Gilbert triumphs in Grand Prix de Wallonie

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Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) strutted his stuff yet again at the Grand Prix de Wallonie, using his power and speed to jump away on the uphill finish to the Namur Citadel.

The Belgian national champion was still feeling the effects of travelling back form Canada but was well-placed as the road snaked up through the bastion walls. He attacked with more than a kilometre to go and distanced the rest of the field with a gradual but insistent effort. Julien Simon (Saur – Sojasun) hung on to take second place at two seconds, with Björn Leukemans (Vacansoleil) bringing home the rest of the peloton.

“It was a very, very fast race but I felt good,” Gilbert said on television immediately after his win. “The team worked really well in the finale and so I started the climb to the Citadel in a good position. We rode steady but then Rabobank upped the pace, making it perfect for me to launch an attack. I got a gap and kept going.”

The Grand Prix de Wallonie was Gilbert’s last race before the world championships in Copenhagen on Sunday September 25. The Danish course is not especially testing but Gilbert warned that other factors could shape the race.

“I’ve been watching the weather and it’s been raining every day and been cold. It’ll be a hard race,” he predicted.

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