Tom Boonen
.jpg) Boonen at the 2012 Milan – San Remo |
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| Full name | Tom Boonen | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Tommeke Tornado Tom Bom van Balen |
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| Born | 15 October 1980 Mol, Belgium |
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| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 kg (180 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Omega Pharma-Quick Step | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Road | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Rider | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Rider type | Classics rider, Sprinter | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Professional team(s) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 2003– |
US Postal Quick Step-Davitamon |
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Medal record
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Tom Boonen (pronounced [Boʊnən]; born 15 October 1980) is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer who won the 2005 World Road Race Championship. He is a member of the Omega Pharma-Quick Step team,[1] and is considered a single-day road race specialist with a strong finishing sprint. His personality and looks, combined with his successes, also turned him into Belgium's main male sports idol of the mid-2000s, but he incurred censure after testing positive twice for the use of cocaine.[2]
Contents |
Career [edit]
Early years [edit]
At the start of 2002 Boonen rode for the US Postal team, finishing third in Paris–Roubaix after an early breakaway. Fellow Belgian rider Johan Museeuw had escaped off the front of the race to a solo victory, and team captain George Hincapie crashed in a slippery section of the course leaving Boonen to ride for himself. Boonen's performance in the race compelled Museeuw – his childhood hero – to publicly declare Boonen his natural successor.[3]
However, Boonen was not completely happy at US Postal, claiming he did not get enough chances to ride for himself. Towards the end of the year he announced he would leave the team, despite being under contract, and joined Quick Step-Davitamon at the start of 2003.[4] The 2003 season, however, did not go well for Boonen, who saw lacklustre performance due to fatigue and a knee injury. In this season Museeuw was the undisputed team leader for the spring classics campaign.
The 2004 season saw Boonen rise up to the challenge to win the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, the classic race Gent–Wevelgem and the Grote Scheldeprijs. In addition, he also won two stages of the Tour de France including the prestigious final stage in Paris, just as Museeuw did in 1990.
2005: Winning Ronde, Roubaix and Worlds [edit]
2005 was the year in which Boonen firmly established himself as a competitor on the world stage. Winning the Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix, E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, and finishing second in the Omloop "Het Volk" (behind teammate Nick Nuyens), he stamped his authority on the cobbled Spring Classics. Boonen also became the first cyclist in history to win the Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix, and the World Cycling Championship in the same season.
In his Tour of Flanders victory Boonen was considered the strongest sprinter in the final group of riders. However, instead of waiting for the final moment, he attacked a few kilometers from the finish to the surprise of other riders in the group, and stayed away for a solo victory. One of the other riders in the peloton, Erik Dekker, afterwards declared that "I'm happy that I am near the end of my career, since with a cyclist like Boonen the spring classics will be rather boring the coming years".[5] In his Paris–Roubaix victory, he entered the Roubaix velodrome in the leading trio, and waited until the last moment before launching a sprint that saw him beat American George Hincapie and Spaniard Juan Antonio Flecha.
In the Tour de France, he won the second and the third stage. In this edition, Boonen claimed the green jersey after the second stage. However, he was forced to retire from the race after stage 11, after multiple crashes. The jersey was reliquished to Norwegian Thor Hushovd, who held on for the rest of the tour, becoming the eventual winner. On 25 September he became the twenty-first Belgian World Champion after the World Cycling Championships in Madrid. A six-man breakaway was reeled in in the final straight by the group that he was in, before he powered home ahead of Alejandro Valverde. He is the first Belgian since Museeuw, in 1996, to wear the rainbow jersey. With these victories he secured second place in the overall standings of the 2005 UCI ProTour.
At the end of the year Boonen won several awards: Kristallen Fiets (Crystal Bicycle), Vélo d'Or (Golden Bicycle), Trofee voor Sportverdienste (Trophy For Sporting Merit), Belgian Sportsman of the year and Belgian Sports Personality of the Year.
2006 [edit]
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In 2006, Boonen again had an incredible start to the season, highlighted by winning the Tour of Flanders again, but he was unable to defend his Paris–Roubaix title the week after. Leif Hoste, Peter Van Petegem and Vladimir Gusev were initially credited with 2nd through 4th places (1'23" down), but were later disqualified by the race jury for illegally riding through a closed level-crossing. This promoted world champion and pre-race favourite Boonen into 2nd place, behind Fabian Cancellara.
