# What happened to Philippe Gilbert?



## melanerpes (Apr 4, 2007)

Can anyone explain what happened to Gilbert this year? The press haven't addressed it in detail (that I have seen) and it seems like a big story. 

Did he stop doping? 

Was it a mysterious tooth ache from the beginning of the year? 

Did he get his big contract then phone it in for the rest of the year?

What a tremendous fall!


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## 67caddy (Nov 4, 2009)

Jim Ochowicz was driving the team car in January during a winter training camp. He inadvertently cut off an old gypsy riding a trike. She cursed BMC to a year of Pro-Tour oblivion. It's seems to have stuck.


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

It's been discussed, re-discussed and discussed again no?


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## melanerpes (Apr 4, 2007)

Dan Gerous said:


> It's been discussed, re-discussed and discussed again no?


Perhaps, I am an infrequent visitor. Any tangible conclusions?


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

melanerpes said:


> . Any tangible conclusions?


Yes... they are published in the results sheets from all the races this year....


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

Creakyknees said:


> Yes... they are published in the results sheets from all the races this year....


Ha Ha! :thumbsup:

Well, since Philippe himself isn't sure why, I think everything that was said is just speculation. He's been sick (virus, tooth thing), he probably didn't prepare as well, motivation might not be as high as before (some say signing a 3 year multi million Euro contract can do that) and with the World's course pretty much perfect for him, he may very well be staying out of peak form on purpose until September, to come in there fresh...


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## harlond (May 30, 2005)

melanerpes said:


> Perhaps, I am an infrequent visitor. Any tangible conclusions?


The competition is very good and highly motivated as well.


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

Its kind of weird that the same thing happened to Thor this year. Two of the highest profile riders BMC brought in this year just couldn't make it happen.


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

And it didn't happen for Cadel either. Who's the team chef?


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## Kneedragon (Jul 27, 2010)

qatarbhoy said:


> And it didn't happen for Cadel either. Who's the team chef?


Or, who's the team doctor? :smilewinkgrin:


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

thechriswebb said:


> Its kind of weird that the same thing happened to Thor this year. Two of the highest profile riders BMC brought in this year just couldn't make it happen.



0 Dope tolerance in BMC, 

Hard for the the new in the team to adapt to it :idea:


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## 4Crawler (Jul 13, 2011)

67caddy said:


> Jim Ochowicz was driving the team car in January during a winter training camp. He inadvertently cut off an old gypsy riding a trike. She cursed BMC to a year of Pro-Tour oblivion. It's seems to have stuck.


That should be "Romani", not "gypsy":
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people
- http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=63387


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## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

Salsa_Lover said:


> 0 Dope tolerance in BMC,
> 
> Hard for the the new in the team to adapt to it :idea:


Quite a lot of the peloton seem to be struggling with the whole non-doping thing. Poor little sausages.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

Do people think that the biological passport is a success?


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## trailrunner68 (Apr 23, 2011)

Salsa_Lover said:


> 0 Dope tolerance in BMC,
> 
> Hard for the the new in the team to adapt to it :idea:


When did the zero tolerance start? The owner of the team paid for Landis' doping program. Ochowicz offered to help Floyd evade taxes; he was also an integral part of Armstrong's doping operation.

Didn't the doctor who was at Omega when Gilbert was tearing it up move to Quickstep, which has now seen the resurgence of Boonen?


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## goloso (Feb 4, 2004)

Local Hero said:


> Do people think that the biological passport is a success?


I thnk the power numbers and VAMs speak for themselves. My impression is that it is like the 50% hemocrit limit. It doesn’t stop doping, it puts a ceiling on its effectiveness and makes it riskier. 

My hope is that someone invents an inexpensive, easy to administer test for blood volume and circulating hemoglobin mass. Give every rider one of these at sign in and a few out of competition tests and that will end this blood doping nonsense forever.


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## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

Local Hero said:


> Do people think that the biological passport is a success?


Power numbers and VAM down. Excitement down. I think it's a success but i get the feeling many define success by excitement.


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

Local Hero said:


> Do people think that the biological passport is a success?


I heard (from A Reliable Sauce) that the teams can easily identify apparently promising young riders whose bio passports suggest something is up, so they give them the thumbs down when it comes to offering contracts. 

