Boonen recovering from severe intestinal infection

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Tom Boonen is on the road to recovery after his severe intestinal infection. He is expected to start training again this week and will join Omega Pharma-QuickStep for its team team training camp in Mallorca on Monday.

Boonen was hospitalized for three days at the end of November, and missed both the team building camp and his own charity race.

"I think Tom's will train with the team as of Monday,” director sportif Wilfried Peeters told Het Nieuwsblad. “I hope so, because this is actually the only time in the year that the whole team is assembled. Then everyone goes off in all directions. "

Peeters was not worried that Boonen would be thrown back in his preparations for the coming season. “Tom was fortunately a little ahead in his preparations,” he said. “An illness is always inconvenient for an athlete, but it's not a disaster.”

Still, he said, "it is good that he will be attending the training camp, as it is time to work on Boonen's racing calendar for the coming year.  Now that schedule will be finalized. The puzzle is put together. We look at whether the Tour of San Luis or Qatar and Oman is the appropriate way for Boonen."