After the incredible start, Boonen came back to racing in the Tour of Belgium where he won the second and the third stage. Before the start of the 2006 Tour de France, he claimed that he considered himself the strongest and smartest sprinter. However, he did not win a stage in the first week, as he was beaten by his sprinter competitors Robbie McEwen and Óscar Freire. In spite of this, he was able to claim the yellow jersey for the first time in his career, but lost it in the first time trial to time trial specialist Sergei Honchar.
Boonen abandoned the Tour de France during the 15th stage – 187 km from Gap to l'Alpe d'Huez – when he was unable to reach the summit of the Col du Lautaret. According to the team manager, Boonen lost a lot of weight during the Tour, and got a much needed rest period where he was able to regain it.
With regained strength, at the Eneco Tour of Benelux he won three stages. However, he was unable to defend his world title at the UCI Road World Championships, held on a circuit that was less flat than in Madrid 2005, and lost his title to Quick Step-Innergetic teammate Paolo Bettini, finishing ninth.
2007 [edit]
In his 2007 season, Boonen went off to a great start again by winning five stages at the Tour of Qatar and finished second overall after teammate Wilfried Cretskens. He later won several Flemish races like Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne and E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, but failed to win any classics. His best effort in that respect was a 3rd place in Milan – San Remo, resulting in an overall slightly disappointing spring season.
Next Boonen took part in the Tour de France. In the absence of main rival Alessandro Petacchi, and after an early injury to Robbie McEwen, he met expectations by winning two stages (stages 6 and 12), and winning the Maillot vert competition. It was the first Belgian green jersey since Eddy Planckaert's in 1988.
2008 [edit]
Boonen began his 2008 season by winning four stages and the overall and points classifications in the Tour of Qatar. In the Tour of Flanders, his first main goal of the season, he showed good form but took on a defensive role when his teammate Stijn Devolder escaped and subsequently won. The week after, he outsprinted Fabian Cancellara and Alessandro Ballan in the final 500m to win the Paris–Roubaix. On 10 June 2008, several sources claimed that Boonen was negotiating with Bouygues Télécom about a contract, which sporting director Jean-René Bernaudeau confirmed. The move to Bouygues would involve two or three riders going with him, with the names of Wilfried Cretskens and Kevin Hulsmans frequently named.[6]
On that same day though, it was revealed that Boonen had tested positive for cocaine in a test on 26 May. Since this was outside competition, and cocaine is not considered a performance enhancing drug, Boonen did not face sanctions by the UCI or WADA. During a press conference the day after, he offered his apologies and team manager Patrick Lefevere stated that, since these were considered difficulties of a private nature, team Quick Step maintained its confidence in him. Despite the absence of official sanctions, Boonen was immediately barred from the Tour of Switzerland and later from the Tour de France.[7][8] In February 2009 a Belgian court found him guilty of cocaine use but decided not to hand down criminal sanctions against Boonen, saying that he has "been punished enough".[9][10]
2009 [edit]
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Boonen began his 2009 season by winning a stage and the overall and points classifications in the Tour of Qatar. He also won Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne for the second time in his career. In the Tour of Flanders, his first main goal of the season, he showed good form but as in 2008 he had to take on a defensive role when his teammate Stijn Devolder escaped and subsequently won the Ronde for the second time. The following week Boonen won Paris–Roubaix for the third time.
On 27 April, Boonen tested positive for cocaine in an out of competition test for the third time (the first occasion, in November 2007, had not previously been made public) and was suspended by his team, Quick Step, on 9 May,[11] and re-entered competition with them in the 2009 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. Shortly after, in June, he won his National Championship. After a long legal struggle he was allowed to enter the Tour de France one day before the start on 3 July 2009. Citing illness, he withdrew from the Tour on 18 July 2009, before the fifteenth stage.
He returned to racing in the Eneco Tour where he won the third stage by beating Tyler Farrar in the sprint. After that he entered the Vuelta a España to prepare him self for the final part of the season. There, he finished second in the prologue behind time trial specialist Fabian Cancellara. He crashed during the 7th stage of the Vuelta, a 30 km time trial. He nevertheless posted a respectable time, losing just 1'03, and ended the day second overall behind Cancellara. He withdrew from the Vuelta during the 13th stage, still suffering from the consequences of his crash during the 7th stage. He finished his season with a second place in Paris-Tours, after being beaten in a sprint from a three-men group by fellow countryman and defending champion Philippe Gilbert.
