Tom Boonen facts for kids
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Boonen at the 2015 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tom Boonen | ||
| Born | 15 October 1980 Mol, Belgium |
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| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 3+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Weight | 82 kg (181 lb; 12 st 13 lb) | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Retired | ||
| Discipline | Road | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | Classics specialist Sprinter |
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| Major wins | |||
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Tom Boonen, born on October 15, 1980, is a famous former Belgian road bicycle racer. He competed professionally from 2002 to 2017. Tom was known as a "single-day road specialist" because he was incredibly good at winning races that lasted only one day. He also had a very strong finishing sprint.
Boonen won the UCI World Road Race Championships in 2005. He also won two of the most important cycling races, Paris–Roubaix four times and the Tour of Flanders three times. Besides these big wins, he also won six stages of the Tour de France and the overall title of the Tour of Qatar four times. After retiring from cycling, he became a professional racing driver.
Contents
Tom Boonen's Cycling Journey
Starting Out as a Pro Cyclist
In 2002, Tom Boonen started his professional cycling career. He quickly showed his talent by finishing third in the tough Paris–Roubaix race. His performance impressed many, including his childhood hero, Johan Museeuw, who saw Boonen as his successor.
Boonen felt he needed more chances to race for himself, so he joined a new team, Quick Step, in 2003. The 2003 season was a bit tough for him due to tiredness and a knee injury.
In 2004, Boonen really shined. He won several important races like the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, Gent–Wevelgem, and the Scheldeprijs. He also won two stages in the Tour de France, including the exciting final stage in Paris.
Big Wins in 2005
The year 2005 was amazing for Tom Boonen. He won the Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix, and the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen. He was the first cyclist to win the Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix, and the World Cycling Championship all in the same year!
In the Tour of Flanders, he surprised everyone by attacking near the finish and staying ahead. In Paris–Roubaix, he used his powerful sprint to win.
Later that year, he won two stages in the Tour de France and wore the green jersey for the points classification. On September 25, Boonen became the world champion in Madrid, earning the special rainbow jersey. He also received many awards at the end of the year, like the Crystal Bicycle and Vélo d'Or.
Successes in 2006 and 2007
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In 2006, Boonen continued his winning streak by taking the Tour of Flanders again. He also finished second in Paris–Roubaix. He won stages in the Tour of Belgium and the Eneco Tour of Benelux. In the Tour de France, he wore the yellow jersey for a few days, which was a big achievement.
In 2007, Boonen won five stages in the Tour of Qatar. He also won Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne and E3 Prijs Vlaanderen. In the Tour de France, he won two stages and, for the first time, the green jersey for the points classification. This was a proud moment for Belgium, as he was the first Belgian to win it since 1988.
Challenges and Triumphs in 2008 and 2009
Tom Boonen started 2008 strong, winning four stages and the overall title in the Tour of Qatar. He then won Paris–Roubaix for the second time. However, Boonen faced some challenges that year, which led to him not being able to compete in some major races like the Tour of Switzerland and the Tour de France. His team, Quick Step, continued to support him.
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In 2009, Boonen won the Tour of Qatar again and took his second win at Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne. He then won Paris–Roubaix for an amazing third time! Boonen faced more challenges, leading to a temporary suspension from his team. However, he was later allowed to compete in the Tour de France. He also won the Belgian national championship that year.
Later Career Highlights
In 2010, Boonen won stages in the Tour of Qatar and Tour of Oman. He finished second in both Milan–San Remo and the Tour of Flanders. He missed much of the rest of the season due to knee injuries from crashes.
In 2011, he won Gent–Wevelgem and a stage in the Tour of Qatar. Unfortunately, crashes in the Tour de France and Vuelta a España caused him to miss more races.
The year 2012 was another incredible one for Boonen. He won the Tour of Qatar, E3 Harelbeke, Gent–Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders, and Paris–Roubaix. His fourth win in Paris–Roubaix tied the record. He was the first rider to win E3 Harelbeke, Gent–Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders, and Paris–Roubaix all in the same year! He also won the Belgian national championship.
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In 2013, Boonen had a tough start with an infection and crashes, but he still managed to win a few races later in the season.
In 2014, he finished second overall in the Tour of Qatar and won Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne for the third time. He also had good results in Paris–Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders.
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In 2015, Boonen started strong with a third-place finish at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. However, a dislocated shoulder from a crash in Paris–Nice kept him out of many races. He returned later in the year, but another crash in October caused a head injury, affecting his hearing permanently.
In 2016, Boonen finished second at Paris–Roubaix. He also won the London-Surrey Classic and the Brussels Cycling Classic. He ended his cycling career after the 2017 Paris–Roubaix.
Final Cycling Season in 2017
In his last season, 2017, Boonen won a stage in the Vuelta a San Juan. He helped his teammates in races like Milan–San Remo and played a key role in the Tour of Flanders. His last race in Belgium was the Scheldeprijs, which started in his hometown of Mol as a tribute to him. He finished his final race, Paris–Roubaix, in 13th place.
Life After Professional Cycling
After retiring from professional cycling in 2017, Tom Boonen didn't stop competing.
Motorsport Career
In June 2017, Boonen earned his motor racing license. He made his car racing debut the following month in a 25-hour race at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
In 2018, he started racing full-time in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. He achieved two top-10 finishes that year. In 2019, he joined Deldiche Racing for the Belcar championship. He had a scary crash at Assen but thankfully avoided serious injuries. He continued to race and won the Group CN division of the GT & Prototype Challenge in 2019 and 2021.
Personal Life and Family
Tom Boonen used to live in Monaco but moved back to Belgium in 2012. In 2015, he and his longtime girlfriend, Lore, welcomed twin girls named Valentine and Jacqueline.
Amazing Achievements
Tom Boonen holds many records and has received numerous awards for his incredible cycling career.
Key Cycling Records
- Most "cobbled classics" wins: 15 wins between 2005 and 2012.
- The only rider to win all 4 main cobbled classics in one season: 2012.
- Most Paris–Roubaix wins: 4 wins (shared record with Roger De Vlaeminck).
- Most Tour of Flanders wins: 3 wins (shared record).
- Most Gent–Wevelgem wins: 3 wins (shared record).
- Most E3 Harelbeke wins: 5 wins.
- Most Tour of Qatar wins: 4 wins.
- Most Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne wins: 3 wins.
Awards and Honors
- Crystal Bicycle – Best Young Rider: 2001
- Crystal Bicycle – Best Professional Cyclist: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2012
- Belgian National Sports Merit Award: 2005
- Belgian Sportsman of the year: 2005, 2007, 2012
- Belgian Sports Personality of the Year: 2005
- Flandrien of the Year: 2004, 2005, 2012
- Vélo d'Or Mondial: 2005
- VeloNews Classics Rider of the Year: 2012
- A sculpture on Taaienberg, Maarkedal: 2023
Images for kids
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Boonen in the 2010 Tour of Flanders
See also
In Spanish: Tom Boonen para niños
