Philippe Gilbert won the 117th edition of Paris-Roubaix, Sunday 14th April, 2019. A victory won in the sprint against the German Nils Politt.
At 36, the Belgian Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck) won Sunday Paris-Roubaix, he disputed only for the third time, after 257 kilometres of a very trying race.
Gilbert beat in sprint his last companion, the German Nils Politt (25 years old), which he countered the start 13 kilometres from the finish.
The Walloon, world champion in 2012, has completed a very rich list of achievements. Paris-Roubaix is the fourth “monument” of cycling won by Gilbert who misses only Milan-Sanremo.
.@PhilippeGilbert in tears!
Les larmes de @PhilippeGilbert qui ne réalise pas encore !#ParisRoubaix pic.twitter.com/n86PP416vf— Paris-Roubaix (@Paris_Roubaix) April 14, 2019
A day we will always remember!@PhilippeGilbert wins #ParisRoubaix, delivering the 700th victory in the history of Deceuninck – Quick-Step!#WayToRide #No23in2019
Photo: @GettySport pic.twitter.com/am4dtb6xx2— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) April 14, 2019
🏁 Gilbert was too strong! 💪
🏁 Gilbert, costaud parmi les costauds. 💪#ParisRoubaix pic.twitter.com/Xj31pbK4bc
— Paris-Roubaix (@Paris_Roubaix) April 14, 2019
Behind the duo who contested the victory on the velodrome of Roubaix, the Belgian champion Yves Lampaert took the third place (to 13 seconds) and completed the triumph of the team Deceuninck on this sunny but cold day.
Gilbert collapsed in tears after the arrival in the arms of the boss of the Belgian team, Patrick Lefevere. He has signed the 58th Belgian success (a record!) In the “Queen of Classics”.
Sagan overwhelmed
Last year’s winner, the Slovak Peter Sagan, was overwhelmed in the last 12 kilometers. Arrived at about forty seconds (5th), he preceded the sprint of the first group set by the Frenchman Florian Sénéchal (6th).
The race, tense permanently despite the unfavourable wind, took shape at the approach of the last 50 kilometres. Sagan reacted to a counter-attack by Belgian Wout Van Aert behind the lead duo (Gilbert, Politt) who had taken the lead ten kilometres earlier, at the second pit.
Gilbert, alone in the lead, cut his effort to wait for a group (Sagan, Vanmarcke, Van Aert, Lampaert, Politt) who left the area of Mons-en-Pévèle with a lead of forty seconds.
🔻 Relive last kilometre and Philippe Gilbert’s win. 🏁
🔻 Revivez le dernier kilomètre et la victoire de @PhilippeGilbert. 🏁#ParisRoubaix pic.twitter.com/xmqkmLo6sZ
— Paris-Roubaix (@Paris_Roubaix) April 14, 2019
Van Aert, very prominent for his second participation, was impressive on the pavement. But he ended up paying for his two pursuit races, following a mechanical boredom in the Arenberg Gap and then a crash.
“Last Sunday it was a huge disappointment because I got sick before the Tour of Flanders,” explained Philippe Gilbert. “I rested and I trained well, I felt that the form came back over the days, it gave me confidence.”
“I still have this dream in me to win all the monuments, a crazy dream that I had a decade ago. I am getting closer and it is a great pride, added the Belgian, first turned to the Ardennes classics before moving recently to pavement classics (winner of the Tour of Flanders in 2017).
