Philippe Gilbert: Controversies, Injuries & Net Worth
Philippe Gilbert is one of the greatest names in classical cycling.
And, he is a Belgian professional bicycle racer known as the “Boar of the Ardennes.”
In addition, Gilbert has won the Paris-Tours twice, the Giro di Lombardia twice, and the Amstel Gold Race four times.
Similarly, Philipper has also won La Flèche Wallonne, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, the Clásica de San Sebastián, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris–Roubaix.
And, he is employed with Lotto-Soudal, the oldest pro cycling team in the world.
Philippe Gilbert: Quick Facts:
Here are some facts about the great Philippe Gilbert.
Full Name | Philippe Gilbert |
Birth Date | July 5, 1982 |
Birth Place | Verviers, Belgium |
Residence | Monaco |
Religion | Christian |
Nationality | Belgian |
Food Habit | Non-vegetarian |
Zodiac Sign | Cancer |
Father’s Name | Jeannot Gilbert |
Mother’s Name | Anita Gilbert |
Siblings | Jérôme Gilbert, Christian Gilbert |
Age | [calculate_years datestring=”07/05/1982″] Years Old |
Height | 5 feet 9 inches |
Weight | 152 lb |
Eye Color | Black |
Hair Color | Brown |
Body type | Athletic |
Profession | Cyclist |
Associated Teams | Lotto-Soudal |
Marital Status | Divorced |
Wife’s Name | Patricia Zevaert |
Active Years | 2003-Present |
Children | Alan and Alexandre |
Net Worth | $25 million |
Social Media | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter |
Merch | Philippe Gilbert: My Year in Top Gear |
Last Update | [current-month], [current-year] |
Philippe Gilbert: Early Life And Family
Born on 5th July of 1982, in Verviers, Belgium, Philippe Gilbert has been a huge fan of cycling since he was very young.
Furthermore, he was born to Jeannot and Anita Gilbert.
Also, he has two siblings named Jérôme Gilbert, the elder brother, and Christian Gilbert.
In Gilbert’s family, Philippe is not the only professional cyclist but, Jerome is also a racing cyclist.
Both brothers, Phillippe and Jerome, were passionate about cycling and riding bikes from an early age.
His elder brother, Jerome, competed in professional cycling races from 2012 to 2015. And on the other hand, Philippe started professional racing in 2003.
The other information about Philippe Gilbert’s early life, like education and family, is still unknown.
Philippe Gilbert: Age, Height, and Weight
The Belgian athlete is currently [calculate_years datestring=”07/05/1982″] Years Old.
Also, Gilbert has a height of 5 feet 9 inches and weighs about 152 lb. However, the athlete has kept his body measurements in the dark.
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Philippe Gilbert: Career
Early Career
Gilbert began his professional career in 2003 riding as a stagiaire.
Then, he had maiden victory during the season, winning a stage in the Tour de l’Avenir.
After that, Philippe started the 2004 season by winning another stage in the Tour Down Under.
Later, the cyclist also won the young rider classification in the tournament. Afterward, he went on to win the Paris – Corrèze.
Later, he won Omloop Het Volk, which was the second in his career. Then, after four days, he claimed the GP Samyn.
Lastly, he finished the 2008 season on a high, winning the classic Paris-Tours race ahead by four seconds of the second-placed rider.
A New Journey at Silence-Lotto
Philippe joined Silence-Lotto in 2009 and finished third at the Tour of Flanders.
Then, he finished fourth in both the Liège–Bastogne–Liège and Amstel Gold Race.
Next, he again won at Paris-Tours outsprinting Tom Boonen and Borut Božič.
Later, after a week, he also won Giro di Lombardia, his fourth victory in just 10 days, as he also won the Coppa Sabatini and Giro del Piemonte.
Then, he was awarded the Flanderien of the Year award, given to the best Belgian rider of the year.
Great Achievements
Afterward, Philippe won his maiden classic in 2010, i.e., April’s Amstel Gold Race.
Later, he was able to win the first stage of the Tour of Belgium as well.
Then, Gilbert claimed the Belgian National Road Race Championships in late June.
Later, in August, Philippe won the 3rd stage at the Eneco Tour, his 15th victory the same year.
Overall, he won 18 races that season, more than any other in the professional peloton.
BMC Racing Team
After an incredible season, Gilbert signed for BMC Racing Team on a three-year contract in 2012. Also, the deal was reported to be worth €3 million a year.
