Tom Boonen has said he "can’t wait" to ride Saturday’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad as he makes his 2017 Classics debut on the Belgian cobbles.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad kicks off an intense six weeks for Boonen and is the most important moment of the season for his Quick-Step Floors team. It will no doubt be an emotional farewell with Boonen set to retire in April but results and victories in the biggest races are expected. 24 hours after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Boonen and Quick-Step Floors will also target Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, completing the first weekend of racing on the Belgian cobbles.
Despite turning 36 last October, Boonen has worked hard during the winter and polished his form at the Vuelta a San Luis and then more recently at the Tour of Oman. He crashed during the opening sprint in Oman but insists he is ready to race. He is again expected to use a disc-brake-equipped bike despite the on-going debate about their safety and use in the peloton.
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“I feel good coming back from Oman despite the crash on the first stage, which was actually my only objective for that race. But other than that, I had good days in Oman and was able to do the preparation that I was supposed to do. In that week alone I had 1,200 kilometres in the legs, so that’s perfect,” Boonen said.
“I’m happy to start racing in Belgium. Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is always a special event, an important moment in Flanders: the first race, the first time people come out to watch the race, the first time we race in Belgium, the first time on the cobbles. I can’t wait!”
Boonen has surprisingly never won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, often eschewing early spring success on home roads for better form when it really matters in late March and April.
A strong team
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