Philippe Gilbert announces his candidature to become Sven Vanthourenhout successor as Belgium's National Team coach
Cycling
Sven Vanthourenhout will move on from his role of a coach at the Belgian National Team next year and likely take up a new challenge as sports director either at Soudal - Quick-Step or UAE Team Emirates. His replacement won't have it easy to take over after a period with Olympic and World titles every year. While Vanthourenhout proposed current junior coach Serge Pauwels as his successor, ex-pro Philippe Gilbert also rises up to the challenge.
"When I heard that Sven Vanthourenhout was going to stop, I immediately thought about it and talked about it with my family," Gilbert tells Sporza. "In the meantime, I have also officially put myself forward as a candidate. So the cycling association knows that I am very motivated to do it."
"I've done commentary, interviews, ridden a motorbike, written columns for the newspaper, ... I'm also still on the athletes' committee. I still know my sport very well. And it's all extra experience that I bring with me and that makes me even more complete than when I was still a rider."
"I still have good contact with many riders. I don't send everyone a message after every victory, but I am there when necessary. After a victory, you get hundreds of messages as a rider, but I have always found it important to be there in the difficult moments."
As a rider, Gilbert can bring tons of experience to the table, but he doesn't have any experience as a team leader. "But in my last years as a rider, I already had a bit of a road captain role," Gilbert counters.
"That was a role I enjoyed. I like taking responsibility, making decisions, discussing with the coaches. I have never been afraid to speak and discuss, usually with results. I would now like to pass on that experience."
"I would be very proud if I got that chance. I would do it with a lot of passion. If you don't have that, there's no point. I realize that being the national coach of Belgium is not an easy job, but it is a nice challenge. With the qualities we have, there is certainly more to be gained in the future."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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