CyclingQuotes.com uses cookies for statistics and targeting ads. This information is shared with third parties.
ACCEPT COOKIES » MORE INFO »

Every day we bring you more pro-cycling news

“You never know, you can have a technical or something but I’m in a safe position I think." 

Photo: Sirotti

PHILIPPE GILBERT

RIDER PROFILE
|
NEWS

SAMUEL SANCHEZ

RIDER PROFILE
|
NEWS

TOUR OF BEIJING

RACE PROFILE
|
NEWS
13.10.2014 @ 16:45 Posted by Emil Axelgaard

Philippe Gilbert again put his great form on show when he defied expectations by matching the best climbers on the queen stage of the Tour of Beijing to defend his overall lead. With just a flat stage to go, the Belgian feels confident that he has won the race overall.

 

Philippe Gilbert's third-place finish on Monday's mountain-top finish at the Tour of Beijing kept him in the leader's jersey with one day of the race to go.Gilbert said he appreciated the help from the BMC Racing Team's other six riders to stay in the  leader's red jersey he earned Friday by winning a smog-shortened stage that also finished going uphill.

 

"We did a great job as a team, first controlling the breakaway and then riding a steady tempo," he said. "The guys rode a nice speed – not too fast, just perfect."

 

When eventual stage winner Daniel Martin (Garmin-Sharp) attacked in the last 300 meters of the 157-kilometer race, Gilbert kept him in sight, finishing two seconds later, just behind runner-up Esteban Chaves (ORICA-GreenEDGE) and in front of Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida). With only a 117-km stage from Tiananmen Square to a circuit around the Olympic precinct remaining, Gilbert is three seconds ahead of Martin and nine seconds in front of Chaves.

 

"Three seconds is not much, but it is better to have an advantage than to be behind," the former world road champion said. "Let's cross our fingers that the race can go like normal tomorrow and that I can win the general classification.

 

“You never know, you can have a technical or something but I’m in a safe position I think."
 
Gilbert said he was looking forward to tomorrow’s final stage of the final edition of the Tour of Beijing, which starts from Tiananmen Square before 12 laps around the Bird’s Nest.
 
“That’s pretty special because I’m happy to be here,” the Belgian explained. “At the beginning I was thinking ‘I don’t want to go there, it’s a long trip and the season has been long and so on’. But now I’m there and I enjoy the race, it’s a nice country when the sky is clear. It’s a nice experience.”
 
Gilbert was particularly looking forward to the stage start opposite the Forbidden City.
 
“It’s great to have these roads closed for us,” he said. “It’s a big experience. It’s a little bit like riding on the Champs Elysees with the Tour [de France].”

In addition to the early pace-making by Yannick Eijssen, Martin Kohler and Rick Zabel to keep a four-man breakaway in check, the BMC Racing Team also relied upon Dominik Nerz and Tejay van Garderen to set a high tempo as the final climb began. The last turn at the front came in the last kilometer from Samuel Sánchez, who won his Olympic road race title in Beijing in 2008.

 

"Philippe told me he wanted me to set a high tempo," Sánchez said. "Today was all about working well as a team and helping Philippe."

 

Sánchez finished 14th on the day and is 13th overall.

 

"I am very thankful for what Samuel has done for me the whole season," Gilbert said. "He has been there for almost every win I have had this year."

 

BMC Racing Team Sport Director Max Sciandri agreed.

 

"Samuel was exceptional finishing it off and the team rode great," he said. "It really counts to come to China at the end of the year and have motivation and want to ride and take risks. It is something to say 'bravo' to the team."

