Quick Step's Belgian champion searching for a bookend in Spain
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Big Belgian Tom Boonen rides with his Quick Step team-mates in the lead-up to tomorrow's Vuelta start. Hopefully Boonen will do something – anything - at the Vuelta, which would be more than he achieved at this year's Tour de France.(Image credit: AFP)
Belgian champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step) before the Vuelta presentation.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) held the provisional best time, and finished second in Vuelta a España stage one.(Image credit: Sirotti)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) prepares before the start.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) has a good time trial.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) smashed the best time until...(Image credit: DCP/Bert Geerts)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) put in a great ride.(Image credit: Elmar Krings)
Belgian champ Tom Boonen heads onto the stage for the points classification lead.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
Tom Boonen kept the green sprinter's jersey.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
Tom Boonen takes another green jersey.(Image credit: Lavuelta.com)
Points leader Tom Boonen crossed the finish line and would surrender the jersey to stage winner André Greipel.(Image credit: Sirotti)
A glum Tom Boonen (Quick Step) after the Vuelta's stage four finish in Liège.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) checks who will be finishing with him.(Image credit: Elmar Krings)
Tom Boonen has a bite to eat as the field passes through the feed zone.(Image credit: Elmar Krings)
André Greipel (Columbia-HTC) outsprints Belgian national champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) to win stage 5 at the Vuelta.(Image credit: AFP)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) hasn't been able to find the winning formula.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Belgian national champion Tom Boonen and Liquigas' Daniel Bennati could not match the speed of Greipel.(Image credit: Sirotti)
Behind his Quick Step teammates, Belgian champion Tom Boonen rides protected.(Image credit: Sirotti)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step)(Image credit: Sirotti)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) was on a top time until he crashed.(Image credit: Lavuelta.com)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) climbs during the ninth stage of the Vuelta a Espana(Image credit: Sirotti)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step). The hills are not his domain.(Image credit: Sirotti)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) descends towards Murcia(Image credit: Sirotti)
It seems a long time ago that Tom Boonen claimed his third Paris-Roubaix title. That was in April. Then came the positive test for cocaine, reports of the second and then the earlier third. An anti-climactic Tour de France participation and, suddenly, a season that had started so well looked to be in tatters.
What a difference a month can make. August saw Boonen the sprinter re-emerge, finally a stage win at the Eneco Tour. He's already found himself on the podium to collect the points jersey in the opening days of the Vuelta and he'll be hoping to return a stage winner.
Click here for an image gallery of Tom Boonen's Vuelta a España.
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