Rose Cantine » boonen

Tom Boonen abandons Tour de France 2009 due to illness

esme — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:59:58 +0000

Tom Boonen (Quick Step) woke up this morning feeling very bad and decided to abandon the Tour de France. He says that he has not been feeling well with the start of the race but today, his illness — fever, headaches, muscle aches, stomach aches — just got worse. Hopefully it’s not swine flu.

The Tour is now heading into the Alps, the most punishing part of the race, not exactly Boonen’s specialty (he is a sprinter). Boonen did not expect to start this year because of a cocaine incident (minuscule amounts found in his blood, but outside competition) and his team went to court to force the Tour to let him start. So it’s disappointing for him and his team that after all that, Boonen falls ill. Sad.

The Belgian press has been very hard on Boonen because of all his non-cycling escapades (indulging in cocaine outside races).

Tom Boonen barred from Tour de France in 2008

esme — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:07:46 +0000

I still can’t believe the news. Tom Boonen, one of the cycling’s mega-stars, has been barred from competing in 2008 because he tested positive for cocaine. He was not officially caught “doping” (i.e. using banned drugs during competition), he cannot be banned by the UCI. However, tour organizers can bar him into their races. He did not start in the Tour of Switzerland this week and he won’t be racing in the Tour de France this summer.

Although Boonen is doing very well this year, having won the Paris-Roubaix race, his personal life is a mess. He lost his Belgian driver’s license this month after being caught driving too fast (and drunk). He has already wrapped his Ferrari around a pole, allegedly trying to avoid hitting a cat. Boonen is very popular in Belgium, not just among cycling fans. What a disappointment!

Tom Boonen implicated in cocaine scandal

esme — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:43:44 +0000

De Morgen reports that the parents of Tom Boonen have been questioned in connection with an allegation made by Belgian cyclist, Tom Vannopen who was caught using cocaine, that Tom Boonen was a drug dealer. Tom Boonen was not available for questioning by the authorities because he is in Qatar for a cycling competition. Apart from allegations made by Vannopen, there is no other evidence that Boonen has been using or dealing the drug.

Injury forces Tom Boonen out of Vuelta

esme — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 18:55:55 +0000

Tom Boonen, one of the two Belgian favorites at the Vuelta a EspaÃ±a, left the race yesterday after complaining of pain in his back and ribs. Boonen was one of the riders who crashed in Zaragoza a few days ago. The Belgian newspaper, de Morgen, reports that Boonen is not sure that he will even be able to start for the Belgian team in the World Cycling Championships in a couple of weeks. Boonen has had a good year, winning the green jersey in the Tour de France 2007.