The veteran Belgian cyclist Philippe Gilbert, 39, achieved his eightieth victory as a professional –seventh in a stage race – by achieving the final victory in the 4 Days of Dunkirk, whose 66th edition ended this Sunday with the dispute of the sixth and last day, won by his compatriot Gerben Thijssen.
Philippe Gilbert, professional since 2002, He took the leader’s jersey on Saturday and this Sunday he scored the final victory in Dunkirk with four seconds ahead of his compatriot Oliver Naesen (AGsR Citroรซn) and five over Briton Jake Stewart (Groupama-FDJ). In the final stage, Thijssen (Intermarchรฉ-Wanty-Gobert) won the sprint with two Frenchmen in his wake: Hugo Hofstetter (Arkรฉa Samsic) and Lorenzo Manzin (TotalEnergies).
Philippe Gilbert, world champion in 2012, he succeeds the Dutchman Mike Teunissen, winner in 2019, in the history of winners of the French race. The veteran Belgian rider has already accumulated 80 wins to his name, seven of them in stage races: Ster ZLM Toer in 2009, 2011, 2014, Tour of Belgium in 2011, Tour of Beijing in 2014, Three Days of Panne in 2017 and, this Sunday, the 4 Days of Dunkirk.
He also has a stage victory in the 2011 Tour de France, three in the Giro d’Italia and seven in the Vuelta a Espaรฑa. He shares with the Italian Davide Rebellin the feat of having won the three Ardennes classics in the same season: Amstel Gold Race, Flecha Wallona and Liejaรข Bastoรฑaรข Liรจge. It was in 2011. The Belgian classic lover also has numerous triumphs in events such as the Parisรข Tours, the Giro de Lombardรญa, the San Sebastiรกn Classic, the Tour of Flanders and the Parisรข Roubaix.