Lars Boom stays with Rabobank

Lars Boom will stay with the Rabobank team through the end of the 2008 season, the team announced today. The Dutch U23 champion will join Sven Nys, Gerben de Knegt, Richard Groenendaal and Sven Vanthourenhout in the powerful Rabo 'cross lineup.

In 2006, Boom will ride a full road program with the Rabobank Continental Team of Nico Verhoeven. At the end of 2006, Boom will once again focus on his cyclo-cross program. Boom showed his ability on the road in 2005, winning Sint-Truiden-Bousalle, the young rider classification of the Hessen Rundfahrt, the individual time trial and the general classification in Triptyque des Barrages plus a stage in Tour de la Somme, all in a three week period.

In cyclo-cross, Boom has dominated the sport in the junior and U23 ranks. He became Dutch national youth champion in 2001, followed by national titles with the juniors in 2002 and 2003 and the under 23 in 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2003, he was the junior World Champion in Monopoli, Italy. One year later, he beat Belgian Niels Albert for the European title in Vossem, Belgium.

Boom is still only 20 years old. Since 2002, he has scored 44 victories, of which he recorded 33 in cyclo-cross. This season, he even won the elite races Vlaamse Druivenveldrit in Overijse, Belgium, and Grote Prijs Sven Nys in Baal, Belgium.