Philippe Gilbert, former world champion and four-time monument winner, including two victories at the Tour of Lombardy, continues to follow the cycling world closely, even after his retirement in 2022. In an interview with *L’Equipe*, the Belgian shared his thoughts on the 2024 classics, but mostly expressed his admiration: “We are witnessing complete cycling mastery.”
Reflecting on the 2024 classics season, Gilbert stated, “This year was exceptional. Not just because of the impressive names of the winners, but because of the way they dominated the races.” He pointed out memorable moments, such as Mathieu van der Poel’s extraordinary 60-kilometer solo win at Paris-Roubaix and Tadej Pogacar’s powerful attack on La Redoute during Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
“I was incredibly impressed and thought it was fantastic to watch,” Gilbert continued. “It was truly a stellar year, and we can talk about total cycling mastery. This generation of aggressive riders represents a major shift—they have the confidence to launch attacks from far out, knowing they can win. I only retired two years ago, but it already feels like a different world.”
Gilbert dismisses concerns that the dominance of riders like Pogacar and Van der Poel could make races less exciting. “That’s not an issue for me,” he explained. “It’s the TV directors’ responsibility to keep the suspense alive. Look at the Tour of Lombardy: Pogacar had an incredible solo performance, but there was plenty happening behind him that wasn’t shown. Directors need to focus more on the battle for places behind the leader.”
He believes there are many ways to maintain viewer interest, even when the winner seems certain. “As a Eurosport commentator, it can be difficult to sustain tension when someone like Pogacar is in control. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the race isn’t exciting. The camera needs to focus more on the fight for the other podium positions.”
Drawing on his own experience as a world champion in 2012, Gilbert noted the challenge of living up to the rainbow jersey the following year. “I was always in contention but rarely won. That’s the key difference with today’s champions. Van der Poel, Pogacar, Evenepoel, and Van Aert—they don’t second-guess themselves. Whether it’s 5, 50, or 100 kilometers from the finish, they attack with full confidence.”
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