Abu Dhabi: British ace and tour ambassador Mark Cavendish’s unavailability due to a shoulder surgery may have been a huge blow for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour but his replacement in the six-rider Etixx-Quick-Step squad is another prominent sprinter — ‘King of the Desert’ Tom Boonen.
The Belgian ace, having extended his association with Quick-Step team last month to 14 seasons, will be one of the lead sprinters to watch out for when the race gets under way tomorrow.
Boonen may be turning 35 in nine days, but his experience of riding in this part of the world is immense and his achievements speak volumes of his ability to tackle crosswinds on desert courses. He holds the record of having won the Tour of Qatar overall race four times along with 22 stage wins and Quick-Step has been the most dominant team when it comes to taming the desert terrain.
“The shape is very well but it is little different from Qatar as it was the first race of the season and this is the last race of the season so I don’t know what to expect from the other riders. Of course, there is an amazing field of top riders but we will see. All I know about Abu Dhabi is through a visit here and never on a bike. I will have to wait for the first day and see if I can relate to Qatar or no,” he told Gulf News.
The former world champion is in prime form after registering a resounding win in the Sparkassen Munsterland Giro in Germany, last week. The Etixx-Quick-Step classics specialist came home ahead of Wanty-Groupe Gobert’s Roy Jans and Nikias Arndt of Giant-Alpecin in a small bunch sprint.
Though it was Boonen’s first win in nearly two months, he immediately announced that he has set sights on the Abu Dhabi Tour and was keen on finishing the season on a high. “The course has two flat stages and one mountain stage that we have to see how hard it will be,” said the 2005 World Road Race Champion.
Huge opportunity
“[Mark] Cavendish’s absence gives me a huge opportunity for sure but two months ago, there was no plan for me to come here. Last week, I managed to give some perfect finish. There is lot of time difference coming back from Europe and lot of travel but it is nice to come here with a win behind me. It is a shame that I got into shape when the season is getting over for me,” he said.
“The last stage will be a circuit so I think we will have some ambition there to go for the sprints. We’re not sure if there will be wind, however. So, that is a big question mark for everyone. I’m excited to find out about this race,” added Boonen, who will be joined by Gianluca Brambilla, Fabio Sabatini, Stijn Vandenbergh, Carlos Verona and Lukasz Wisniowski. “There are at least a couple of stages for riders with Boonen’s skills,” said team director Davide Bramati.
