Quick Step leader Tom Boonen is still on track to resuming racing at the Circuit Franco-Belge at the end of the month. The Belgian was involved in a crash at the Tour of California this past May that resulted in the sprinter missing the opportunity to defending his national championship title. He was also forced to to miss starts in the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, meaning getting fit enough for a shot at another world title in Australia would be impossible.
Boonen is ready to pick up the pieces of his shattered season now, and will look toward the fall Classics season for success. "My knee is okay," Boonen told Het Laatste Nieuws. "Thursday I cycled 120 kilometers pain free and it was a reassuring feeling."
While things have been going well for Tornado Tom, he still has the thought of injury looming overhead. "The fear of relapse is of course still there a little bit, but I think positively. Anyway, I will race this season."
Originally he was scheduled to return to racing in Paris-Brussels on September 11th, but scar tissue in his knee cause a further delay to his season. He will use the days of competition at the Circuit Franco-Belge to build his form for Paris-Tours, a race he finished second to compatriot Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) in last season. He has four wins so far this season; two stages in the Tour of Qatar, and one stage apiece in the Tour of Oman and Tirreno-Adriatico. His strong second place finishes in Milan San Remo and the Tour of Flanders, and fifth in Paris-Roubaix before his injury will have the Belgian aiming to pick up where he left off.