Fears that Tom Boonen might miss the Olympic Games through injury are abating somewhat, with the Belgian training for 100 kilometres today without experiencing any real issues.
The Omega Pharma Quick Step rider crashed in the recent Tour of Poland and was diagnosed with a fractured sixth rib in his chest. He was scheduled to take three days complete rest, with today being the day nominated for him to start training once again.
That has now gone to plan, and the Belgian outlines his return to racing. “The three days of rest did me a world of good. During the workout I didn’t feel any particular pain to my rib, just a slight discomfort,” he said. “Now I’ll participate in the first three stages of the Tour de Wallonie as planned.”
He said that his final decision about London 2012 would be made after that event. “Right now I’m more optimistic regarding the Olympics. But it will be important to see how I react in a racing situation, in which my body will undergo a different type of stress and more intense effort than in training.”
The 2004 world road race champion dominated this year’s Northern Classics. He deliberately missed the Tour de France to prepare for the Olympic Games, and so it would be a considerable disappointment if he was forced to miss out.