MORE NEWS:

VIEW SELECTED

Bycykling 101: Navigering i byens gader og cykelvenlige... 27.11.2023 @ 12:11The Best Danish Cyclist To Bet On At 2022 Tour De France 13.01.2022 @ 15:262022 Upcoming Tournament Overview 03.01.2022 @ 09:45Best Place to Find Stand-Up Paddleboards 16.06.2021 @ 08:16What are Primoz Roglic’s Chances to Win 2021 Tour de Fr... 17.03.2021 @ 08:37Amazing victory by young champion Sarah Gigante 04.02.2021 @ 14:21Three reasons why cycling is one of the best ways to ex... 28.09.2020 @ 12:03Why do businesses use meeting room managers? 14.09.2020 @ 13:42Five things that you can do, if you want to gain more f... 20.08.2020 @ 15:38One for the road 09.06.2020 @ 15:25List of CyclingQuotes previews 07.05.2020 @ 13:20Blue Energy: room for all interests 26.08.2019 @ 12:56Get your daily dose of exercise at home 08.07.2019 @ 10:443 good advice to be able to afford your favorite bike 25.02.2019 @ 12:32Cycle through gorgeous landscapes 22.10.2018 @ 21:41Balance Your Economy and Diet and Start Saving Money 08.10.2018 @ 11:18Stay Safe: 3 Helmets That Can Keep Your Head Protected... 20.07.2018 @ 07:59Planning to bet on Tour De France - Bet types and strat... 24.05.2018 @ 14:18Basics of cycling betting 25.10.2017 @ 13:10Bauer moves to ORICA-SCOTT 28.08.2017 @ 10:45End of the road for CyclingQuotes 08.01.2017 @ 16:00Rui Costa confirms Giro participation 07.01.2017 @ 12:55Van Avermaet: I am not afraid of Sagan 07.01.2017 @ 09:45Unchanged course for E3 Harelbeke 07.01.2017 @ 09:32Jenner takes surprise win at Australian U23 Championships 07.01.2017 @ 08:53No replacement for Meersman at Fortuneo-Vital Concept 06.01.2017 @ 19:14Barguil with two goals in 2017 06.01.2017 @ 19:06More details about French Vuelta start emerges 06.01.2017 @ 14:16Kristoff to start season at Etoile de Besseges 06.01.2017 @ 14:10Ion Izagirre announces schedule for first year at Bahrain 06.01.2017 @ 12:40JLT Condor optimistic for Herald Sun Tour 06.01.2017 @ 09:19Haas leads Dimension Data trio in fight for Australian... 06.01.2017 @ 09:15Sagan spearheads Bora-hansgrohe at Tour Down Under 06.01.2017 @ 09:12Henao and Thomas lead Sky Down Under 06.01.2017 @ 09:09Bauer crowned New Zealand TT champion 06.01.2017 @ 08:33Van der Poel ready to defend Dutch title 05.01.2017 @ 21:00Pantano ambitious for first Tour with Trek 05.01.2017 @ 20:41Landa with new approach to the Giro 05.01.2017 @ 20:36Sunweb Development Team sign Goos and Zepuntke 05.01.2017 @ 20:27Dumoulin confirms Giro participation 05.01.2017 @ 20:19Bauer targets victories in Quick-Step debut 05.01.2017 @ 20:16Gaviria and Boonen lead Quick-Step in San Juan 05.01.2017 @ 20:13Team Sunweb presented in Germany 05.01.2017 @ 20:09ASO take over major German WorldTour race 05.01.2017 @ 11:01Team Sunweb unveil new jersey 05.01.2017 @ 10:54Reactions from the Australian TT Championships 05.01.2017 @ 08:27Dennis defends Australian TT title 05.01.2017 @ 08:21Scotson takes back to back U23 TT titles in Australia 05.01.2017 @ 08:15Utrecht on track to host 2020 Vuelta 04.01.2017 @ 18:28Pre-season setback for Talansky 04.01.2017 @ 17:56Kristoff: It's not impossible for me to win in Rou... 04.01.2017 @ 17:49Boom close to first cyclo-cross win in LottoNL debut 04.01.2017 @ 17:40UAE Abu Dhabi make late signing of Arab rider 04.01.2017 @ 17:36UAE Abu Dhabi unveil new jersey 04.01.2017 @ 17:30BMC unveil race schedule 04.01.2017 @ 17:21

Currently no news in this list

Simon LAIB
29 years | today
Lara DEFOUR
27 years | today
Peter SUNDSTRÖM
36 years | today
Mirko Nicola MARTINELLI
21 years | today
Szymon TRACZ
26 years | today

© CyclingQuotes.com