Tom Boonen is back! At 45 years old, Tom Boonen will make his debut as a sports director for Soudal-Quick Step this Friday, March 27th at the E3 Saxo Classic. “Tommeke” will be in the car alongside his former teammate Niki Terpstra, to lead Jasper Suyven or Dylan Van Baarle, among others.
Arriving in 2003 with the Patrick Lefevere team, he raced there for 14 years before retiring in 2017. In his illustrious career, he notably won Paris-Roubaix four times (2005, 2008, 2009, and 2012), the Tour of Flanders three times (2005, 2006, and 2012), and Gent-Wevelgem three times (2004, 2011, and 2012). He was also crowned world champion in 2005 and won six stages of the Tour de France.
The legendary Belgian rider is taking his first steps as a sports director in a race he knows by heart and particularly enjoys. He has won the E3 Saxo Classic five times (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2012) when it was called the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen. “The team boss, Jurgen Forre, called me to see if we could do something together, without defining an official role in the team. I still don’t know if I will be happy to be back in the race, that’s why I am doing this now,” he explained on the Live Slow Ride Fast podcast.
