The Astana team of Alexandre Vinokourov has lost out on the chance to sign Philippe Gilbert, leaving a reported five teams in contention of the much-sought signature of the Classics specialist. “We are in the finishing straight, “ said his agent Vincent Wathelet to Het Niewsblad. “The main condition is that he is surrounded by a good sporting structure and that he can sign for three years. The Astana team of his friend Vinokourov can only give him security for two years, which is too little. I told him this when we were together in Monaco on Sunday. This is a breaking point.”
Lampre and Euskaltel also no longer appear to be in the running, leaving Quick Step, BMC, Sky Procycling, Lotto and Omega Pharma.
Gilbert has underlined his status as the sport’s top Classic rider this spring with victory in Brabanste Pijl, the Amstel Gold Race, la Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
He is reportedly looking for a salary of three million euro per year, meaning that Sky’s ability to sign him may be limited if it succeeds in enticing Mark Cavendish to come on board. The Manx rider’s deal with HTC Highroad finishes at the end of the season and he is currently considering where to go; unconfirmed reports suggest that a Sky deal may already have been finalised.
Whispers within the transfer market have long talked about a Gilbert-BMC agreement; the team features Cadel Evans as its big GC hope, and has Taylor Phinney on board as a big project for the future. Evans aside, it needs a big winner for the medium-term and so Gilbert may fit the bill. However with Wathelet saying that nothing is yet finalised, it leaves the way open for other teams to swoop, including Belgian squads Quick Step, Lotto and Omega Pharma.
However although Het Nieuwsblad states that the latter is in the running, manager Marc Sergeant said recently that the budget was most likely not there.
“I don’t think there is the money to pay him,” he admitted to Het Laatste Nieuws, referring to the planned departure of Lotto as a backer at the end of the season. “That money may have been there if the sponsors had stayed together. Gilbert is the [Alberto] Contador of the one day races. He has reached a point where he can earn really big money."
Wathelte said that he isn’t in any rush to decide, and will carefully determine the best option. “We have some time,” he explained. “The most important thing is that Philippe in top condition at the start of the Tour. On August 1st we officially communicate with where his future lies.”