Tom Boonen
Former World Champion (2005) and back-to-back winner of the Tour of Flanders (2005 and 2006), Belgian cyclist Tom Boonen’s success continued throughout the 2007 season with consistent wins straight up to the Tour de France, where he took the celebrated green jersey
Text Sheridan Becker
Images Corbis, StockFood, Getty Images, Alamy
01 Where do you live?
Monaco.
02 You grew up in Belgium. What do you miss about home?
Family, friends and company – that’s everything. I always want to have people around me.
03 Where do you hang out when you’re back in Belgium?
In Antwerp you have Little Buddha (4 Luikstraat, +32 3294 0293). It’s a good place to go and eat. When it gets a bit later in the evening there’s music and a great atmosphere – you can relax and sit on the pillows. It’s not a club or dancing place, but it’s nice, and it’s on the hippest street in Antwerp, Luikstraat, which is filled with bars, dance clubs and trendy eateries.
04 You have been fortunate to travel the world during your career. Do any highlights stand out?
I was in San Francisco a few years ago and I liked it a lot. I’m going back to attend the Tour of California in a few weeks this year. And I really love Australia. I had a race in Adelaide and headed there two weeks ahead of time so I’d have a chance to go and check out the sights. I’ve been all over Europe. I’ve been lucky to see a lot of places but there are many times when I only get to see the airports and inside a hotel room… But of course, there are always the great views when I’m in a race.
06 Do you follow a particular diet?
When I follow the diet I’m supposed to follow, I’m not able to eat a lot. I eat special pasta, vegetables – just a little bit, not too much meat, bread, no butter, no milk… But when I’m at home, I like to eat normal food. Nothing special.
07 Do you have any big plans in the next couple of years?
To ride my bike! It’s getting very busy now that we’re starting the season, I have to think about races, but after, when things settle down, I want to visit Lapland, where Santa Claus lives, or so they tell me.
08 You and Santa Claus have something in common: neither of you need an address. People put your name on an envelope – ‘Tom Boonen, Belgium’ or ‘Tom Boonen, Monaco’ – and somehow these letters find you. How do you find time to answer all your fan mail?
My mother stopped working three or four years ago and she handles all my correspondence. I’m really, really grateful for her involvement and support because I’m only in Belgium for about 80 days a year, in Monaco for another 90-something days a year and the rest I’m away in training camps, races and hotels.
09 At what age did you decide to ride professionally?
I signed my first professional contract at 19 with the US Postal, with Lance Armstrong, then took part in my first races. I did my first season as a full professional at 20 years old.
10 Your father was a professional cyclist. Do you think that gave you a particular advantage, growing up?
The big advantage I had with my dad is he just let me do my thing. I always finished last as a kid. I never won anything. My dad always said: “That’s good, he’s enjoying himself.” Then, after learning from my mistakes, I started winning races. It’s not always necessary to push your kids.
11 Anything you think about when you’re practising or racing on those long rides?
Right now I’m in training camp with eight or 10 guys. When we do the really heavy stuff of the day – the training blocks, getting the heart rate up, the sprints – we’re working, concentrating. But the rest of the day, when we’re going at an easy pace, we talk about everything – life, kids, home and, of course, cars!
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