Lars Boom fractured his elbow in a crash 10km from the finishline (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Belkin are still clinging to the hope that Lars Boom might be able to return to racing before the cobbles Classics end in just over two weeks. Boom has been out of action since he fractured his elbow in a crash on the second stage of Paris-Nice.
"We are hopeful, but we are also realistic. We have to see. I can't really give you a 100% answer whether it's a yes or a no," Belkin team manager Richard Plugge told Cyclingnews at the start of E3 Harelbeke.
Boom was meant to be racing this weekend at E3 Harelbeke and Gent-Wevelgem. He didn't take the start in Harelbeke, but the team remain hopeful that he can recover enough to ride Gent-Wevelgem. He has been out on the bike over the last couple of days, but Plugge admits that the pavé is an unknown quantity for Boom with the injury.
"He's training a lot already. He's done some hours yesterday and the day before," said Plugge. "Today He is training again today and he will have some tests and then we will see. We can't predict. Cobbles are something else than asphalt and breaking an elbow is a painful experience. We have to see how he manages."
If Boom does make it back he will form an integral part of the classics team and will be looking to improve on his 11th at the Tour of Flanders, and assisting Sep Vanmarcke in his bid for glory at Paris-Roubaix a week later.
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Born in Ireland to a cycling family and later moved to the Isle of Man, so there was no surprise when I got into the sport. Studied sports journalism at university before going on to do a Masters in sports broadcast. After university I spent three months interning at Eurosport, where I covered the Tour de France. In 2012 I started at Procycling Magazine, before becoming the deputy editor of Procycling Week. I then joined Cyclingnews, in December 2013.
