Boonen insists he's back to his best for 2011

It's easy to spot Tom Boonen because of his rainbow stripes.

It's easy to spot Tom Boonen because of his rainbow stripes. (Image credit: Stephen Farrand)

Tom Boonen once hinted that he would retire before he reached 30, perhaps burnt out after a ten-year professional career and weary of being a huge sporting idol in Belgium. But despite three difficult seasons, disrupted by injury and problems with cocaine, Boonen is still in the saddle and celebrated his 30th birthday last October. Perhaps hungry to make up for what he has lost, he has no plans to retire just yet.

Stephen Farrand
Head of News

Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.