26/07/2026 - A week of extremes

The past week could hardly have gone more differently for Gilles. While Tuesday's race in Mechelen-Bovelingen ended in an early abandon and a real setback, the rider showed this past Sunday in the Pajottenland that he is fully back.

Setback in Mechelen-Bovelingen

Things went wrong early for Gilles on the Mechelen-Bovelingen course. Already in the third lap he felt that his legs weren't cooperating, making it quickly clear that this wasn't going to be a great day. Given the situation, he chose to look for the attack rather than constantly chasing the race, but that approach backfired. With around three laps to go, he was forced to abandon.

The result hit hard. Ever since his elbow fracture, he had been searching for his love of racing, and this abandon felt like another setback in that ongoing story.

That same week, he had a brief discussion with his coach and entourage to turn things around. That quick response would soon pay off.

Battle against the elements in the Pajottenland

Last Sunday, a tough race was on the schedule in the Pajottenland, in Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle. Changeable showers and strong gusts of wind turned it into a real battle of attrition. But that's exactly how Gilles likes it, and he stayed calm and sheltered in the peloton until halfway through the race, until he bridged across to a second chase group on the second climb.

When that second group found itself just a few seconds behind the leading group shortly after, Gilles seized his chance. With a strong effort, and with four of the fifteen laps still to go, he made the connection to the front group.

In hindsight, it proved a golden move: the second chase group completely fell apart shortly after. From the group Gilles was in, the eventual winner launched a solo attack. Gilles gave everything on the final climb and finished a strong eighth, in a field of 66 riders of whom only 19 ultimately made it to the finish line. A number that alone shows just how tough and selective the course was.

A week of extremes for Gilles, then: from a bitter abandon in Mechelen-Bovelingen to a fine top-ten finish in the Pajottenland. But above all, a week in which his love of racing has clearly returned.