Spring Classics: Boonen gives a masterclass, Van Avermaet doesn't

The opening weekend of Classics season served up a pair of humdingers – one which confirmed Tom Boonen is the smartest rider of his generation, the other that Greg Van Avermaet may be the doziest.

First, Boonen’s win at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

It’s difficult to understate just how truly good Tom Boonen is. In his very first year as a pro on the now-infamous US postal team, Boonen ended up as leader on the road after George Hincapie punctured, coming in third behind Johan Museeuw, who went on to proclaim the youngster from Mol as his successor.

2003 saw him shift to the QuickStep-Davitamon team, where he suffered an injury-hit second pro season, but then in 2005 he won the Tour of Flanders, E3 Prijs Vlaandren, Paris-Roubaix and the Worlds, becoming the first rider ever to win Flanders, Roubaix and the Rainbow jersey.

At the time, veteran Erik Dekker said, “I’m happy that I am near the end of my career, since with a cyclist like Boonen the spring Classics will be rather boring the coming years.” This kid was something very special.

I could sit here and write down all the wins that Boonen has had, for which the adjective ‘impressive’ represents a massive understatement, but you can go and read that anywhere.

What truly marks Boonen out as one of the greatest riders of his generation is his constant and unerring ability to bounce back from injury and suspensions, and his intelligence.

In 2010 he suffered from tendonitis that wrecked the majority of his season, then in 2013 he almost lost his arm due to an infection in his elbow, but there have been all sorts of niggling injuries that have meant he’s missed quite a few days of training and racing in his career, yet each time he has bounced back to look stronger than before.

He’s famously tested positive three times for cocaine of course, in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Some may think me hypocritical when I say this, but Boonen’s positive for a recreational drug, in my eyes, is not comparable to doping to win.

To say Boonen is kind of famous in Belgium is like saying David Beckham’s got a bit of dosh, and the attendant pressure of being his home nation’s Golden Boy is huge.

Not that I’m condoning his use of cocaine, but his reaction to the final positive was a measure of the man. He took the suspension by his team on the chin, got his focus and his composure back, and yet again came back as a newer, stronger version of himself.

Not only is Boonen physically super-talented, he has also emerged as one of the smartest riders in the peloton.

Seeing riders come along such as Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel, men naturally faster than him, Boonen went away and remodelled not only his pedal stroke but his tactics too, emerging as the thinker’s fast man, capable of sneaking stage wins by relying on perfect positioning to allow him to compensate for his loss of pace, and also to recognise when to make killer moves further out from the line.

One final anecdote that shows just how impressive Tommeke is: when I raced in the Tour of Qatar in 2012, I stood with my teammates in the line for the immigration desk at the airport, marvelling at all the big stars in the arrival hall, riders like Cavendish, Andy Schleck and the like.

But when Boonen showed up, even World Tour riders on other teams stopped talking for a moment and turned to look at him, knowing they were in the presence of a serious machine.

He stood there, super casual, relaxed, exuding charisma and – well, just being Tom Boonen.

Now, if Boonen can show any aspiring rider how to win a race, Greg Van Avermaet showed at Omloop Her Nieuwsblad how to lose one.

This is to take nothing away from Ian Stannard, who set out to send a message to The Roar‘s very own Chris Sidwells (sorry Chris, I had to!) and who rode a brilliant race (and, have to say, surprised the heck out of me by confirming the massive improvements he’s made).

However, GVA’s junior-like mistake of losing concentration in that fateful moment just after he looked over his shoulder cost him the race.

He lost three bike lengths to Stannard in no time and, though he almost recouped it, he came away with the bitter taste of a senseless loss in his mouth.

Tastes a bit like blood on your gums after someone’s landed you a sucker punch. Metallic and not very sweet at all.

And therein lies the difference between a true great and a guy who’s got a whole truckload of talent but is not yet the finished package.

Boonen was that in his first year. And he seems to just keep on getting better

A full broadcast guide for the 2014 Spring Classics can be accessed here.