Tom Boonen made it into the crucial lead group during today’s Milan-Sanremo, but in the finale his legs gave out and he missed the important move. The Quick Step rider ultimately finished 28th, one minute and 12 seconds behind the winner Matt Goss.
Boonen said before the race that he hoped to do well, but was also realistic. He pointed out that he missed important training before Tirreno-Adriatico due to illness, and was below par heading into the Italian stage race.
While he got through it, he was uncertain how things would work out for Milan-Sanremo. As it turned out, he was good, but not great. He made it into the 44 man front group, but couldn’t keep up with the front runners on the Poggio. As a result, he lost out on the chance to improve on his second place of last year.
However, looking at the bigger picture and his goals for April, he was able to be optimistic. “I fought all day, and I'm happy with how I and all the team took on the race,” he stated after the finish. “I was just missing something in the finale.
“If I compare my physical shape from the beginning of the Tirreno, I have to say things have changed. My condition is improving and today I had proof that my health is also considerably better. I am headed in the right direction as I look forward to the cobblestone classics.”
Boonen had a disappointing year last season due to injury, but is hoping to be at his best for the remaining spring Classics. He would clearly love to win either Paris-Roubaix or the Tour of Flanders once again, and will keep working towards those goals from this point on.