Tom Boonen (Quick Step) will opt to ride the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen-Harelbeke once again this year at the expense of the more prestigious Gent-Wevelgem, according to Het Laatste Nieuws. The Belgian has won the 1.HC-ranked E3 Prijs four times, a record he shares with the legendary Emperor of Herentals, Rik Van Looy, and feels that the East Flanders course suits him better than the West Flanders route of Gent-Wevelgem.
As well as his four consecutive victories in the E3 Prijs, between 2004 and 2007, Boonen has finished second in the two previous editions.
“Everyone knows that I prefer Harelbeke,” he said. “It’s the ideal preparation for the Ronde [van Vlaanderen], and if I’m honest I just don’t like riding Gent-Wevelgem.
“For me it’s simple: I choose Harelbeke.”
Boonen has won Gent-Wevelgem just once in his career, back in 2004, making it one of the least successful of the major Flemish races for the former Belgian and World champion. The course takes the race west, almost to the border with France, with the toughest part based on a circuit around climbing and descending the precipitously steep, cobbled Kemmelberg.
The E3 Prijs follows a far more easterly route, climbing many of the hills that will be tackled in the Ronde van Vlaanderen the following weekend.
The other big reason for Boonen to sit out Gent-Wevelgem is its new position on the calendar. In order to elevate its status closer to its International Cycling Union (UCI) WorldTour counterpart the Ronde van Vlaanderen last year, the race moved from the Wednesday following the Ronde to the Sunday before; it has also added some kilometres to its length, with last year’s course totalling 219km and this year’s 210.
The date change has put it the day after the E3 Prijs, and for Boonen to race to win on both days would not be viable. “Saturday and Sunday flat out doesn’t work,” he said, “that’s too tough.”
As the team’s talisman and figurehead, Boonen was quizzed over whether it would be commercially important for his team for him to turn up to the start in Gent on the Sunday.
“Last year I rode to the first feedzone and climbed off,” he answered. “Is that commercially worthwhile?”
Last year’s E3 saw Fabian Cancellara (then of Saxo Bank) escape Boonen and Juan Antonio Flecha (Team Sky) in the closing stages to take the first win of the three-weekend streak that saw him take the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix; Boonen finished second to the Swiss classics-specialist and time trial king in both the E3 Prijs and Ronde.