Boonen to test himself in Tour of Poland

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After having had to abandon the Tour de France because of a crash, Tom Boonen is ready to take on the second part of the season with a view to the World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, in September. The Quick Step rider is due to start at the Tour of Poland this Sunday, and hopes to score a stage victory while further fine-tuning his form.

"I've been able to train well these last ten days," Boonen told Sportwereld. "I'm not affected anymore by my crash in the Tour. My condition was already good in France and now I'll try to refine it. I feel very good on the bike."

The Belgian crashed on his head during stage five and suffered a concussion, forcing him to withdraw on stage seven with a severe headache. Now, he wants to make amends for lost opportunities.

"I want to test myself and try to win a stage," Boonen said about his participation in the Tour of Poland. "On the climbs, I want to hold on for longer than I normally do, to see how far I can get. I started out as a pro in the 2000 Tour of Poland. It's an important competition in my preparation for the Vuelta and the Worlds."

Boonen especially hopes to bid for success at the week-long race as all its stages finish on city-centre circuits. "I've had a look at the route and I noticed that almost all the stages that are adapted to my skills, end on a city circuit. On these types of parcours it's important to have a good pedal flow and to never get caught off guard," he added.

The 30-year-old will be joined in Poland by the following teammates: Dario Cataldo, Francesco Chicchi, Marc de Maar, Davide Malacarne, Francesco Reda, Kevin Seeldraeyers and Kristof Vandewalle.