Directeur sportif Van Slycke says riders form is ‘not great’
Quick Step rider Tom Boonen had hoped to have a successful return to racing in the Tour of Poland, but his comeback after being forced out of the Tour de France was a quieter one than he had envisaged.
The Belgian finished fifteenth, eleventh and seventh on the first three stages, being merely part of the backdrop in the victory shots of Marcel Kittel (Skil Shimano). It was disappointing for the rider who declared prior to the start that things were going well and that he was ambitious
“I had an excellent week of training with some challenging rides but also with the right recuperation times. Now I’m feeling really good on my bike,” he said prior to the start, confirming that he was over the concussion which forced him out of the Tour.
“I’m looking forward to Poland. I have the ambition to put myself to the test and try to win a stage. Also on the climbs I’m going to try to hang in there more than I have in the past, to see how far I’ve come.”
The final outcome was more modest than he would have hoped; he had just one top ten placing and finished the race 110th overall, over 40 minutes behind Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale).
His directeur sportif Rik Van Slycke is frank in discussing the rider’s form. “Tom is not great,” he told Het Nieuwslad. “In the beginning of the race, he tried several times to go for the victory, but he is clearly lacking competition rhythm.”
He feels it is understandable, given what he has been through. “He had concussion for a while. With that, it takes time and effort to simply relax. Tom has some work to do, but at the Vuelta, we will speak differently.”
Boonen has had quiet season, although he did win Gent Wevelgem and take a stage in the Tour of Qatar. He is aiming to have a strong Vuelta, and also to use the race to prepare for what is on paper a solid opportunity for him at the world road race championships in Copenhagen. He took his first rainbow jersey six years ago and will aim to make it two this autumn.
He’s no longer the fastest sprinter in cycling, but does have the boost of Phlippe Gilbert recently confirming that he will ride for his countryman in the worlds. Gilbert has been the standout rider of the 2011 season, yet feels that the worlds road race course is too flat for him.