.[37]
On 26 August 2012, Gilbert finally managed his first victory of the season by winning the ninth stage of theVuelta a España after breaking away together with Rodríguez.[38] He later won a second stage of the race, winning stage nineteen on 7 September.[39]
On 23 September 2012, Gilbert won theUCI Elite Men's Road Race world championship and the rainbow jersey, ahead ofEdvald Boasson Hagen andAlejandro Valverde by producing a massive surge on the final climb of the Cauberg.[40]
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In 2013, Gilbert headed towards the World Championships without a single win in the rainbow jersey, in danger of his first winless season since turning professional in 2003. He started theVuelta a España hoping that the competition would, for the second successive year, kick-start his season. After being narrowly defeated in a sprint byZdeněk Štybar onstage 7,[41] Gilbert finally clinched a victory in the rainbow stripes when he caught and passedEdvald Boasson Hagen to winstage 12.[42]
In 2014, Gilbert picked up his previous form when in the spring he won his secondBrabantse Pijl and his thirdAmstel Gold Race.
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Gilbert finished third atBrabantse Pijl, seconds after his teammateBen Hermans.[43] At theAmstel Gold Race, Gilbert could not repeat his winning ways of 2014 and came in tenth after having attacked on the final climb of the day, the Cauberg.[44] On the next Wednesday, Gilbert crashed out ofLa Flèche Wallonne.[45] He then took part inLiège–Bastogne–Liège even though he was slightly injured and held on to the main group until the Côte de Saint-Nicolas, where he was dropped and finished 36th.[46] He scored his first victory of the season at theGiro d'Italia, besting the lead group on a sharp incline at the end of Stage 12.[47] He repeated on Stage 18, where he participated in the early break. After being dropped on the last climb of the day, he returned to the remnants of the breakaway after the descent and attacked them to win solo.[48]
Gilbert took his first victory of the season in February at the one-day raceVuelta a Murcia, winning the sprint of a four-man group.[49] He won theBelgian National Road Race Championships in June.
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After 5 seasons with BMC, Gilbert joinedQuick-Step Floors for the 2017 season.[50] Gilbert finished second in theDwars door Vlaanderen behind teammateYves Lampaert. The pair made the race-defining split along withAlexey Lutsenko from theAstana team, andOrica–Scott'sLuke Durbridge.[51] Lampaert attacked with 7.5 kilometres (4.7 miles) remaining and ultimately won the race by 39 seconds ahead of Gilbert, who led home Lutsenko and Durbridge in a sprint for second place. Later that week, in a three-up sprint finish of Belgian riders,Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) wonE3 Harelbeke ahead of Gilbert andAG2R La Mondiale'sOliver Naesen.[52] The following week, Gilbert won theThree Days of De Panne after he attacked on theMuur van Geraardsbergen during the race's opening stage and soloed away to the victory by 17 seconds from his nearest competitor.[53] He ultimately won the race by 38 seconds ahead ofTrek–Segafredo'sMatthias Brändle, and also won the sprints classification, primarily from his opening-day attack.
Three days later, he won theTour of Flanders after a solo attack on theOude Kwaremont and holding off the rest of the field over the remaining 55 kilometres (34 mi).[54] Gilbert became the first rider in twenty years to win both theTour of Flanders andLiège–Bastogne–Liège in his career. Two weeks after that he won theAmstel Gold Race for a fourth time and became the third rider to win the Tour of Flanders and theAmstel Gold Race in the same year, afterJan Raas andEddy Merckx. It was later revealed that he won the race despite riding for the last 130 kilometres (81 mi) of the race with a minor kidney tear. The injury required treatment in hospital after the race, and ruled him out ofLa Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège.[55]
In Stage 16 of theTour de France, Gilbert was involved in a crash in a downhill section where he went over a wall, suffering lacerations and fracturing his kneecap. This was the same road whereFabio Casartelli died in the1995 Tour de France. Gilbert climbed back onto his bike and rode the remaining 57 kilometres (35 mi) to the finish inBagnères-de-Luchon, earning him the Most Combative Rider award but ending his tour.[56]
In April, Gilbert wonParis–Roubaix in a sprint ahead ofNils Politt, thereby raising his total number ofmonument titles to five.[57] During theVuelta a España, Gilbert won stage 12 toBilbao, after dropping his breakaway companions to reach the finish alone.[58] On stage 17 intoGuadalajara, Gilbert was again victorious. In a stage marked by crosswinds, his team forced the pace and allowed him to win the sprint finish. The average speed of 50.63 km/h (31.46 mph) marked the fastest ever road stage over 200 km (120 mi) in a Grand Tour.[59]
In August 2019, Gilbert signed a three-year contract with theLotto–Soudal team from the 2020 season onwards.[6]
Source:[60]
Points classification
OverallParis–Corrèze OverallVuelta a Mallorca
Mountains classification,Tour Down Under OverallSter Elektrotoer
after Stages 3–7
Road raceTime trial
OverallTour of Belgium OverallSter ZLM Toer after Stage 1 after Stages 1, 2, 5, 6 & 8–10
after Stages 1–3
Road race
Team time trial OverallSter ZLM Toer OverallTour of Beijing Mountains classification,Tour de Picardie
Points classification Points classificationRoad race, National Road Championships Points classification
OverallThree Days of De Panne Sprints classification
Combination classification,Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Combativity award Stage 5Tour de FranceCombativity award Stage 16Tour de France
Combativity award Stage 12
OverallFour Days of Dunkirk| Grand Tour | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia | 32 | — | DNF | — | — | 97 | — | — | — | — | — | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
 Tour de France | — | 70 | 110 | DNF | 112 | — | — | 38 | 46 | 62 | — | — | — | DNF | DNF | — | DNF | 99 | 76 |
 / Vuelta a España | — | — | — | 69 | DNF | 54 | 50 | — | 59 | DNF | 45 | — | DNF | — | — | 32 | — | — | — |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
This table shows Gilbert's results in the great classics.
