Lars Boom is facing a setback in his preparation for the spring classics as he will have to undergo an operation for cardiac arrhythmia.
The Dutch rider will undergo the operation in mid-January and will therefore miss the Tour Down Under, his LottoNl-Jumbo team announced.
Boom then intends to prepare for the classics in February by engaging in altitude training. He has taken top tens in both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in recent years. He finished 6th at Flanders in 2015 and 4th (2015) and 6th (2012) in Paris-Roubaix.
After the spring classics, Boom will then focus on the Tour de France, in which he won the cobblestone stage in 2014.
“It’s a pity that the spring is going be a little different for me”, Boom said. “We have to wait and see how quickly I will recover from the operation. They will enter my body through the groin and then take away the troublesome spot. I’m in good hands.”
