Tom Boonen may be a week away from retirement, but the Belgian legend still believed he could win yesterday’s Tour of Flanders in Belgium.
Boonen is a major star in his home country and has won Belgium’s biggest race a joint record three times — 2005, 2006 and 2012.
However, at 36 years of age this will be his last *Ronde Van Vlaanderen before he retires following next week’s Paris-Roubaix — the two prestigious races being the biggest one-day cobbled classics on the calendar.
Photo: AFP
It is three years since Boonen won a cobbled classic — the less high-profile Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne — and contrary to most of his previous appearances at the Ronde, he is not one of the big favorites.
After years of battling with Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara at the two “Monument” cobbled classics, Boonen is expected to be a bystander as Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet and world champion Peter Sagan battle for honors.
However, Boonen does not see it that way.
“I’m not without ambition, even though in my mind there is one man above the rest: Greg Van Avermaet, who is without a doubt in with his best chance of winning this year,” Boonen said. “But that doesn’t prevent me from believing in my chances. I’m not here for the show — I’ve come here to win and our collective strength could definitely help me.”
Boonen’s Quick Step Floors team always brings the most powerful squad to the race with several potential winners.
Boonen has often been the team leader, but if he is marked, it opens up possibilities for other riders, as Stijn Devolder exploited in successive years in 2008 and 2009.
Niki Terpstra did likewise at Paris-Roubaix in 2014, soloing away to victory.
Asked then if Terpstra’s victory was some consolation Boonen had replied: “When you put in all that effort, it’s to win for yourself.”
However, strong teammates are a huge advantage on a 261km race with 18 climbs and 14 cobbled sections.
As well as Terpstra, a top 10 finisher in four of the last five years, Quick Step have Yves Lampaert, recent winner of Dwars door Vlaanderen, Zdenek Stybar, a top 10 finisher in the last two Ronde editions, and of course Philippe Gilbert.
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