Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) has won his last three races: the Brabatse Pijl, the Amstel Gold Race and la Flèche Wallonne, and is overwhelming favourite for Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Belgian is taking nothing for granted though as he heads into la Doyenne, according to Sporza, as the other race contenders are not far behind him.
"I have won the last three races,” he said at Omega Pharma-Lotto’s pre-race press conference, “but not exactly by three minutes; it was always by only a few metres. My opponents are not far from my level; [Joaquim] Rodriguez is a little behind, but really not that much.
"From the rest, I’m also looking at the Schleck brothers [Fränk and Andy – ed]; [Alexandre] Vinokourov is also good, and also [Samuel] Sanchez. I really should not start with too much confidence."
Gilbert is from Verviers, just to the east of Liège, and the parcours passes very close to his home; for this reason Liège-Bastogne-Liège is the race that he wants to win the most.
"Liège is for me my dream race,” he said. “In order to win, I would give up my other three victories."
Gilbert does have a previous record of such feats though, so he may not have to hand over his three trophies just yet. In October 2009, in the space of ten days, he won the Coppa Sabatini, Paris-Tours, the Giro del Piemonte and the Giro di Lombardia.
This experience, and his knowledge of the course means that he knows exactly how to play it on Sunday; where he hopes he can go better than his third place of last year and his fourth place of 2009.
"Save it, save it, save it, and then the last 50-60km give everything,” he said. “I’ll count on my team until the last climb. I noted that in training they are very motivated; everybody will be doing their best for me. That's great."
Gilbert’s current form has meant that he has been untouchable in the finales of the toughest races of recent weeks.
"I do not think I was ever better than I am now, except perhaps at the World Championships in Geelong [last year – ed],” he said. “I’m enjoying my condition; hopefully, I can stay at 100 percent for the next three days."
Victory for Gilbert on Sunday would match the feat of Italian Davide Rebellin, who took the Ardennes triple in 2004. The Belgian’s feat would arguably be even more impressive though, given that he also took the Brabantse Pijl on the Wednesday before Amstel.