Cyclingheroes

Philippe Gilbert About Leaving Madiot's FD Jeux: "I Hope To Deliver Him One Big Win."

Home
Contact
Special Coverage Vuelta Espana 2008
Saul's corner
Interviews
Race reports
Peloton TV
Picture gallery
Other stories
Riders diaries
Live coverage
Cyclingheroes Forum
Book reviews
Doping
Special Coverage
Hall of Fame
Cyclingheroes shop
Race calender
Cyclinheroes Flash-news archive
Links

07.06.2008/ On Thursday Philippe Gilbert and Silence-Lotto announced that the Belgian rider will join Marc Sergeant's Pro-Tour team in 2009. Gilbert will sign a three year contract with Silence - Lotto. The two time winner of Belgian season opener 'Omloop He Volk' (2006 & 2008) said he had 6 offers but him it was always a decision between his current team, Francaise des Jeux and Silence - Lotto. "It was the most difficult decision in my career."

© Cyclingheroes
Philippe Gilbert will join Silence - Lotto in 2009. (© Cyclingheroes)

During a press conference at the headquarters of Sponsor Lotto in Brussels Gilbert said that "it was the most difficult decision" in his career. Gilbert told the attended media that he had six offers from Pro-Tour teams but that "it was always a choice between Francaise des Jeux and Silence - Lotto." Gilbert said: "I took the decision after the race in Gullegem, on Tuesday. It was difficult for me to inform [Marc] Madiot [team manager of his current team, Francaise des Jeux, editor]. In the end you leave a kind of family, so much friends. I hope to deliver him one big win."

Gilbert continued by saying: "Its a bit like coming home. After my first conversation with Marc Sergeant [team manager Silence - Lotto, editor] I already had a very good feeling. On a sports level and financially I am setting a svep forwards an I am in a Belgian team. As a real Belgian thats where I belong."

Gilbert will race a different programm with Silence - Lotto. "I agreed with Marc Sergeant that I will focus on the Ardennes Classics next year. I will start my season with the Tour of Algarve next year. I will focus on Omloop Het Volk, a race which has a special place in my heart, Milano - Sanremo, Fleche Wallonne and Liège - Bastogne - Liège. I also won't ride the Tour next year. I started five times and never came closerin a stage as a fifth place. Silence - Lotto has enough strong riders for this kind of work. It will be the Giro or the Vuelta. In 2009 the Belgian National Championships will take place in my hometown, Aywaille... Iv might be that I will focus on the Flemish races again after next season. I can make choices at my new team and I will have internal and healthy competition. At Francaise des Jeux I had to be ill or injured before I would not start somewhere."

In 2009 Dirk de Wolf will become sports director at Silence - Lotto. De Wolf was Gilbert's trainer for four years during his youth and nowadays is driving cars with VIP's during races.

Silence - Lotto manager Marc sergeant is happy with his new signing. "It was the moment to sign Philippe. With us he will have a team behind him with there support he will be able to win classics,"  said Sergeant.

Gilberts current team manager at Francaise des Jeux, Marc Madiot worked six years with Gilbert. Madiot told Belgian daily news 'La Dernière Heure': "I only want to remember the good things."Madiot continued by saying: "I really thought that Philippe would stay, but this won't change anything in our relationship. It was an exceptional challenge to work together with him for six years. But it does hurt to see a rider leave who you have brought to the top."

Madiot added: "I think he really wanted to go back to a Belgian team. The fact that he can work with Dirk de Wolf again also played a role in his decision."

"I hope that Philippe made the right choice and I wish him good luck," Madiot said. The team manager of Francaise des Jeux concluded: "Maybe he will come back to us after these three years."

Join our Forum and discuss Philippe Gilbert signs with Silence - Lotto for 2009

Back to:

Other stories

Get news and updates of our live coverage calender and the latest information about our new project www.peloton.tv  .  Subscribe to our newsletter:

Subscribe to cyclingheroes_eng
Powered by sports.groups.yahoo.com

Link: New Cyclingheroes Website

Custom Search

By clicking to an outside link from our website, you automatically release us from any and all liability. Cyclingheroes has no control over the content of outside links, or sites linked from there, nor do we endorse anything that may be of a illegal and/or vulgar nature. Cyclingheroes provides outside links only as a free service to our readers.