This weekend Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) returns to race the team time trial at the UCI Road World Championships after a five-year absence, and the former road race winner is determined to claim another rainbow jersey.
Gilbert, 35, was part of the BMC Racing team that narrowly finished second behind Omega Pharma-Quickstep in the 2012 TTT debut event, and while the Belgian has since swapped squads, he believes that his new team can defend their crown from 12 months ago and win a record fifth title.
“It’s a really hard course with a lot of changes. It’s a bit like Valkenburg in 2012 in that it’s technical but it’s a complete course with a lot of changes. It’s all up and down,” Gilbert tells Cyclingnews, having previewed the course for the first time on Friday morning.
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Gilbert, Bob Jungels, Niki Terpstra, Yves Lampaert, Jack Bauer and Julien Vermote make up Quick-Step’s time trial contingent, with Gilbert and Bauer the only changes from last year’s winning team.
The riders and a small number of staff have rented three local properties near the start-finish area on the outskirts of Bergen. It’s a move designed to keep them close enough to the course but far enough out of the city centre so that they can prepare in relative peace. As team mechanics made a fresh batch of croque monsieurs on a portable grill situated in one of the gardens, Gilbert gave his take on what many have called the hardest TTT ever in a Worlds.
The 45.2km profile couldn’t be more different from the one riders faced last year. The fast, flat tracks of the Middle East have been replaced by a course that offers little respite and plenty of elevation. Strong rouleurs still have their place here in Bergen, but teams have also looked for riders who can eke out advantages on the climbs and descents. No wonder it’s a course that Gilbert aligns with.
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