Philippe Gilbert contested his last professional cycling race at Paris-Tours. At the age of 40, it's the end of the road for the exceptional Belgian rider, who has notched up 80 victories* in his 20-year career.
Philippe Gilbert: Beginnings at Francaise des Jeux
In 2002, Gilbert, who was born in the Walloon part of Belgium, became a stagiaire - or trainee - with Francaise des Jeux and in 2003 turned professional with the French team, which is now called Groupama-FDJ.
Gilbert specialised in one-day races. However, it took until 2006 before he was able to claim his first major victory at Omloop Het Volk (now Omloop Het Nieuwsblad). Paris-Tours followed in 2008 - still in the jersey of Francaise des Jeux. In 2009, Gilbert joined Silence-Lotto, the forerunner of today's Lotto-Soudal team (Lotto-Dstny from 2023). There he blossomed into one of the best classics riders. In 2009, he won the Tour of Lombardy and thus one of cycling's five monuments for the first time.
Historic Ardennes Triple
His most successful year with Lotto was 2011, when he won the Amstel Gold Race, Fleche-Wallone and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the space of a week. This Ardennes triple in one year had previously only been achieved by Davide Rebellin. Another major success followed in late summer 2011 at the Clasica San Sebastian. At the end of 2011, Gilbert was honoured with the Velo d'Or, the golden bike for the best rider of the year.
In 2012, he switched to the BMC racing team, where he remained until the end of 2016. Gilbert was unable to maintain the level of his Lotto days. His greatest success during his time at BMC came in the jersey of the Belgian national team, when he became road world champion in Valkenburg in 2012.
Gilbert wins four out of five monuments
With the switch to Quick-Step Floors in 2017, Gilbert breathed new life into his career. Under the aegis of Patrick Lefevere, the Walloon experienced a golden late autumn. Gilbert celebrated a memorable triumph at the Tour of Flanders in 2017 with a solo ride over 55 kilometres. Two years later, he defeated Nils Politt in the sprint at Paris-Roubaix. Gilbert had thus won four out of five cycling monuments. All he needed was Milan-Sanremo to complete the collection. But the triumph on the Via Roma was not to be his for the rest of his career. This means that only three riders in the history of cycling have ever won all five monuments: Rik van Looy, Roger De Vlaeminck and Eddy Merckx - all compatriots of Gilbert. Gilbert returned to Lotto in 2020. There was no more major victory in a classic.
The Belgian's career was also characterised by crashes and serious injuries. He broke his kneecap twice alone. The first time was during the Tour de France 2018 in the Pyrenees, when he misjudged the descent of the Col de Portet d'Aspet and flew down an embankment over a road wall.
Two years later, he received the same diagnosis after crashing heavily in the opening stage of the Tour of France around Nice.
Philippe Gilbert's greatest successes
- 1x Road World Champion (2012)
- 4x 1st place Amstel Gold Race (2017, 2014, 2011 & 2010).
- 2x 1st place in the Tour of Lombardy (2010 & 2009).
- 1x 1st place Liège-Bastogne-Liège (2011)
- 1x 1st place Paris-Roubaix (2019)
- 1x 1st place Tour of Flanders (2017)
- 7 stage wins at the Vuelta a Espana (2019, 2013, 2012 & 2010)
- 3 stage wins at the Giro d'Italia (2015 & 2009)
- 1 stage win at the Tour de France (2011)
- 1x 1st place Fleche-Wallone (2011)
- 1x 1st place Clasica San Sebastian (2011)
- 2x 1st place Paris-Tours (2009 & 2008)
- 1x 1st place Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec (2011)
Teams from Philippe Gilbert
- 2002 La Francaise des Jeux (Stagiaire)
- 2003 Fdjeux.com
- 2004 Fdjeux.com
- 2005 Francaise des Jeux
- 2006 Francaise des Jeux
- 2007 Francaise des Jeux
- 2008 Francaise des Jeux
- 2009 Silence-Lotto
- 2010 Omega Pharma-Lotto
- 2011 Omega Pharma-Lotto
- 2012 BMC Racing Team
- 2013 BMC Racing Team
- 2014 BMC Racing Team
- 2015 BMC Racing Team
- 2016 BMC Racing Team
- 2017 Quick-Step Floors
- 2018 Quick-Step Floors
- 2019 Deceuninck-Quick Step
- 2020 Lotto Soudal
- 2021 Lotto Soudal
- 2022 Lotto Soudal
*According to procyclingstats.com
