Boonen's Tour not in danger despite break

Tom Boonen's Tour de France preparations are still on track, according to Quickstep Directeur Sportif Wilfried Peeters. The Belgian sprint star broke his toe in a training accident this week, and is expected to sit out training for one seven days.

"As soon as we know when he is competitive again, we will find an alternative program," Peeters told sportwereld. "The Tour is in no way in danger."

Boonen had the toe examined again yesterday at the hospital in Herentals. Team doctor Yvan Van Mol said "he has a fracture in the last joint of the big toe. He also has a bruise on his calf and a small problem with the meniscus of the right knee. The toe is not in a cast. We expect that he can resume training the middle of next week."

Peeters said that Boonen commented it was "a terribly stupid accident." He had been training with Johan Van Summeren of Team Predictor-Lotto, but wanted to continue after Van Summeren went home.

"It happened on the way from Mol to Geel, where many cycling accidents occur," Peeters said "Tom was riding through an intersection at about 25 km/h when someone called out to him, causing him to look to his right. A car came up while he was looking."

"To avoid hitting it, he tried to jump with his bike up on to the sidewalk, but in doing that he hit it with his rear wheel, and smashed his right foot, shinbone and knee full into a fence. An old woman who saw the accident brought him to the hospital in Mol."