Driver who robbed Philippe Gilbert given suspended sentence

A 20-year-old who robbed former pro cyclist Philippe Gilbert has been handed a six-month suspended sentence and will lose his license for eight months.

The incident happened only a few months into his retirement from the sport on February 5 when Gilbert was driving between Manosque and Villeneuve in Provence, France, with his family, according to the Dauphiné Libéré.

The other driver came up from behind the Belgian former world champion before aggressively overtaking them. The assailant threatened Gilbert with an air pistol, robbed him and then sped off.

Gilbert had the presence of mind to record the driver's license plate and film some of the incident to help the authorities identify the man. 

According to reports, the perpetrator did not appear at the criminal proceedings, but Gilbert was able to identify the attacker, and the air pistol police recovered from the glove box of the suspect's vehicle.

The accused was finally sentenced this week to six months in prison along with a five-year suspended sentence, a ban on possessing a weapon, and an eight-month suspension of his driver's license.

In 2016, Gilbert was assaulted by two intoxicated men while on a training ride in Belgium, suffering a broken finger that required surgery, costing him at the Amstel Gold Race that came nine days later.