| Monument | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan–San Remo | — | 14 | 6 | 32 | 21 | 3 | 23 | 9 | 3 | 87 | 32 | 13 | 55 | — | 29 | 75 | 68 | 9 | 72 | 144 | |
| Tour of Flanders | DNF | — | — | DNF | 25 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 75 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | DNF | — | — | — | |
| Paris–Roubaix | — | — | — | — | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 1 | NH | 29 | 30 | |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | DNF | 40 | DNF | 38 | 16 | 92 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 7 | 8 | 36 | — | — | 31 | 58 | — | 102 | 46 | |
| Giro di Lombardia | — | — | 74 | DNF | — | — | 1 | 1 | 8 | DNF | 20 | 7 | 33 | 34 | 27 | — | 54 | — | — | — | |
| Classic | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
| Omloop Het Nieuwsblad | — | NH | 21 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 15 | 26 | 43 | 31 | — | — | 8 | DNF | 13 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 40 | |
| Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NH | — | 49 | — | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Strade Bianche | Race did not exist | — | — | — | — | 1 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | — | 25 | — | — | ||||
| E3 Harelbeke | — | — | — | DNF | 7 | — | — | — | — | DNF | 48 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 11 | NH | DNF | — | |
| Gent–Wevelgem | — | — | — | 29 | 45 | 62 | — | 3 | 36 | 39 | 42 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 22 | — | DNF | — | |
| Dwars door Vlaanderen | — | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | DNF | NH | — | — | |
| Brabantse Pijl | — | — | — | — | DNF | 2 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | DNF | |
| Amstel Gold Race | — | 34 | — | 69 | — | 29 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 81 | 1 | 13 | 30 | NH | — | 58 | |
| La Flèche Wallonne | — | 69 | — | 21 | 19 | DNF | 35 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 10 | DNF | 91 | — | 24 | — | — | 70 | — | |
| London–Surrey Classic | Race did not exist | — | — | — | 4 | 16 | — | — | — | 59 | Not held | ||||||||||
| Hamburg Cyclassics | — | 13 | — | 31 | 80 | — | 49 | 33 | — | — | — | — | 30 | — | — | — | — | Not held | — | ||
| Clásica de San Sebastián | — | — | 43 | — | 84 | DNF | — | 43 | 1 | — | 27 | DNF | 2 | 58 | DNF | — | — | NH | — | — | |
| Grand Prix de Fourmies | — | 36 | 18 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Bretagne Classic | — | 22 | 13 | 22 | — | — | 19 | 43 | 57 | — | — | — | 51 | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | 18 | |
| Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec | Race did not exist | — | 1 | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | Not held | — | ||||||||
| Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal | — | 3 | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| Brussels Cycling Classic | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | |
| Giro dell'Emilia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Milano–Torino | — | — | — | — | — | Not held | — | — | — | — | — | 69 | — | 34 | 72 | — | — | ||||
| Gran Piemonte | — | — | — | — | NH | — | 1 | 1 | DNF | — | Not held | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Paris–Tours | 33 | 12 | 25 | 13 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 63 | 67 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | 27 | |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
| NH | Not held |
| Event | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Olympic Games | Time trial | NH | — | Not held | — | Not held | 17 | Not held | — | Not held | — | NH | |||||||||
| Road race | 49 | — | 19 | 42 | — | ||||||||||||||||
 World Championships | Road race | DNF | DNF | 77 | 92 | 8 | 15 | 6 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 10 | — | 17 | — | DNF | — | — | — |
| Team time trial[a] | Not Held | 2 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | Not held | ||||||||||||
 European Championships | Road race | Race did not exist | 8 | — | — | — | — | DNF | — | ||||||||||||
 National Championships | Time trial | 8 | — | — | — | 2 | 6 | — | — | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Road race | 10 | 6 | — | 2 | 3 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 54 | 6 | 44 | — | 1 | 40 | 2 | 4 | 22 | 25 | 36 | |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
| DSQ | Disqualified |
Gilbert was accused of abusingcortisone by an anonymous former Lotto teammate during his dominant period withOmega Pharma–Lotto, an allegation which the Belgian vehemently denies.[73]
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