Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen]; 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 Etixx–Quick-Step team, and is a single-day road specialist with a strong finishing sprint. He won the cycling monuments Paris–Roubaix 4 times and the Tour of Flanders 3 times, among many other prestigious victories, such as prevailing 5 times in the E3 Harelbeke, winning 6 stages of the Tour de France and winning the...
ProfessionCyclist
Date of Birth15 October 1980
CityMol, Belgium
bit general good looking mean morale rest sit win
It's good for the team's morale and now we'll be able to sit back a bit during the rest of the week. We're not looking to win the general classification but that doesn't mean we won't be going out to win.
easy good relax stage until won
It's good to have won that stage because now we can relax and take it easy until the end of Paris-Nice.
allowing call credit dream goes good supports team
The credit goes to my team-mates for allowing me to have a good day in the stage. My team is what you call a dream team. Each one of us supports the other fully.
bit finish gap hard huge normally sports surprised
I thought there was a huge gap between me and some of the riders, but I was able to finish like I normally do with a flourish. But I tell you it was a hard day for me and my team. Actually I am a bit surprised that I was able to win.
felt legs monday tired tuesday
I had felt it coming. My legs felt really tired on Monday and Tuesday as well.
doubt finish great kept last line mark riders saw sprint start waited
In the last 300 meters I saw Alejandro start to sprint for the finish line but I just kept going and waited for the 200 meter mark to start mine, ... I never had a doubt about any of the riders in the team. They were great today, especially on the last lap.
beautiful crashed finish great moments offered race start won year
I like this race. I won it two years earlier, one year after having crashed right at the finish line. I have great memories, because this race offered me beautiful moments at the start of my career.
riders
I don't want to look for any excuses, some riders were just better than me.
percent
I'm not a 100 percent satisfied, but let's say 98 percent,
bad bit courage dozen fans fed financial front home interested lead leaving life listen main monaco nice normal parental people pleasant reason side south staring street train training twenty walk winter
The financial side of it is pleasant of course, but that is not the main reason for me leaving my parental home in Balen. I would like to lead a bit of a normal life again. It will be nice to walk down the street without people staring at me. Every day there's a dozen of interested fans at my front door; it's getting too much. I'm getting a bit fed up with having to tell the same story twenty times a day to people I don't know at all, or having to listen to their stories. Monaco will be a better place for me to train also, in winter I often don't have the courage to go out in the bad weather, in the South training will be easier.
conditions finally great stage ticked won
The conditions were very difficult, but I had ticked off this stage and it's great to have finally won it.
bunch drop ends finishing italian sprint sure train
(Alejandro) Valverde is going to drop some bombs. And if it ends up finishing in a bunch sprint I'm not sure Petacchi will get his Italian train going,
eventually kept line past wheel
Alejandro started to go for the line about 300 meters out and I just kept on his wheel and eventually managed to get past him.
begin good hurt knee lacking start
I'm lacking a little competition, but the knee is fine. It doesn't hurt and it's good enough to start the Vuelta and begin my preparations for the world's.