Quick Step competitor can’t train for at least three weeks, worlds chances could be affected
Belgian rider Tom Boonen faces a further delay in his return to racing after having been forced to undergo an operation this morning.
The surgery was done to treat a lesion in the pre-patellar band of his left knee. The 29 year old first injured it when he fell in the Tour of California in May, but things had nearly reached full recovery in the Tour de Suisse. However a crash caused mainly by the Manx rider Mark Cavendish brought him and several others to the ground, hitting the troublesome joint once more and aggravating the issue.
He was unable to ride the Tour de France as a result, and has spent a considerable amount of time resting. He got back on the bike at the end of last week, but things had not improved.
“Last Friday I started training and the pain seemed to be diminishing,” he explained. “On Monday I tried to do 100 kilometres and the situation immediately got worse. After consulting with the team’s medical staff and with Dr. Claes we decided to go ahead with the operation. I’m calm and confident even though I’ll have to stay off a bike for a while.
“It’s the first time I’ve faced an injury of this type but I’m ready to work on recuperating as best as possible and get back to racing after observing the recommended recovery time.”
Boonen underwent surgery at 8 am this morning at the Herentals clinic, with Doctor Toon Claes’ medical staff performing the knife-work.
According to Quick Step team doctor Yvan Van Mol, the rider is going to be off the bike for approximately a month, and will only then be able to start building up again. As a result, it means that his racing programme is completely up in the air.
“After trying to heal Tom’s knee with a series of non-invasive targeted therapies, the operation was a necessary choice,” Van Mol explained. “Tom will have to rest for at least 3 to 4 weeks before gradually going back to training and eventually getting back into competition. At this time we cannot determine when Tom will be able to return to competition.”
Boonen had been hoping to ride the Vuelta a España and then try to win his second world road race title, but that now must be under real doubt. He will be greatly frustrated by how things have gone, particularly as he showed strong form this season with second in Milan San Remo and the Tour of Flanders, and fifth in Paris-Roubaix.
The parcours of the world championship in Geelong points towards a possible bunch sprint, meaning that a fully-fit Boonen would have been one of the favourites. While Boonen might yet get to ride, his compromised preparation would further reinforce the chance that Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma Lotto) will be Belgium’s big hope to take the rainbow jersey.