Philippe GilbertHow many times had Philippe repeated this sentence, as his successes, ever more prestigious, were mounting up? 'I'm benefiting from it!', like the 'carpe diem' immortalised two thousand years earlier by the Roman poet, Horace. Like the magic of the moment, the pleasures of which one savours without knowing whether they will ever be reproduced. It was with that exact mindset that the world number one, the best cyclist of the year, the most titled modern-era rider of the classics, evolved during the four seasons of the exceptional year 2011, the one of his summit and his glory, where all his dreams, or almost, came true. Phil benefitted from his form, his talent, his work, his audacity and his character to pull off 19 major successes, including the two Ardennes classics, two national titles, the first stage of the Tour De France and the distinctive jerseys that accompanied him. On the podium of the Walloon Arrow, in Huy, Bernard Hinault himself said this: 'You see kid, you've done it, and there was no reason to fear the gradient of the Wall of Huy. Benefit, benefit: when you're in such form, you have to jump on everything that moves.' And he benefitted from it, beyond, perhaps, his wildest dreams. He indulged, while offering his public emotions of rare intensity. He has brought some pages of history to Belgian cycling on a cloud that it will be good to immortalise when the time comes. But Phil did not want to wait for the archives of his memory, rightly believing that this exceptional 2011 season might never again be reproduced. Rather than postponing sine die his emotions, his memories and his anecdotes into an end-of-career book, he has... benefitted from the freshness of his feelings to recount them hard on the heels of a breathtaking adventure, in a pulsating account of his victories that he dissects with meticulousness, precision, and passion. |
Contents
My First Victory in the Algarve | |
Between Two Seas A Third Victory | |
The Indomitable Primavera | |
The Wall of Huy a Football Stadium | |
The Merry Month of May | |
The Worlds Most Beautiful Jersey | |
Second at Cap Frehel and Super Besse | |
The Big Buckle is Buckled | |
Champion of Belgium Once Again | |
My Last Duties | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
against-the-clock already Amstel Andy Schleck Ardennes arrival attack Belgian bicycle bike Boasson Hagen Boonen Brabant Arrow breakaway group Broeck Cadel Evans Cancellara Cavendish champion of Belgium classics Contador cycling cyclists difficult Dirk earpiece Eddy Merckx favourite final finally finished first following day front furthermore Gesink going green jersey Greipel Jelle Vanendert journalists Jurgen kilometres knew Leukemans Liege Liege-Bastogne-Liege Lotto Majorca Marc Sergeant metres Milan-San Remo Monaco never Omega Pharma Omega Pharma-Lotto team Paris-Nice Paris-Roubaix particular day Patricia peloton Phil Philippe Gilbert Philippe’s podium Press quickly Rabobank race rally reccy Remouchamps ride riders Roelandts Scarponi Schleck brothers season sports manager sprint sprinters stage victory stopwatch event team mates team’s teammate there’s Thor Hushovd Tirreno Tom Boonen Tour De France Tour of Flanders Tour of Lombardy Voeckler waiting wanted winner world championships world number World Tour yellow jersey