Tom Boonen: Rider Profile
TOM BOONEN
Date of birth: 15/01/1980
From: Mol, Belgium
Team: Etixx-QuickStep
Previous teams: US Postal (2002)
Tom Boonen career profile
Tom Boonen is arguably the greatest one-day rider of his generation. Whilst cobbled Classics are his top speciality - Boonen is already a double winner of Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders - the Belgian is also a points jersey winner in the Tour de France and a former World Champion.
Charismatic, good-looking and articulate, Boonen was nominated Johan Museeuw's successor after taking third in his first ever Paris-Roubaix. Since then he has had the status of a rock star in Belgium.
After a controversial team change from US Postal to Quick Step in 2003, Boonen started to rack up the wins in bunch wins and in bigger and bigger Classics.
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An incredibly prolific winner (in two years he has taken over 20 victories), 2005 has been Boonen's key year so far, with his first triumph in Flanders and Paris-Roubaix as well as the World Championships victory in Madrid.
However, Boonen's playboy lifestyle off the bike caught up with him badly in 2008 when he returned positive for cocaine in an out-of-race drugs test and was barred from the Tour.
Just 12 months later he again tested positive for cocaine in an out-of-competition test in April 2009 and was immediately suspended by his Quick Step team. He subsequently admitted to having a drink problem on Belgian TV.
After a couple of quiet seasons - by his standard - Boonen returned to top form in 2012, scooping four classics in a row: E3 Harelbeke, Ghent-Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. The latter victory meant that he matched Roger De Vlaeminck's record for scoring four Paris-Roubaix wins.
Tom Boonen results
2015
Tour of Belgium; stage one
Tour of Belgium; points classification
Rund um Koln
Eneco Tour; stage three
Sparkassen Münsterland Giro
2014
Tour of Qatar; stage four
Tour of Qatar; stage two
Tour of Qatar; points classification
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
Tour of Belgium; stage one
Tour of Belgium; stage two
2013
Tour de Wallonie; stage two
Heistse Pijl
2012
Tour of San Luis; stage seven
Tour of Qatar; stage one
Tour of Qatar; stage four
Tour of Qatar; overall
Paris-Nice; stage two
E3 Harelbeke
Ghent-Wevelgem
Tour of Flanders
Paris-Roubaix
2011
Tour of Qatar; stage one
Ghent-Wevelgem
2010
Tour of Qatar; stage three
Tour of Qatar; stage five
Tour of Oman; stage five
Tirreno-Adriatico; stage two
2009
Circuit Franco-Belge; stage three
ENECO Tour; stage three
Tour of Qatar; overall
Tour of Qatar; stage three
Paris-Roubaix
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
National road race championships
2008
Tour of Spain; stage
Tour of Spain; stage
Ster Elektrotoer; stage
Circuit Franco-Belge; stage
Tour of Austria; stage
Tour of Wallonia; stage
Eneco Tour; stage
Eneco Tour; stage
Tour of California; stage
Tour of Belgium; stage
Tour of Qatar; stage
Tour of Qatar; stage
Tour of Qatar; stage
Tour of Qatar; overall
Paris-Roubaix
2007
Tour de France; stage
Tour de France; stage
Tour de France; green jersey
Tour of Belgium; stage
Tour of Qatar; stage
Tour of Qatar; stage
Tour of Qatar; stage
Tour of Qatar; stage
Tour of Andalucia; stage
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
Across Flanders
E3 Harelbeke
2006
GP Doha
Tour of Qatar; stage
Tour of Qatar; stage
Tour of Qatar; stage
Tour of Qatar; stage
Tour of Qatar; overall
Tour of Andalusia; stage
Paris-Nice; stage
Paris-Nice; stage
Paris-Nice; stage
Paris-Nice; stage
E3 Harelbeke
Tour of Flanders
Scheldeprijs
Tour of Belgium; stage
Tour of Belgium; stage
Veenendaal-Veenendaal
Tour of Switzerland; stage
Eneco Tour; stage
Eneco Tour; stage
Eneco Tour; stage
Tour of Britain; stage
2005
Tour of Qatar; stage
Tour of Qatar; stage
Paris-Nice; stage
Paris-Nice; stage
E3 Harelbeke
Tour of Flanders
Paris-Roubaix
Tour of Picardie; stage
Tour of Belgium; stage
Tour of Belgium; overall
Tour de France; stage
World Road Race Champion
2004
Tour of Qatar; stage
Tour of Andalusia; stage
E3 Harelbeke
Ghent-Wevelgem
Scheldeprijs
Tour of Picardie; stage
Tour of Picardie; stage
Tour of Picardie; overall
Tour of Belgium; stage
Tour of Germany; stage
Tour of Germany; stage
Ster Elektrotoer; stage
Ster Elektrotoer; stage
Tour de France; stage
Tour de France; stage
Omloop Mandel
Tour of Britain; stage
Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen
Circuite Franco-Belge; stage
Circuite Franco-Belge; stage
2003
Tour of Belgium; stage
2002
UNIQA Classic; stage
Tom Boonen photos
Related links
Cycling Weekly rider profiles: index
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Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
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Tom Boonen considers a return to racing: 'I'm considering looking for some competition on the bike again'
After a nearly six-year break from professional cycling, the competitive cycling itch is starting to prickle again for Classics legend Tom Boonen.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
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Tom Boonen narrowly escapes injury after high-speed racing car crash
'The car literally landed 10cm from my head' said Boonen
By Jonny Long Published
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Tom Boonen: 'I feel like cycling is already in the distant past'
Belgian former world champion and multiple Classics winner Tom Boonen retired from pro cycling in April, and says that he has already moved on
By Gregor Brown Published
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Tom Boonen starts racing again... this time in a car
The former world champ recently passed his race driving license and is hoping to get behind the wheel
By Craig Cunningham Published
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Can Tom Boonen win his final Paris-Roubaix?
As Tom Boonen prepares for his final race, Cycling Weekly talks to the man aiming to become the most successful Paris-Roubaix rider ever
By James Shrubsall Published
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Etixx boss calls rivals 'cowards' after disappointing E3 Harelbeke
Patrick Lefevere and star rider Tom Boonen criticise other teams for failing to respond to attack from Peter Sagan and eventual winner Michal Kwiatkowski
By Gregor Brown Published
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Tom Boonen: UCI Extreme Weather Protocol should have been used at Paris-Nice
The Etixx-Quick Step rider thinks the snowy conditions on stage one of Paris-Nice were enough to warrant an intervention based on the UCI's Extreme Weather Protocol
By Jack Elton-Walters Published
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Tom Boonen: No-one needs to tell me when to retire
Tom Boonen insists he will decide when to retire and will not be persuaded by the thoughts of anyone else
By Gregor Brown Published