Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) took the GP Wallonie for the second time in his career with another display of unmatchable power. The Belgian champion rode everyone else off his wheel on the way up to the Citadel in Namur, in the Wallonian region of Belgium. The dozen-strong group he beat was collectively two seconds behind, with Julien Simon (Saur - Sojasun) in second and Vacansoleil's Björn Leukemans in third.
The race went ideal for Gilbert. "It was a very fast race with a headwind," he told Sporza after his 18th season win. His team had the work cut out. "Because a large group went away we had to work hard to get the breakaway back," he said.
Gilbert moves to BMC next season, but he may miss one or the other pal on the Lotto team. "My team worked really well, especially in the final and closed the gap just at the right moment."
Gilbert repeated his 2006 victory of a race that ends with a tough uphill. "I started on the Citadel in a nice position, but nobody wanted to race." It can be a problem sometimes when you race aggressively like Gilbert but you have to be patient in oder to not throw away your chances. Gilbert has really mastered it to go at exactly the right time. "When Rabobank accelerated it was my moment and I attacked at the steepest part."
An 11-man strong group dominated the day. On the climbs in the final the group shuffled, but still stayed away. It was thanks to the efforts by Gilbert's teammates David Boucher and Olivier Kaisen that the peloton reached the escapers before the final up to the top.
Edwig Cammaerts of Landbouwkrediet tried a last ditch effort but his motor was running on empty with 1.5 kilometers to go. Gilbert then came to the front, put on his trademark back burner and rode across the line the way he likes to - alone and with his arms in the air.
It was Gilbert's last race before the World Championships in Denmark. In Copenhagen the Belgian superstar hopes crown his incredible season.