2010 [edit]
The beginning of 2010 saw Boonen take third place in the Tour of Qatar, winning two stages, which was followed by victory in Stage 5 of the Tour of Oman. He also won Stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico, before finishing second to Óscar Freire in the first monument of the season, Milan – San Remo. Boonen finished second to Fabian Cancellara in the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen – Harelbeke,[12] a result replicated at the Tour of Flanders. Boonen finished fifth in Paris–Roubaix the following week. He missed most of the rest of the season – including the Tour de France, the Belgian and the World Championships – due to tendinitis around his left kneecap which was caused by crashes at the Tour of California and the Tour de Suisse. He returned to racing in October at the Circuit Franco-Belge and Paris-Tours.
2011 [edit]
Boonen began the season with first place on the opening stage of the 2011 Tour of Qatar. He won Gent–Wevelgem to take his only major classic victory of the season, as in the Tour of Flanders he finished fourth and in Paris–Roubaix he abandoned after a fall. Boonen also crashed on Stage 5 of the Tour de France, and although he finished the stage, injuries forced him to abandon on Stage 7. In the subsequent Vuelta a España, Boonen fell yet again, which also made him miss the World Championships.
2012 [edit]
Boonen began the 2012 season well, as he won Stage 7 of his first race of the season, the Tour de San Luis. In February, he won the Tour of Qatar overall, also winning two stages and the points classification, and finished second to Sep Vanmarcke in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Boonen next rode in Paris–Nice, winning Stage 2. Boonen took his first one-day classic victory of the season at E3 Harelbeke, and followed it up with victory in Gent–Wevelgem two days later. Boonen's form made him a clear favourite for the Tour of Flanders, and he won the sprint from fellow breakaway members Filippo Pozzato and Alessandro Ballan to take victory in the monument for the third time in his career making him a record holder alongside Achiel Buysse, Fiorenzo Magni, Eric Leman and Johan Museeuw. He is also the first cyclist ever to win the Flemish cobblestone quadruple E3 Harelbeke, Gent–Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders, and Paris–Roubaix in the same year. His Roubaix victory was his fourth, matching the record held by Roger De Vlaeminck for 35 years. In winning the Tour of Flanders, and Paris Roubaix he became the first person ever to complete the double twice in their career.
After a successful spring classics campaign, Boonen returned to racing at the Tour of California. He regained the National Champion title in June, taking the tricolor jersey from Philippe Gilbert.[13] He skipped the Tour de France to better prepare for the Olympic Road Race, opting to participate in the shorter Tour of Poland instead. He suffered a crash in the first stage of the race, and withdrew on the fifth stage, citing pain to the right side of his chest.[14] It was later revealed that he suffered a broken rib,[15] but he could recuperate in time to participate in the Olympic Games, where he missed the successful breakaway and finished in 28th position.[16]
He won the first edition of the new two-day stage race World Ports Classic, taking the first of the stages by out sprinting the field. He earned the Points Classification jersey and the overall after coming in third place of the second stage.[17] One week later Boonen won the semi-classic Paris–Brussels.
