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No Tour de France for Tom Boonen

Omega Pharma-QuickStep leader to target end of season races

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Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)

Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Belgium's Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) rides through a cobblestoned section

Belgium's Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) rides through a cobblestoned section
(Image credit: AFP)
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Tom Boonen at the start of Paris-Roubaix

Tom Boonen at the start of Paris-Roubaix
(Image credit: AFP)

Tom Boonen has confirmed that he won’t be part of the Omega Pharma-QuickStep team for the Tour de France, saying he will instead ride the Vuelta a Espana and target the world road race championships.

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The Omega Pharma-QuickStep team is expected to be built around sprinter Mark Cavendish, who is targeting the opening stage to Harrogate, while Michal Kwiatkowski will target a good overall placing and Tony Martin the time trial.

"I won't be at the Tour. The team doesn't need me for the Tour and I hope to have a good end of season," Boonen told several Belgian media outlets at the Tour de Suisse.

"My love for the Tour hasn't faded but if I ride the Tour de France, I can say goodbye to the rest of the season."

Boonen will target the Belgian national championships and then take a break in July before riding the Eneco Tour (August 11-17), the Vuelta a Espana (August 23-September 14) and the world road race championships in Ponferrada, Spain (September 28).