Boonen to leave Vuelta, doubtful for Worlds

This is expected to be Tom Boonen's last day in the Vuelta a España, as the Belgian sprinter will fly home for further medical examinations. "I don't feel well," he told hln.be. "I have trouble breathing. I'm afraid that a left rib is broken."

"It hurts when I cough," the Quick-Step.Innergetic rider continued. "I want to go home and have some X-rays taken."

He said that he had not yet decided whether to ride the World Championships. "I would like to go to the Worlds and if I can help the team, I will go. Otherwise it doesn't make any sense. After today's stage I will go home and rest for some days, and then I will decide whether I will go to the Worlds or not. The crash in Zaragoza has hurt me a lot."