Well, some teams do. Others are less scrupulous. So, a partial success.


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## gordy748 (Feb 11, 2007)

trailrunner68 said:


> When did the zero tolerance start? The owner of the team paid for Landis' doping program. Ochowicz offered to help Floyd evade taxes; he was also an integral part of Armstrong's doping operation.
> 
> Didn't the doctor who was at Omega when Gilbert was tearing it up move to Quickstep, which has now seen the resurgence of Boonen?


Great stuff here. Where is your proof?


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## trailrunner68 (Apr 23, 2011)

gordy748 said:


> Great stuff here. Where is your proof?


Ask Landis.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Landis? The guy who can't lie because he's a Mormon!


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## goloso (Feb 4, 2004)

roddjbrown said:


> Power numbers and VAM down. Excitement down. I think it's a success but i get the feeling many define success by excitement.


The Giro and classics weren't exciting?


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

goloso said:


> The Giro and classics weren't exciting?


The Tour GC wasn't, but many stages were exciting and yeah, did you miss all the races before the Tour roddjbrown?


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## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

Dan Gerous said:


> The Tour GC wasn't, but many stages were exciting and yeah, did you miss all the races before the Tour roddjbrown?


Very fair point. I'm still stuck in Tour mode until Eneco starts. 

I personally wasn't criticising the excitement - I found this one of the most tactically interesting races I've watched - but I did notice that a lot of people said that GC was boring this year and I think a lot of that down to the lower output levels or perhaps more importantly the parity between riders relative maximum performance.


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

It's bike racing... luck of the draw. Seems Gilbert's luck hasn't been in his favor.


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## trailrunner68 (Apr 23, 2011)

roddjbrown said:


> Very fair point. I'm still stuck in Tour mode until Eneco starts.
> 
> I personally wasn't criticising the excitement - I found this one of the most tactically interesting races I've watched - but I did notice that a lot of people said that GC was boring this year and I think a lot of that down to the lower output levels or perhaps more importantly the parity between riders relative maximum performance.


Power levels had nothing to do with it. It was just an incredibly crappy race. The GC contest was a bunch of Leipheimer-like riders following each other.


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## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

trailrunner68 said:


> Power levels had nothing to do with it. It was just an incredibly crappy race. The GC contest was a bunch of Leipheimer-like riders following each other.


Power levels have everything to do with it. The riders who can make the exciting attacks on climbs put out more Watts per kilo. See every famous attack ever for further detail.


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## melanerpes (Apr 4, 2007)

Dan Gerous said:


> Ha Ha! :thumbsup:
> 
> Well, since Philippe himself isn't sure why, I think everything that was said is just speculation. He's been sick (virus, tooth thing), he probably didn't prepare as well, motivation might not be as high as before (some say signing a 3 year multi million Euro contract can do that) and with the World's course pretty much perfect for him, he may very well be staying out of peak form on purpose until September, to come in there fresh...


I've also wondered if rainbow jersey was distracting him this year. If he shows up in top form that may be our answer. Still, I'm still surprised about how far he fell. It is hard to imagine someone being SO driven one year and so lethargic the next. 

Thanks for sharing your insight.


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## goloso (Feb 4, 2004)

roddjbrown said:


> Power levels have everything to do with it. The riders who can make the exciting attacks on climbs put out more Watts per kilo. See every famous attack ever for further detail.


My non-expert opinion is that it was the course that tamed the GC race. Long TTs and long not terribly steep climbs allowed Wiggo to gain an advantage in the TT and then ride defensively in the mountains. There was no need for him to match every acceleration because on the long steady climbs he can get to the top fastest by riding a hard, steady tempo. Throw some 15%+ pitches in there where he has to stand and hammer and things might have been different. Having the second (first?) strongest climber in the race as your gregario doesn’t hurt either.


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## Nashua (Aug 1, 2007)

not a mormon but a mennonite I think? So i he might be able to lie according to the bylaws. he just cant use gas or electricity.


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## cmdrpiffle (Mar 28, 2006)

Nashua said:


> not a mormon but a mennonite I think? So i he might be able to lie according to the bylaws. he just cant use gas or electricity.


snort ! :thumbsup:


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## Doctor Falsetti (Sep 24, 2010)

A lot of rumors in the Dutch media that Gilbert was warned by the UCI about his blood values


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