The search for a new manager of the Lotto Soudal squad looks set to continue as recently retired Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert confirmed that he was not interested in the position.
The position in Gilbert's current squad is set to fall vacant shortly given the imminent departure of John Lelangue from the team to become general manager of the Tour de Pologne.
Having retired from racing less than two days ago, Gilbert said in a video posted online that he yet had to gain the necessary experience to be able to handle such a demanding and complex job as a team manager.
Although Lelangue said he had handed in his resignation this summer, Gilbert said the team had first made enquiries as to whether he wanted to take over more than a year ago. Further indirect approaches had been made in recent months.
"It’s certainly a nice offer but I don’t feel ready for this role," Gilbert commented. "This role of manager demands a great deal of work, but also experience."
Having only just retired, Gilbert said he also lacked the necessary distance, time-wise, to gain a broader perspective on racing.
"I have a great deal of experience of the milieu after 20 years of racing, [but] the role of manager is very complex. It covers lots of different responsibilities, and there are also the young riders and women’s teams to consider, around 100 jobs in total.
"It’s maybe a job I could take on later on in my life when I have what’s needed for it, but I like doing things well and I don’t yet feel ready."
Gilbert also pointed out that the demanding nature of the job, involving a great deal of travel and long days of work was not what he was looking for right now when he wanted to take a few months to figure out where he was headed in his post-racing career.
He also took the opportunity to fire off some criticism of the lack of structured, official support networks in cycling to help riders adapt to ‘normal life’ after retirement. In his own case, he also pointed out that he was lucky enough to have more than enough backing from family and friends to feel sure he would be able to come through the change of lifestyle well. Others though, are not so fortunate.
Gilbert wound up his video statement by saying he was honoured that the team had thought of him as a possible candidate. He added that he felt sure it would soon become the same all-conquering team of a decade ago, and that he would provide more information about his own career direction soon.
Meanwhile, the search for a new leader for Lotto Soudal as they faces their first season of relegation from the WorldTour in 2023 is yet to bear fruit. The only hypothetical candidate to have emerged is Axel Merckx.
While by no means impossible, since his name surfaced two weeks ago, there have been no further developments and the rumour remains anchored in the realms of media speculation for now.
