Philippe Gilbert facts for kids
_(cropped).jpg)
Gilbert at the 2017 Tour de France
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Philippe Gilbert | ||
| Nickname | Le sanglier des Ardennes (Boar of the Ardennes) Monsieur Cauberg |
||
| Born | 5 July 1982 Verviers, Belgium |
||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Weight | 69 kg (152 lb; 10 st 12 lb) | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Retired | ||
| Discipline | Road | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | Classics specialist Puncheur |
||
| Major wins | |||
|
|||
Philippe Gilbert (born 5 July 1982) is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer. He was known for being a very skilled rider who could win many different types of races. He won four of the five biggest and toughest one-day races in cycling, called "Monuments." He also won the World Road Race Championships in 2012.
Gilbert is one of only two riders to win all three Ardennes classics in one year. These are the Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. He achieved this amazing feat in 2011. He also finished the 2011 season as the top rider in the UCI World Tour.
He won many important classic cycle races. These include Paris–Tours (twice), the Giro di Lombardia (twice), and the Amstel Gold Race (four times). He also won La Flèche Wallonne, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, the Clásica de San Sebastián, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris–Roubaix. In 2017, he became only the third rider ever to win both the Tour of Flanders and the Amstel Gold Race in the same year.
Philippe Gilbert also won stages in all three of cycling's biggest multi-day races, known as Grand Tours. He won three stages in the Giro d'Italia, one stage in the Tour de France, and seven stages in the Vuelta a España.
Gilbert stopped racing professionally after the 2022 Paris–Tours race. He celebrated his retirement in Valkenburg aan de Geul, where he became a world champion and won four Amstel Gold Races. A special mural honoring him was painted in the caves of the Cauberg.
Contents
About Philippe Gilbert
Gilbert lives in Monaco. He has two sons with his ex-wife Patricia Zevaert. His younger brother, Jérôme, was also a professional cyclist.
Philippe Gilbert has supported world peace through sports by joining an organization called Peace and Sport.
Philippe's Racing Career
Early Years (2003–2008)
Gilbert started his professional cycling career in 2003 with the FDJeux.com team. He was born in Remouchamps, Belgium. In his first year, he won his first race stage in the Tour de l'Avenir.
In 2004, he won a stage in the Tour Down Under. He also competed in the Olympics that year. In 2005, he won several races in France, including the Trophée des Grimpeurs and the Tour du Haut Var.
Big Wins in 2006
The year 2006 was very successful for Gilbert. He won the famous Omloop Het Volk race. He attacked many times until he rode away alone with 7 kilometers left. He also won the Grand Prix de Fourmies and the Grand Prix de Wallonie.
Health and Comeback (2007–2008)
In early 2007, Gilbert had a small health issue that delayed the start of his season. However, he still tried hard in races like Milan–San Remo. He got his only win that year in the Tour du Limousin.
Gilbert started 2008 strong. He won the "King of the Mountains" award at the 2008 Tour Down Under. He also won Omloop Het Volk for the second time. He finished the year by winning the classic Paris–Tours race. He won a sprint against three other riders who were with him in a late breakaway.
Joining Silence–Lotto (2009–2011)
In 2009, Gilbert joined the Silence–Lotto team. He aimed to lead the team in the important "Classics" races. He finished third in the Tour of Flanders. He also won his first stage in a Grand Tour, taking a stage in the Giro d'Italia. Later that year, he won Paris–Tours again and also the important Giro di Lombardia race.
Success in 2010
In 2010, Gilbert won his first big classic of the year, the Amstel Gold Race. He attacked in the last 500 meters of the final climb to win easily. He also won two stages in the Vuelta a España. He then won the Giro del Piemonte and the Giro di Lombardia again, just like in 2009.
Amazing 2011 Season
In 2011, Gilbert had an incredible year. He won the Montepaschi Strade Bianche race, which includes gravel roads. Then, he won four major races in a row: the Brabantse Pijl, the Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. This made him only the second rider ever to win all three Ardennes classics in one year.
In June, Gilbert won the Belgian National Road Race Championships. In July, he won the first stage of the Tour de France. This allowed him to wear the famous yellow jersey as the overall leader. A week after the Tour, he won the Clásica de San Sebastián. He ended the season as the top rider in the 2011 UCI World Tour rankings. He won 18 races that year, more than any other cyclist.
Time with BMC Racing Team (2012–2016)
World Champion in 2012
.jpg)
In 2012, Gilbert joined the BMC Racing Team. He aimed to win Spring Classics and help his teammate Cadel Evans in the Tour de France. While he didn't win a Spring Classic, he did win two stages in the Vuelta a España.
On September 23, 2012, Philippe Gilbert achieved a huge goal. He won the UCI Elite Men's Road Race world championship. He earned the special rainbow jersey by making a powerful attack on the final climb of the Cauberg.
Later Years with BMC (2013–2016)
.jpg)
In 2013, Gilbert won a stage in the Vuelta a España while wearing his rainbow jersey. This was his only win that year.
In 2014, he regained his strong form. He won his second Brabantse Pijl and his third Amstel Gold Race. He also won the overall title at the Tour of Beijing.
.JPG)
In 2015, Gilbert won two stages in the Giro d'Italia. He also finished second in the Clásica de San Sebastián. In 2016, he won the Belgian National Road Race Championships again.
Quick-Step Floors (2017–2019)
Big Wins in 2017
.jpg)
Gilbert joined the Quick-Step Floors team for the 2017 season. He had an amazing spring. He won the Three Days of De Panne race.
Just three days later, he won the Tour of Flanders with a solo attack. Two weeks after that, he won the Amstel Gold Race for the fourth time. He became only the third rider in history to win both the Tour of Flanders and the Amstel Gold Race in the same year. He even won the Amstel Gold Race despite having a minor injury during the race.
Later Years with Quick-Step (2018–2019)
In 2018, during the Tour de France, Gilbert had a crash where he went over a wall. He fractured his kneecap but bravely got back on his bike and rode 57 kilometers to the finish line. He received an award for being the "Most Combative Rider" for his effort.
In April 2019, Gilbert won Paris–Roubaix. This was his fifth "Monument" title, showing his incredible skill in these tough races. During the Vuelta a España, he won two stages, stage 12 and stage 17.
Final Years with Lotto–Soudal
In August 2019, Gilbert signed a three-year contract with the Lotto–Soudal team. He continued to race until his retirement after the 2022 season. In 2022, he won the overall title at the Four Days of Dunkirk race.
Awards and Honours
- Crystal Bicycle: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- Belgian Sportsman of the year: 2009, 2010, 2011
- Flandrien Award: 2009, 2010, 2011
- Vélo d'Or Mondial: 2011
- Honorary Citizen of Valkenburg: 2016
- Ruban Jaune: 2019
Images for kids
-
Gilbert at the 2006 Tour de France
-
Gilbert at the 2008 Tour of Flanders
-
Gilbert at the 2011 Tour de France, wearing the Belgian national champion's jersey.
-
Gilbert sprinting to victory in the road race at the 2012 UCI Road World Championships
-
Gilbert wearing the rainbow jersey at the 2013 Tour de France
-
Gilbert in July 2015
-
Gilbert at the 2017 Tour de France
-
Gilbert leading Nils Politt at the 2019 Paris–Roubaix
See also
In Spanish: Philippe Gilbert para niños
