Victory at the Brabantse Pijl last Wednesday certainly gave Philippe Gilbert a welcomed confidence boost and peace of mind ahead of his season’s major objectives, Ardennes classics. With a stiffer competition than in previous years, however, on the eve of the Amstel Gold Race, the BMC captain insisted he won’t be the main favorite to take the spoils in the Dutch one-day race, particularly pointing out to Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and whole generation of young explosive riders led by Michał Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quick Step).

“[Joaquim] Rodriguez and I were practically the only two specialists but some young riders have come to join that battle and that’s normal,” Gilbert said.

“The competition on this particular terrain is much sharper now. The list of contenders for Sunday is long because a lot of riders are capable of winning this race.”

Even though Gilbert didn’t seem even partially as strong as during his magnificent Ardennes campaign in 2011 while taking a victory in the Brabantse Pijl on Wednesday, his recent showing still should be considered a sign of a long-awaited progress and suggests that the former world champion can’t be ruled out as a favorite to excel in the hilly classics.

Gilbert will line up alongside in-form Greg Van Avermaet as a part of very strong BMC roster for the Amstel Gold Race, but the 31-year old Belgian insists that with an exceptionally strong field of contenders this year, the American team won’t be the only one responsible for controlling the happenings.

Asked more specifically about riders expected to excel in the Dutch sole classic, BMC captain pointed out to flying Valverde and Kwiatkowski, with the latter leading w whole new generation of cyclists capable of performing well in Ardennes events.

“Valverde and Kwiatkowski are, to my mind, the big favourites for the next three races based on what they have shown so far,” Gilbert said, according to La Dernière Heure. “They climb well, they’re fast in the sprint and they can also rely on very solid teams.”

Movistar leader is simply flying this season and despite one sign of weakness shown in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco ultimate time trial, Valverde has to be considered main favorite to win the Amstel Gold Race. Even though the route of the Dutch classic seems perfectly suited for the Liege-Bastogne-Liege double winner, he has never taken a victory in that race and certainly will be eager to eventually complete his Ardennes collection on Sunday.

Perfectly aware of the competition he’s going to face on Sunday, Gilbert claimed that Wednesday’s victory gave him peace of mind ahead of the most important week of his 2014 season.

“I’ve been in the pro peloton for twelve years now and I know that one of the errors you must never commit is to be under-estimate your adversaries. Even when everything was coming off for me in 2011, I never allowed myself to stay that I was certain to win a race before the start. I know that I’m well and that I can sleep more calmly, but the most difficult is yet to come.”