Gilbert: Terpstra performs and that's the main thing
Philippe Gilbert knew exactly what he was signing up for when he agreed to terms with Patrick Lefevere at the end of 2016. There would be the chance at personal glory, true, but there would also be days like these.
Twelve months ago, Gilbert was the beneficiary of Quick-Step Floor's fearsome collective strength at the Tour of Flanders, soloing to victory after Tom Boonen et al helped to stack the deck in his favour. This time around, Quick-Step's fluid formation saw him deployed as a man maker in the finale after his teammate Niki Terpstra forged clear on the Hotond with 26 kilometres still to race.
Not for the first time this spring, Gilbert performed his duties diligently, as he and teammate Zdenek Stybar carefully shadowed Peter Sagan, Greg Van Avermaet et al over the Kwaremont and Paterberg, and then smothered the life out of their chase on the run-in to Oudenaarde.
It was hardly surprising, too, that Gilbert had the wherewithal to clip away from the chasing group in the finale and help himself to the third step on the podium, just as Terpstra placed third during his own winning effort a year ago.
"There's never a defined role on this team. We ride together and we know how it works and it's the situation of the race that decides who's in front," Gilbert said when asked if it would be his turn to lead at Paris-Roubaix next weekend. "We don't decide the roles beforehand."
Gilbert and Greg Van Avermaet's competing ambitions were deemed incompatible at BMC's Classics squad, but since moving to Quick-Step, Gilbert has repeatedly shown himself capable of performing the role of dutiful teammate. Then again, Patrick Lefevere has been managing talent and egos in the cobbled Classics for decades.
Quick-Step tactic
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