Tom Boonen
 Tom Boonen at the start of Omloop Het Volk 2007. |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
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| Full name | Tom Boonen | ||||||||||||
| Nickname | Tommeke Tornado Tom |
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| Born | 15 October 1980  Belgium |
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| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 kg (180 lb; 12.9 st) | ||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||
| Current team | Omega Pharma-Quick Step | ||||||||||||
| Discipline | Road | ||||||||||||
| Role | Rider | ||||||||||||
| Rider type | Classics Rider | ||||||||||||
| Professional team(s) | |||||||||||||
| 2002 2003– |
US Postal Quick Step-Davitamon |
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| Major wins | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Infobox last updated on 5 January 2012 |
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Tom Boonen pronounced [Boʊnən][1] (born 15 October 1980 in Mol) 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, 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 |
[edit] Career overview
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.
[edit] 2005 – Winning Ronde, Roubaix and Worlds
2005 was the year in which Boonen firmly established himself as a competitor on the world stage. Winning the Ronde van Vlaanderen, 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 Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris–Roubaix, and the World Cycling Championship in the same season.
In his Ronde van Vlaanderen 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 September 25 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.
[edit] 2006 season
In 2006, Boonen again had an incredible start of the season, highlighted by winning the Ronde van Vlaanderen again.
After the incredible start, Boonen had a disappointing Tour of Belgium. 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.
[edit] 2007 season
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.
[edit] 2008 season
Boonen began his 2008 season by winning four stages and the overall and points classifications in the Tour of Qatar. In the Ronde van Vlaanderen, 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 May 26. 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]
[edit] 2009 season
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 Ronde van Vlaanderen, 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 April 27, 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 May 9,[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.
[edit] Personal life
Boonen has been living in Monaco since late 2005. Before that he lived in Balen, in the Flemish Region of Belgium.
[edit] Palmares
- 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
- 1st Stage 6 Tour de France
- 1st Stage 20 Tour de France
- 1st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
- 1st Grote Scheldeprijs
- 1st
Overall, Tour de Picardie
- 1st
Points Classification - 1st Stage 1
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st
- 1st Stage 2 Deutschland Tour
- 1st Stage 7 Deutschland Tour
- 1st Stage 1 Vuelta a Andalucía
- 1st Prologue Ster Elektrotour
- 1st Stage 1 Ster Elektrotour
- 1st Stage 3 Circuit Franco-Belge
- 1st Stage 4 Circuit Franco-Belge
- 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
Road World Championships – Road Race - 1st Stage 2 Tour de France
- 1st Stage 3 Tour de France
- 1st Stage 1 Paris–Nice
- 1st Stage 2 Paris–Nice
- 1st Paris–Roubaix
- 1st Ronde van Vlaanderen
- 1st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
- 1st Overall, Tour of Belgium
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st Stage 2
- 4th Overall, Tour of Qatar
- 1st Points Classification (Silver Jersey)
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st
- 10th Overall, Tour de Picardie
- 1st Stage 2
- 2006
- 1st Ronde van Vlaanderen
- 1st Stage 1 Paris–Nice
- 1st Stage 2 Paris–Nice
- 1st Stage 4 Paris–Nice
- 1st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
- 1st Doha International GP
- 1st Overall, Tour of Qatar
- 1st Points Classification
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Stage 5
- 1st
- 1st Stage 5, Vuelta a Andalucía
- 1st Grote Scheldeprijs
- 1st Stage 2 Tour of Belgium
- 1st Stage 3 Tour of Belgium
- 1st Veenendaal–Veenendaal
- 1st Stage 1, Tour de Suisse
- 1st Stage 1 Eneco Tour of Benelux
- 1st Stage 3 Eneco Tour of Benelux
- 1st Stage 5 Eneco Tour of Benelux
- 1st Stage 6, Tour of Britain
- 2nd Paris–Roubaix
- Tour de France
- Held Maillot Jaune in Stage 3–6
- Held
- 2007
- 1st Green Jersey Tour de France
- 1st Stage 6
- 1st Stage 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 Stage 1 (TTT)
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Stage 4
- 1st Stage 6
- 1st
- 3rd Omloop "Het Volk"
- 3rd Milan – San Remo
- 2008
- 1st Paris–Roubaix
- 1st Stage 3 Vuelta a España
- 1st Stage 16 Vuelta a España
- 1st Overall, Tour of Qatar
- 1st Points Classification
- 1st Stage 1 (TTT)
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Stage 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
- 1st Stage 1 Eneco Tour
- 1st Stage 4 Eneco Tour
- 1st Stage 1 Circuit Franco-Belge
- 2nd Grote Scheldeprijs
- 2009
- 1st
Belgian 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 Ronde van Vlaanderen
- 3rd Overall Tour of Qatar
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Stage 5
- 5th Paris–Roubaix
- 2011
- 1st Stage 1 Tour of Qatar
- 1st Gent–Wevelgem
- 4th Ronde van Vlaanderen
[edit] References
- ^ Boonen, Tom (presenter), Quick-Step cycling team (uploader) (5 April 2011) (in English). Tom Boonen. YouTube. Event occurs at 00:05. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQuo9R9YPm8. Retrieved 7 July 2011. "Hello my name is Tom Boonen…"
- ^ 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. http://cyclingnews.com.au/news/?id=2002/apr02/apr16news. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
- ^ "News for January 26, 2003 – Boomin' Boonen comes to Adelaide". cyclingnews.com. 26 January 2003. http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2003/jan03/tdu03/?id=news/jan26boonen. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
- ^ "Parijs-Roubaix: Boonen, amper 24 jaar, nu al ontzagwekkend" (in Dutch). volkskrant.nl. 11 April 2005. http://www.volkskrant.nl/sport/article196306.ece. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
- ^ "Boonen is negotiating with French team Bouygues" (in dutch). sporza.be. 2008-06-10. http://sporza.be/cm/sporza.be/wielrennen/080610_boonen_bouygues.
- ^ "Boonen participation in Tour de France to be decided: Ouick Step". afp.google.com. 2008-06-11. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gd1Z4lZt9KeuTey0Ml33U-B7wCIw.
- ^ "Former world champion Tom Boonen barred from Tour de France". afp.google.com. 2008-06-11. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jxwWIhZ6kC1VbnHNkea3oWGXJonQD9180C7G1.
- ^ "Boonen could face trial in Belgium". ESPN. 6 January 2009. http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/news/story?id=3812987. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
- ^ "Belgian Court Scraps Case Against Cyclist Boonen". Sports Illustrated/CNN. 3 February 2009. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/more/02/03/tom.boonen.ap/index.html.[dead link]
- ^ "Boonen suspended after drugs test". BBC. 2009-05-09. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/8041462.stm.
[edit] External links
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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 Stuart O'Grady |
Winner of Paris–Roubaix 2008, 2009 |
Succeeded by Fabian Cancellara |
| Preceded by Steffen Wesemann |
Winner of Ronde van Vlaanderen 2005, 2006 |
Succeeded by Alessandro Ballan |
| Preceded by Jurgen Roelandts |
Belgian National Road Race Champion 2009 |
Succeeded by Stijn Devolder |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by Peter Van Petegem |
Crystal Bicycle 2004–2006 |
Succeeded by Sven Nys |
Preceded by Lance Armstrong |
Vélo d'Or 2005 |
Succeeded by Paolo Bettini |
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UCI Road World Champions –
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