Lars Boom-How Good Is He?

[aarnold517]

Well you all asked for the topic, so here it is: how good is lars boom and how good will he become?

Aged only 23, a list of his palmares:

2001
1st in Dutch National Cyclo-cross Championships, juniors
2002
1st in Dutch National Cyclo-cross Championships, juniors
2003
1st in Dutch National Cyclo-cross Championships, juniors
1st in Cyclo-cross World championships, juniors
2004
1st in Dutch National Cyclo-cross Championships, u23s
3rd in overall rankings Circuit de Mines
1st in 2nd stage Triptyque Ardennais
1st in Cyclo-cross Ruddervoorde, u23s
1st in European Cyclo-cross championships, u23s
2005
1st in Dutch National Cyclo-cross Championships, u23s
2nd in overall rankings Hessen Rundfahrt
1st in overall rankings Triptyque des Barrages, u23s
1st in 2nd stage Tour de la Somme
1st in Cyclo-cross Amersfoort
1st in Cyclo-cross Veldhoven
1st in Cyclo-cross Overijse
2006
1st in Grand Prix Sven Nys
1st in Dutch National Cyclo-cross Championships, u23s
1st in Grand Prix Adrie van der Poel, u23s
2nd in Cyclo-cross World championships, u23s
1st in 3rd stage Volta ao Distrito de Santarem
1st in overall rankings Volta ao Distrito de Santarem
3rd in overall rankings Ronde van Midden-Brabant
1st in overall rankings Le Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux, u23s
2nd in Dutch national road time trial championships, u23s
2007
2nd in Grand Prix Sven Nys
1st in Dutch National Cyclo-cross Championships
1st in Grand Prix Adrie van der Poel, u23s
1st in UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, u23s
1st in Omloop der Kempen (1.2)
1st in UCI Road World Championships Time Trial, u23s
1st in UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup # 3 Veldrit Pijnacker
1st in GVA Trophy cross #5 Azencross in Cyclo-cross Loenhout
1st prologue & 2 stages, Olympia's Tour
1st prologue, 1 stage & overall Tour de Bretagne Cycliste
1st prologue Tour de Normandie
3rd on stage 4 & overall Tour du Poitou-Charentes
2008
World Cyclo-Cross Champion
1st in Dutch National Cyclo-cross Championships
1st, World Cup-races in Cyclo-cross Liévin & Grand Prix Adri van der Poel
1st, stage 3 & stage 6 Tour de Bretagne Cycliste
1st Overall, Stages 7 & 8, Olympia's Tour
1st Overall, Stage 5, Volta a Lleida
1st in stage 1, 5a and 7 Circuito Montañés
1st in Dutch National Road Race Championship
1st, stage 4 Vuelta Ciclista a León
1st in Dutch National Time Trial Championship
2009
1st Overall in the Tour of Belgium
Mountain Classification leader for Stage 4 (Vuelta a España)
1st, Stage 15 Vuelta a España

 

[Moondance]

Well, he's already a world class cyclo-crosser, and has showed some good results on the road so far, and also some good work as a domestique in this Vuelta. He's probably also gonna get a chance to show what he can do this year at both the time-trial and the road race at the worlds, and with his form looking good I hope to see some good results there; a top 10 in the TT should be possible for sure.

I hope Rabobank will expand his race profile next year, i think given his cyclo-cross experience he should be able to do well in races like the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix as well, and it would of course be a delight to see him ride le Tour and some smaller stage races. I had high hopes for him to show some stuff in the Tour of Switzerland, given he'd just won in Belgium, but he didn't show a lot there, so maybe the high mountains are not for him.

 

[Swingtop]

In my view, Boom will likely most be a potential winner for most if not all one-day races, hills or cobbles. RVV, Roubaix, LBL, Amstel, San Remo, everything. With his time trial ability he will also be competitive in short Tours up to a week, like he showed in the Tour of Belgium this year. The only thing I doubt are the high mountains, which will be tough for a big guy like him, but then again, I won't surprised if he manages to do that well too. His win today in the Vuelta is in the 3rd week of his first Grand Tour. In short: all races are a potential target, it only depends if Boom has marked it on his calendar.

 

[the truth.]

watched him win 2 world X titles.

2010 will see him fly (if he gets the knees sorted)

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

In my view, Boom will likely most be a potential winner for most if not all one-day races, hills or cobbles. RVV, Roubaix, LBL, Amstel, San Remo, everything. With his time trial ability he will also be competitive in short Tours up to a week, like he showed in the Tour of Belgium this year. The only thing I doubt are the high mountains, which will be tough for a big guy like him, but then again, I won't surprised if he manages to do that well too. His win today in the Vuelta is in the 3rd week of his first Grand Tour. In short: all races are a potential target, it only depends if Boom has marked it on his calendar.

Wonder if he's the next contestant that has the potential to go for the 5 Monuments: MSR, Ronde, Roubaix, LBL, and Lombardia. Something to shoot for since only three guys have done it.

