Boonen "optimistic" about Olympic prospects

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Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) has resumed training after fracturing his sixth rib on his right side.

Boonen crashed with around three kilometres left to race on Stage 1 of the Tour of Poland and continued several more days before abandoning. After the confirmed diagnosis, the Belgian Olympic road race hope observed three days of rest before training again on Thursday where he rode 100 kilometres.

"The three days of rest did me a world of good," said Boonen in a media statement. "During the workout I didn't feel any particular pain to my rib, just a slight discomfort."

Boonen deliberately avoided racing both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, in the lead up to the Games, and recently admitted that it was also unlikely that he will ride the Vuelta a España prior to an attempt at a second world title to add to his 2005 crown. He will now participate in the first three stages of the Tour de Wallonie which starts on July 21 before zeroing in on London.

"Right now I'm more optimistic regarding the Olympics, but it will be important to see how I react in a racing situation, in which my body will undergo a different type of stress and more intense effort than in training."