The 2012 world champion does not intend to leave the peloton anonymously.

Sunday, he intends to weigh in on the classic of the dead leaves which he has already won twice in 2008 and 2009 when the event was still part of what is now called the World Tour.

"I have spotted the last 60 kilometers: there will be places conducive to attacks", explained the Liégeois (40 years old) on Friday.

Already on Tuesday, during his last appearance in Belgium, Binche-Chimay-Binche, where he took 6th place a few seconds behind the winner Christophe Laporte, Gilbert raced.

We will not repeat the Walloon who has never hidden.

“Fans love runners who take risks. Including the risk of losing,” he notes.

A philosophy that has allowed him to accumulate 80 successes in his 20-year career, including four of the five monuments: the Tour of Lombardy (2009, 2010), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (2011), the Tour of Flanders (2017) and Paris-Roubaix (2019).

"However, my greatest joy is to have won the rainbow jersey in 2012, a few kilometers from my home in Valkenburg (southern Netherlands)", he recalls.

Belgian Philippe Gilbert during his victory at the Road Worlds, September 23, 2012 in Valkenburg FRANCK FIFE AFP / Archives

"The World Cup is the most symbolic race in our sport with the Tour de France. I was the number 1 favourite. It was the dream. So close to Belgium, in front of so many supporters. The most intensity of my career".

Runner, "a difficult life"

Offensive, punchy, dizzying, Gilbert was able to serve as an example to the new generation which restores brilliance to a discipline weighed down for more than a decade by data, watts, races directed via the headset?

"Like Evenepoel and Pogacar, today's young people do not go through the category of hopefuls or so very little; they land in the pros directly from the juniors where tactics are almost absent", notes the Belgian veteran.

"It is for this reason that the races have become more attractive. Instinct prevails in boys like Van Aert, Evenepoel, Van der Poel and Pogacar", rejoices Gilbert, who would undoubtedly have liked to ride more with the new generation.

The Belgian Philippe Gilbert with the rainbow jersey of world champion, conquered on September 23, 2012 in Valkenburg JOHN THYS AFP

"It's true that my last three seasons have been difficult with the Covid, my fall in the 2020 Tour, the difficulties encountered by the team (Lotto). But, overall, I have no regrets when I look back on my career. I would take the same decisions", assures the Walloon runner.

"I am happy to be able to stop when and where I have decided it myself. The life of a runner is difficult: training, races, stress, the pressure of results... It is time to do something else thing".

This "something else", Gilbert "will talk about it later" even if some sources send him to Eurosport where he would become a consultant.

And when asked which race he would have liked to add to his list, Philippe Gilbert does not mention Milan-SanRemo (the only monument missing from his list): "Paris-Tours (a third time) this Sunday, it would be- good,” he laughs.

Did you say panache?

© 2022 AFP