However, his best position in a Tour de France stage was fourth.
Finally, on the 26th of August, 2012, Philippe managed a win by claiming the ninth stage of the Vuelta an España.
Ultimately, the cyclist became the UCI Elite Men’s Road Race World Champion on the 23rd of September.
Then, he picked up his form in 2014 and claimed his second Brabantse Pijl and third Amstel Gold Race.
Later, Gilbert claimed his first victory at the Giro d’Italia.
Next, he claimed his first victory for the 2016 season in February at Vuelta a Murcia’s one-day race.
Then, in June, he claimed the title of the Belgian National Road Race Championships again.
Quick-Step Floors
Next, Gilbert joined Quick-Step Floors for the 2017 season after 5 full seasons with BMC.
Later, Gilbert claimed the Three Days of De Panne, coming ahead of Muur van Geraardsbergen by 17 seconds.
Ultimately, he won the race by 38 seconds and even claimed the sprints classification.
After three days, he won the Tour of Flanders. In April of the next season in 2019, Gilbert claimed Paris-Roubaix.
Also, this win secured his fifth monument title.
Lotto–Soudal
Then, Gilbert signed a three-year contract in August 2019 with the Lotto -Soudal.
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Philippe Gilbert: Personal Life
Gilbert married Patricia Zeevaert in November 2010 at the age of 28, and Patricia was 21 years old.
Furthermore, Zeevaert said that Gilbert proposed her right ahead of his great end-of-the-season winning streak in September 2009.
And, she also added that he asked for marriage in the romantic environment of Port Hercule in Monaco.
Then, she did not hesitate even a bit and said yes.
Gilbert later said that she had the right to marry the man of her dreams.
Although they live in Monaco, they went to Belgium for their wedding.
In addition, the marriage was held in the Chateau de Harze, in Aywaille, which was near Liege.
Also, this was the town where Philippe grew up.
Also, they are blessed with two sons named Alan and Alexandre.
Sadly, the couple has been separated, but there is no information about why and when they divorced.
Philippe Gilbert: Net Worth
Philippe Gilbert has an estimated net worth of $25 million.
He earns a lot from merchandise and brand deals. Similarly, his salary in Lotto-Soudal is more than a million.
Also, he is the owner of the thebikeshopmonaco.
In addition, Gilbert currently lives in Monaco in his big house.
Philippe Gilbert: Controversies
Although Gilbert has an illustrious career, he is not free from controversies.
Philippe was accused of using cortisone by his former teammate at Lotto, who is kept anonymous.
Also, it is said to be during his time where he was dominant with Omega Pharma-Lotto, but Gilbert denies the allegation.
Next, Philippe and the other 14 riders were fined 200 Swiss Francs for riding on the pavement.
Furthermore, it was in the first stage of Three Days of De Panne in 2017.
In addition to all this, he has been involved in many crashes over the years, which have resulted in many injuries.
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Injuries
In addition to the above-mentioned controversies, Philippe has been involved in many minor and major crashes and has faced quite injuries.
And, since 2014, he has been the victim of three main injuries.
Two of those injuries were fractured patella, both due to horrible crashes during the race.
And, on the 24th of July, 2018, he was involved in a crash in the 105th Tour de France stage 16.
And he was sidelined for 5 weeks due to a fractured patella.
Also, on the 29th of August, 2020, he was in another crash, again in the Tour de France, stage 1, and was out for about 8 weeks.
Furthermore, on the 16th of June, 2015, he was sidelined for about 5 weeks due to a knee injury.
Philippe Gilbert: Social Media
Gilbert is very active on social media. Also, Gilbert has over 212k followers on Facebook.
Similarly, he has over 245k followers on Twitter and over 280k on Instagram.
And, he posts a lot of photos regularly on all three platforms, mostly about his games and family.
(Reminder: The data mentioned above are as of August 2021).
FAQs
Is Philippe Gilbert married?
No, Philippe isn’t a married man, but he was married to Patricia Zeevaert.
In addition, they got married in November 2010. However, they divorced.
Was Philippe Gilbert awarded the Most Combative Player Award?
Yes, Philippe Gilbert was awarded the most combative player award.
Also, it was because he rode 57 km even after fracturing his knee cap.
When did Philippe Gilbert start his professional career?
Gilbert started his professional career in 2003. And, he joined FDJeux.com as a start to his career.