In previous years he’d be counting down the days to the start of the world track championships but this time, five-time world sprint champion Theo Bos is completely focussed on another major target.
On Sunday the 26 year old will make his ProTour debut when he lines out in Gent-Wevelgem and, depending on how the race goes, he could find himself sprinting for a major result. He has already taken two wins this season, beating Mark Cavendish to win the Clasica de Almeria on February 28th and then, one week later, taking the final stage of the Vuelta a Murcia.
The team for Gent Wevelgem will be led by Andreas Klier, who finished fifth last season and triumphed in 2003. The selection also includes Roger Hammond, Jeremy Hunt, Brett Lancaster, Daniel Lloyd, Gabriel Rasch and Martin Reimer.
Bos is continuing to evolve as a road rider. He’s stripped off some of the upper body bulk he had built up from his years on riding track, thus helping him to perform better on the climbs.
Gent Wevelgem has been moved from its traditional midweek slot to the Sunday before the Tour of Flanders and as a result, it should benefit from an increase in its importance. The race length has increased from 203 to 219 kilometre and the route will now feature sixteen hills.
Edvald Boasson Hagen triumphed last year.