© Karel Hemerijckx
According to the Walloon newspaper Le Soir, Philippe Gilbert has officially submitted his candidacy to become the new national coach, and therefore the successor to Sven Vanthourenhout. The latter resigned as announced on Monday, the day after the Cycling World Championships in Zurich, from the position he had held since November 2020.
“I am very interested in becoming the new national coach. I know all the Belgian riders and have raced with most of them. I was a teammate of Remco Evenepoel and in the last year of my career also of Arnaud De Lie,” Gilbert justified his candidacy.
Also in Cycling club WattageSporza’s racing podcast, after the World Championships on the road, it was about who should be the successor to Vanthourenhout, who won no fewer than 99 medals in four years. Dirk De Wolf already mentioned Gilbert as an option. “He is bilingual and follows the course closely. He is friends with Remco and has raced with many of the current riders.”
Tom Boonen has his doubts about whether the former world champion would be a good national coach. “Riders with good results do not automatically make a good national coach,” Boonen said firmly. Gilbert has no experience as a team leader.
Gilbert is also not the only former rider who is competing for the job of national coach. Serge Pauwels is also a candidate. The names of Greg Van Avermaet, Sep Vanmarcke and Jan Bakelants were also mentioned, but they have not (yet) submitted a written candidacy.
Gilbert was crowned world road champion in 2021. — © BELGIUM
