Belgian team leader at Worlds hoping to put in the work that will net him his first Rainbow Jersey
Amstel Gold winner, Philippe Gilbert, has been quiet for some time now, but with the end of the season drawing near, it's time for the Walloon to re-enter the fray at full capacity.
The Vuelta, which starts in 4 days time, will signal the final steps in Philippe Gilbert's preparation as he looks to gain top fitness heading into this year's World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. After that, Gilbert will hope to defend open-ended titles he has left over from a fire hot close finale to last year at Paris-Tours (two-time defending champion), the Giro di Lombardia, the Giro del Piemonte, and the Coppa Sabatini.
The undisputed leader of the Belgian team at the upcoming World Championships in Melbourne spoke with Vuelta organizers heading into the start of the season's final Grand Tour.
"The race program with the Vuelta suits me. I like the sun and the atmosphere of this country. It's the fourth year in a row that I'll take part in this race. However, I haven't signed a life contract with the Vuelta. I also like the one-day races in northern Europe."
Gilbert goes into the Vuelta with no pressure considering his already impressive season to date, but also keeping in mind the potential he takes to the final three weeks of racing in 2010. With that in mind, Gilbert is still not heading to the Vuelta for a three week grand loop of the country - he's still targeting success.
"At the Vuelta, my goal is to prepare for the Worlds, but also to try and grab a stage."
Success will be nice, but the preparation for the World Championships is indispensable. Gilbert is one of the growing army of riders convinced that the Vuelta is the key to Worlds success. You might recall Maxime Monfort's recent withdrawal from the Belgian Worlds team because he could not get a start at the Vuelta (or Tour of Britain) and considered his chances to be nil without the Vuelta as preparation.
"It's an excellent race for training, because many young riders are doing their first Grand Tour, and they hurt our legs less than the experienced riders of the Tour de France. Usually, it's less competitive than the Giro and the Tour, but some stages are still very fast too."
The recently married rider, who will also become a father in the not so distant future, isn't too stressed about the Vuelta and hasn't even taken to targeting stages. That will have to wait for his arrival in Sevilla.
"I haven't studied the course in detail yet. I'll keep myself busy with that during the three days I'll be on site in Sevilla before the start. I know we'll have some stages in holiday destinations like Marbella, where I've never been before. I look forward to discovering these places. And these three weeks of racing are really worth it for being the World Champion later on."
The Worlds course that seemed so innocuous last winter, has taken on an entirely new visage in the past weeks. If it's as difficult as some are saying it will be, and if the conditions turn Belgian in the Aussie springtime, you can bet Gilbert will be hoping his Vuelta preparation was spot on. Last year, Gilbert showed himself as one of the best, then took a step forward in the final two weeks of the season to make it unquestioned - can he push that incredible form of a year ago forward by just a week's time?