2013 [edit]
In January, Boonen spent a week in hospital with a serious infection after suffering a wound on his elbow.[18] He returned to action in February in the Tour of Oman but could finish only 83rd in the General Classification.[19] In March, he retired from both the Gent–Wevelgem and Tour of Flanders following crashes.[20][21] He did not take the start of Paris–Roubaix when a fractured rib was diagnosed.[22]
Personal life [edit]
Boonen used to live in Balen, in the Flemish Region of Belgium until moving to Monaco in late 2005. He stayed there a few years until deciding to move back to Belgium in early 2012.[23]
Palmares [edit]
- 2001
- 1st Zellik – Galmaarden
- 2002
- 1st Stage 1 Volta a Catalunya
- 1st Stage 2 International Uniqua Classic
- 1st Wilrijk
- 3rd Paris–Roubaix
- 2003
- 1st Stage 3 Tour of Belgium
- 2004
- 1st Gent–Wevelgem
- Tour de France
- 1st Stages 6 & 20
- 1st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
- 1st Grote Scheldeprijs
- 1st
Overall Tour de Picardie
- 1st
Points Classification - 1st Stages 1 & 2
- 1st
- Deutschland Tour
- 1st Stages 2 & 7
- 1st Stage 1 Vuelta a Andalucía
- Ster Elektrotour
- 1st Prologue & Stage 1
- Circuit Franco-Belge
- 1st Stages 3 & 4
- 1st Stage 3 Tour of Britain
- 1st GP Rik Van Steenbergen
- 3rd Overall Tour of Qatar
- 1st
Points classification - 1st Young Rider Classification
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st
- 2005
- 1st
World Road Race Championship - Tour de France
- 1st Stages 2 & 3
- Paris–Nice
- 1st Stages 1 & 2
- 1st Paris–Roubaix
- 1st Tour of Flanders
- 1st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
- 1st Overall, Tour of Belgium
- 1st Stages 1 & 2
- 4th Overall Tour of Qatar
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stages 1 & 2
- 1st
- 10th Overall Tour de Picardie
- 1st Stage 2
- 2006
- 1st Tour of Flanders
- Paris–Nice
- 1st Stages 1, 2 & 4
- 1st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
- 1st Doha International GP
- 1st Overall Tour of Qatar
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stages 1, 2, 3 & 5
- 1st
- 1st Stage 5 Vuelta a Andalucía
- 1st Grote Scheldeprijs
- Tour of Belgium
- 1st Stages 2 & 3
- 1st Veenendaal–Veenendaal
- 1st Stage 1 Tour de Suisse
- Eneco Tour of Benelux
- 1st Stages 1, 3 & 5
- 1st Stage 6 Tour of Britain
- 2nd Paris–Roubaix
- Tour de France
- Held Maillot Jaune from Stages 3–6
- Held
- 2007
- 1st Green Jersey Tour de France
- 1st Stages 6 & 12
- 1st Stage 4 Vuelta a Andalucía
- 1st Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne
- 1st Dwars door Vlaanderen
- 1st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
- 2nd Overall Tour of Qatar
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stages 1 (TTT), 2, 3, 4 & 6
- 1st
- 3rd Omloop "Het Volk"
- 3rd Milan – San Remo
- 2008
- 1st Paris–Roubaix
- Vuelta a España
- 1st Stages 3 & 16
- 1st Overall Tour of Qatar
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stages 1 (TTT), 2, 3 & 6
- 1st
- 1st Stage 2 Tour of California
- 1st Stage 5 Tour of Belgium
- 1st Stage 4 Ster Elektrotoer
- 1st Stage 7 Österreich Rundfahrt
- 1st Stage 1 Tour de Wallonie
- Eneco Tour
- 1st Stages 1 & 4
- 1st Stage 1 Circuit Franco-Belge
- 2nd Grote Scheldeprijs
- 2009
- 1st
National Road Race Championship - 1st Paris–Roubaix
- 1st Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne
- 1st Stage 3 Eneco Tour
- 1st Overall Tour of Qatar
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Stage 3 Circuit Franco-Belge
- 2nd E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
- 2nd Paris–Tours
- 3rd Dwars door Vlaanderen
- 2010
- 1st Stage 5 Tour of Oman
- 1st Stage 2 Tirreno–Adriatico
- 2nd Milan – San Remo
- 2nd E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
- 2nd Tour of Flanders
- 3rd Overall Tour of Qatar
- 1st Stages 3 & 5
- 5th Paris–Roubaix
- 2011
- 1st Stage 1 Tour of Qatar
- 1st Gent–Wevelgem
- 4th Tour of Flanders
- 2012
- 1st World Team Time Trial Championship
- 1st National Road Race Championship
- 1st Overall Tour of Qatar
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stages 1 & 4
- 1st
- 1st
Overall World Ports Classic
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st
- 1st Paris–Roubaix
- 1st Tour of Flanders
- 1st Gent–Wevelgem
- 1st E3 Harelbeke
- 1st Paris–Brussels
- 1st Stage 2 Paris–Nice
- 1st Stage 7 Tour de San Luis
- 2nd Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- 4th Vattenfall Cyclassics
- 2013
- 7th E3 Harelbeke
Monuments results timeline [edit]
| Monument | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan – San Remo | – | 78 | 75 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 29 | 15 | 2 | 28 | 22 | DNF |
| Tour of Flanders | 24 | 25 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 17 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 1 | DNF |
| Paris–Roubaix | 3 | 24 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 5 | DNF | 1 | — |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Giro di Lombardia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
DNF = Did not finish
— = Did not compete
References [edit]
- ^ "Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team (OPQ) – BEL". UCI World Tour. Union Cycliste Internationale. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
- ^ http://www.sportitalia.com/ShortNews.aspx?id=4366 In Italian
- ^ Jones, Jeff; Stevenson, John (16 April 2002). "News for April 16, 2002 – Boonen "the next Museeuw"". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
- ^ "News for January 26, 2003 – Boomin' Boonen comes to Adelaide". cyclingnews.com. 26 January 2003. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
- ^ "Parijs-Roubaix: Boonen, amper 24 jaar, nu al ontzagwekkend" (in Dutch). volkskrant.nl. 11 April 2005. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
- ^ "Boonen is negotiating with French team Bouygues" (in dutch). sporza.be. 10 June 2008.