I'm speculating far, far into the future, so we'll see what his road palmares looks like in about 5 years.

 

[Zoncolan]

Wonder if he's the next contestant that has the potential to go for the 5 Monuments: MSR, Ronde, Roubaix, LBL, and Lombardia. Something to shoot for since only three guys have done it.

I'm speculating far, far into the future, so we'll see what his road palmares looks like in about 5 years.

If I was to speculate far into the future, I'd say the same about EBH.

 

[Moondance]

Hmm.... I really can't see Boom winning Milan-Sanremo, but if you guys can I'm certainly happy.

 

[fatandfast]

His leg speed up the grade was fantastic. He got up and got on top of the gear the whole race. This guy is a star and pushed really hard, he looked post race that he could do more. A great day of racing.His name should be Kid Torque he has slow power that is fun to watch.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Boom was one of the main plagues for Boasson Hagen, regularly beating him in TT and hilly stages. Also above 10 victories in his last true espoir year (2008).
He has everything to become a world class classics specialist in my opinion. Time trial capability, fantastic acceleration, good sprint (he won mass sprints in Olympia's Tour...), very good on hills (Tour of Belgium, today)

Small tours should also be possible, he can survive a mountain or two when in good shape, he wasn't in good shape in Suisse, already had his peak in Belgium. And mind you, he beat Andy Schleck in the GP des Alpes at the juniors, but back then, he weight 5kg less.

It all depends on what he wants, he could risk losing 5kg and go GC, certainly seeing his recuperation in this Vuelta is very good, but... I think he has more abilities for classics.

Then again, first we have to see if he even progresses any further, just like with all talents (even EBH)

 

[Swingtop]

Hmm.... I really can't see Boom winning Milan-Sanremo, but if you guys can I'm certainly happy.

Just like what they said about Cav' this year... .
Ah, Boom can skip San Remo afaic, the most boring 'classic' anyway, but that's another story.

 

[usedtobefast]

he is everything you could want in an all-rounder. how good indeed.

 

[ingsve]

I think the only slight unknown that might possibly hinder him a little is if his sprint is good enough. From what I've seen he hasn't really showed that he has the speed to rival the best sprinters and perhaps not even the 2nd teir sprinters.

While this isn't a 100% necessary trait it can tip the scales in a riders favor alot of the time. And I don't mean just in the sprint for the finish but also in the sprints going into a cobbled section or a cobbled hill in the classics. If you don't have the speed to be in the top 10 going into the sections the probability of getting caught behind increases alot. That doesn't mean it's impossible for slightly slower riders to do good but the margin of error becomes smaller.

Boom is however likely to always be part of good teams that can protect him well so these factors become less descisive in those cases.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

If I was to speculate far into the future, I'd say the same about EBH.

IMO Boom is the closest thing to EBH. Both have huge talent to win not only in teh cobbles, but the hills too. Not to mention thier time trialing ability. I said the same about EBH, but I think this guy can win both forms in the WC one day.

Huge talent, which rabobank have a lot of.

Hoping to see him at the cobbles next year + TDF. (I don't see rabo not selecting him for rabo at the tour. He is probably their best time trialist already, and proved himself as a great domestique in the last fortnight.)

 

[samb01]

Boom was one of the main plagues for Boasson Hagen, regularly beating him in TT and hilly stages.

Boom remembers. Read an interview with him in april, before he started his road season, and he mentioned that seeing Boasson and Maaskant doing well as professionals was making him very eager to get out there and see what he could do.

 

[samb01]

Huge talent, which rabobank have a lot of.

The Rabo espoir/continental team has always produced great results, but few riders have been able to follow up as pros. They've also had some bad luck. Reus, who looked like a bigger talent than both Boom and Gesink a few years ago, is perhaps only now just starting to get back to where he was, and Mollema and Vermeltfoort have missed most of the current season due to mono (Mollema has just made his return, not sure about Vermeltfoort).

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I would not doubt Boom's sprint. Besides all cyclocrossers have a good sprint (Stybar f.ex), and Boom beat those guys in a sprint (even Stybar!).
And like I said, he won mass sprints in Olympia's tour and circuito montanes

 

[il_fiammingo]

Boom was one of the main plagues for Boasson Hagen, regularly beating him in TT and hilly stages. Also above 10 victories in his last true espoir year (2008).
He has everything to become a world class classics specialist in my opinion. Time trial capability, fantastic acceleration, good sprint (he won mass sprints in Olympia's Tour...), very good on hills (Tour of Belgium, today)

He's turning 24 in 3 months and has zero experience in riding classics. I've never seen him competing in a 260km race untill the end. Nor do we know how his cobble riding technique is (he's a cycloscrosser; so he'll get that right). Does he have the potential, i would yes (given his physical abilities) but I don't see him win one for the next 2 years.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I'm not seeing him as cobble rider. And I think given his TT ability he will be able to handle 250km classics. I never said he was going to win something big in the next 2 years.

 

[ingsve]

I would not doubt Boom's sprint. