Tom Boonen?

[roadie gal]

Anyone know why Tom Boonen withdrew yesterday?

[Hitchy]

Anyone know why Tom Boonen withdrew yesterday?

....'breathing problems'.....I'd have the same problem on those bloody hills! :D

[Laggard]

Just having a bad time of things, that's all. He may be ill. I don't know.

He's had a long season already and for him there's still three more months of hard racing to go. Why kill himself in the alps?

[lala]

Yup, he was worn out and he didn't want to climb the Alps. If he was in contention for the points jersey it would have been different, I assume.

[flythebike]

For a sprinter to get over those mountains and into the promised land there has to be some thread of hope to cling to. Boonen had no such lifeline.

He wasn't sprinting well enough to win a stage and he wasn't going to take Green. He would have dug a big hole for himself in the Alps. He is better off to go home and recover and rebuild for the 2nd half. He has a world title to defend, that is a rope for him for sure.

[merlinextraligh]

Yup, he was worn out and he didn't want to climb the Alps. If he was in contention for the points jersey it would have been different, I assume.


+1.

Its too bad many modern day sprinters don't respect the TDF enough to hang in and finish it. You don't see Eric Zabel having breathing problems. I thought Boonen had a little more class, than say Cippollini

[catbus]

Boonen reminded me of Cipo last year (sudden, mysterious injury) and this year (soft pedaling). You've got to roll into Paris to win the Points Jersey. Just ask Zabel and McEwen.

[baj32161]

^^Props to both of the above posts!

[lala]

Boonen is blameless in my eyes.

[Laggard]

Boonen reminded me of Cipo last year (sudden, mysterious injury)

If you'd watched the Tour last year you would have seen the crash on the railroad tracks. No mystery about it.

I used to be critical of Peta for giving up so easily. I now see it as him simply doing his job. Why bang you head against the alps when you have half the season left to go?

Zabel sticks around because he's a decent climber.

[timmhaan]

he's won in paris before, so it's clear he has the ability to finish the tour. from reading some of his remarks in interviews it didn't sound like he was in the best frame of mind regarding these mtn stages. i'm not surprised he withdrew.

[platypus]

his "breathing problems" must have come from choking on McEwen's dust too many times. I like Tom a lot, but he was just outclassed in this Tour by Robbie and he doesn't seem to have handled it very well.

[flythebike]

Zabel sticks around because he's a decent climber.

Well I think Zabel just loves it. Why else would he keep racing when he no longer wins except once in a blue moon? He could make prolly as much money being a director with T-Mobile, which is a deal that he has waiting for him once he stops after next year. Also he doesn't having everyone in the world asking him why he hasn't won a stage yet. That has got to be pretty annoying.

[Allen H]

Boonen had to be burned out from all the racing he's already done this year.

In the TdF sprint stages this year, he never had the acceleration or power like he's shown in prior years.

[baj32161]

If you'd watched the Tour last year you would have seen the crash on the railroad tracks. No mystery about it.

I used to be critical of Peta for giving up so easily. I now see it as him simply doing his job. Why bang you head against the alps when you have half the season left to go?

Zabel sticks around because he's a decent climber.


I stand corrected, I did forget about the crash last year. My apologies....a bit short sighted of me to forget about the rest of the season as well. I am doubly apologetic in that I am a huge Boonen fan. Maybe it is just my disappointment showing through.

Cheers,

Brian

[catbus]

If you'd watched the Tour last year you would have seen the crash on the railroad tracks. No mystery about it.

I used to be critical of Peta for giving up so easily. I now see it as him simply doing his job. Why bang you head against the alps when you have half the season left to go?

Zabel sticks around because he's a decent climber.

Sorry, sh*thead...I don't have all the Tours memorized.

[Laggard]

Sorry, sh*thead...I don't have all the Tours memorized.

Wow, name calling from a newbie. Check you facts before putting a rider down next time, f*ckhead.

[Guest]

Enough of the name calling and cursing.

Ok, back to the thread....

Anyway, I was thinking it wouldn't be any point to killing yourself when you've got races coming up. I mean, why not go home and recover and train for Worlds instead? Refocus, refresh, retrain... and win.

Koffee

[baj32161]

Hey I know how to eat crow;) :D

Cheers,

Brian