How time flies. It only seems like a couple of weeks ago that Tom Boonen was in Argentina for the first race of his final season, saying how far away April was and how much lay in between. But the final eight days are already here and, ahead of the final bow at Paris-Roubaix next Sunday, it's time now for 'Tommeke' to bid farewell to Flanders, and Flanders to him.
Along with Roubaix, the Ronde van Vlaanderen, or Tour of Flanders, is the race that has defined Boonen's 16-year career, and his three victories have elevated him to demi-god status in this cycling-crazed region of Belgium. He is an out-and-out celebrity and media darling, and the nation is already in overdrive about his impending departure from the sport.
Not surprisingly, then, when the Quick-Step team gathered on a boat docked in Antwerp's harbour for a pre-Flanders press gathering, Boonen was peppered with questions about how he's dealing with the emotions of it all.
ADVERTISEMENT
"It's special, but at this moment I'm still able to stay calm," he said matter-of-factly. "I'm not sure about Sunday, because the start [in Antwerp] is not far from my house. We'll see, I'm not sure.
"I don't really have the mentality to say 'I'm crying every time at the finish line because it was my last time here'," he added later. "This life stops at the end of Roubaix, and then another one starts."
You sense that the media would maybe like a bit more sentimentality from him – the sort shown by his old foe Fabian Cancellara ahead of his final springs classics 12 months ago – but since the start of the season, Boonen has refused to dwell – publicly at least – on the emotional side of things.
- Boonen, Gilbert will lead Quick-Step Floors at the Tour of Flanders
- Recon Ride: Tour of Flanders - Podcast
- Tom Boonen gets custom Specialized Tarmac for the classics
- Boonen: I've the weapons to win Paris-Roubaix but Flanders will be difficult
- Boonen: My dream is to stop on a high
Where it all began
'I'm still waiting for the moment to really do something'
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://ift.tt/2oo4ViA
No comments:
Post a Comment