BMC’s Philippe Gilbert freewheeled across the finish line, one arm raised in celebration as he won Stage 3 of the Tour de Wallonie.
![]() |
News – Solo win for Gilbert in Wallonie
Team Press Release
Namur, Belgium – BMC Racing Team’s Philippe Gilbert had time to freewheel his BMC teammachine SLR01 across the finish line and raise one arm in celebration Monday as he captured Stage 3 of the Tour de Wallonie.
Gilbert attacked in the final 800 meters of the uphill climb to the finish at the end of the 207-kilometer race. He soloed in four seconds ahead of Pieter Serry (Etixx-Quick Step), who won a reduced bunch sprint ahead of Thomas Sprengers (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise).
“I have done this finish a few times,” Gilbert said. “I think I have won two or three times before here and been second twice and once fifth, when it was a Giro d’Italia stage (in 2006). So I knew the final really well.”
It was Gilbert’s second win in the past six days. The 2012 world road champion had been sidelined by a knee injury since June 16 when he withdrew from the Tour de Suisse before Stage 3. But last week, in his first race back, Gilbert won a bunch sprint finish at Grand Prix Cerami.
“Now my knee is OK and in my head that is a big win,” he said. “I feel free. It is easier on the bike. And when you have success, you want more. So when you are in a good mood like this, you hope to keep winning. So now I hope I can get a win like this on the WorldTour so we can get some points.”
Before Gilbert’s heroics, the BMC Racing Team worked hard to help reel in five riders from the day’s breakaway. “Loïc Vliegen and I had to ride pretty hard to get the last guy back because over the last climb, he still had 20 seconds,” Marcus Burghart said.
“Before that, Jempy Drucker and Peter Velits were doing the work and Rick Zabel was leading us out to a tricky downhill. So it was a pretty good team effort.”
With two days of the race to go, Niki Terpstra (Etixx-Quick Step) still leads, having won a two-up sprint on Stage 1 by more than a minute ahead of the peloton. Vliegen climbed from seventh to fourth in the overall standings by finishing 14th, 10 seconds back of Gilbert. He is 42 seconds behind.
“What was important for us today was the victory,” BMC Racing Team Sport Director Valerio Piva said. “As I said from the first day, it will be difficult to beat Terpstra. He is a strong rider and he was in the front again today in the final. So the GC (general classification) will be difficult. But we will keep trying and trying to win more stages.”
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- News: 58th Perfs Pedal RR
- Features, Reports, Results
- Track Result: Premier Division Manchester Track League
- Crit Results: Rhyl CC Junior/Youth Circuit Races
- Crit Result: Evesham Velo Park Winter Races
- CX Result: NWCCA Season Finale
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Series (Velopark) 14
- Crit Results: LVYCC Winter Races 2
- Track Result: First Division Manchester Track League
- Crit Result: Velo29 Winter Series #4
- Crit Result: Abingdon Race Team Winter Series 1
- CX Result: Western CX #11 (ShamCross)
- CX Result: Eastern Cyclo-Cross League 12
- Q&A with young organiser James Hawkins
- Q&A: Erin Murphy (Alba Dev Road Team)
- Crit Result: Odd Down Winter Series 4
- Crit Result: Odd Down Winter Series 3
- Crit Result: Velo29 Winter Series 3
- Track Result: Premier Division Manchester Track League #4
- Team Feature: Hutchinson/Brother UK
- Events: Spring MK Bowl Circuit Series
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Series (LVVP #13)
- Events: RCR Fatcreations Road Race
- Team News: DAS Handsling Women’s UCI Team
- News: GB for European Track Championships
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Series (Hillingdon #6)
- CX Result: NWCCA CX League Round 9
- CX Result: London/SE CX League Rd 10
- CX Result: Wessex CX League Rd 13
- CX Result: Eastern Cyclo-Cross League 11
- CX Result: East Kent CX League 5
- British Track Championships: Day 3 Report
- Track Results: British Track Championhip Results (para)
- Track Results: British Track Championship Results (M)
- Track Result: British Track Championships Results (W)
- British Track Championships: Day 2 Report
- Q&A: Sophie Lankford (Alba Team)
- Team Feature: Sam Watson’s Journey to WorldTour
- News: Rayner Foundation’s Gateway Project
- News: Star Names Sign up for Saint Piran 05/03 Team
- Track Result: Premier Division Manchester Track League
Other News on VeloUK
- Q&A with young organiser James Hawkins
- Q&A: Erin Murphy (Alba Dev Road Team)
- Team Feature: Hutchinson/Brother UK
- Events: Spring MK Bowl Circuit Series
- Events: RCR Fatcreations Road Race
- Team News: DAS Handsling Women’s UCI Team
- News: GB for European Track Championships
- Q&A: Sophie Lankford (Alba Team)
- News: Rayner Foundation’s Gateway Project
- News: Star Names Sign up for Saint Piran 05/03 Team
- News: 58th Perfs Pedal RR
- News: GB Team for CX Worlds
- Team News: MAS Design – Fensham Howes Junior Team
- EVENTS: The Peaks 2 Day p/b Giant Sheffield
- TEAM NEWS: Kalas Motip Race Team for 2023
- Team News: Rotor UK Sponsor Team AT85
- Q&A: Vicky Smith (Alba Development Road Team)
- British Track Championships Jan 26-29
- Event News: Midlands handicap league returns in 2023
- News: Alba DRT Riders Inspired to Step Up
- Race Dates: Track Events 2023
- News: Santini Cycling UK
- News: Wightlink-Wight Mountain CRT Report
- Events: Velo Club St Raphael Time Trial
- Startlist: British Cyclocross Championships 2023
- BRITISH CYCLOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023
- News: Brother UK Continues to Sponsor Cycling
- Dave Rayner Fund Supported Riders
- Event news: British Team Cup
- National Trophy: Final Round, Cyclopark
- News: Pedal Club December Lunch Report
- Team News: Velo Bavarian Race Team 2023
- 2023 British teams – Richardson’s Trek
- Team News: 26th Year for Arctic-Aircon RT
- Event News: British Masters RR Champs
- News: West Midlands RR Calendar
- Team News: New cycling team in Central Region
- News: UCI World Masters Track Championships
- 2023: National Under 23, Youth & Junior Road Series
- National Trophy Cyclocross Round 5: Startlist