- ^ "Boonen participation in Tour de France to be decided: Ouick Step". afp.google.com. 11 June 2008.
- ^ "Former world champion Tom Boonen barred from Tour de France". afp.google.com. 11 June 2008.
- ^ "Boonen could face trial in Belgium". ESPN. 6 January 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
- ^ "Belgian Court Scraps Case Against Cyclist Boonen". Sports Illustrated/CNN. 3 February 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "Boonen suspended after drugs test". BBC. 9 May 2009.
- ^ Brecht Decaluwé (27 March 2010). "Cancellara claims E3 Prijs Vlaanderen – Harelbeke". Cycling News (Future Publishing Limited). Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ^ Brecht Decaluwé (24 June 2012). "Boonen returns to tricolor jersey". Cycling News (Future Publishing Limited). Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ Ben Atkins (14 July 2012). "Tom Boonen abandons Tour of Poland with aftereffects of stage one crash". Velo Nation (Velo Nation LLC). Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ "Tom Boonen Recovers From Broken Rib". CTV Olympics (2012 7048467 Canada Inc.). 19 July 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ "Men's Road Race". London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (BT PLC). 28 July 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ "Boonen wins premiere edition of World Ports Classic". Cycling News (Future Publishing Limited). 1 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
- ^ "Cycling – Boonen 'nearly had arm amputated'". Yahoo! Sports UK & Ireland. 2013-02-12. Retrieved 2013-03-31.
- ^ "Cycling – Fixtures – Tour of Oman – General Classification". Yahoo! Sports UK & Ireland. 2013-02-16. Retrieved 2013-03-31.
- ^ "Cycling – Boonen quits Gent-Wevelgem after crash". Yahoo! Sports UK & Ireland. 2013-03-24. Retrieved 2013-03-31.
- ^ "Cycling – Cancellara claims Tour of Flanders crown". Yahoo! Sports UK & Ireland. 2013-03-31. Retrieved 2013-03-31.
- ^ "Boonen diagnosed with rib fracture from Tour of Flanders crash". Cyclingnews (Future Publishing Limited). 4 April 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ^ "Tom Boonen verhuist definitief van Monaco naar de Kempen". Het Laatse Nieuws (in Dutch). 11 January 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tom Boonen |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Magnus Bäckstedt |
Winner of Paris–Roubaix 2005 |
Succeeded by Fabian Cancellara |
| Preceded by Steffen Wesemann |
Winner of the Tour of Flanders 2005, 2006 |
Succeeded by Alessandro Ballan |
| Preceded by Stuart O'Grady |
Winner of Paris–Roubaix 2008, 2009 |
Succeeded by Fabian Cancellara |
| Preceded by Nick Nuyens |
Winner of the Tour of Flanders 2012 |
Succeeded by Fabian Cancellara |
| Preceded by Johan Vansummeren |
Winner of Paris–Roubaix 2012 |
Succeeded by Fabian Cancellara |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by Peter Van Petegem |
Crystal Bicycle 2004–2006 |
Succeeded by Sven Nys |
| Preceded by Philippe Gilbert |
Crystal Bicycle 2012 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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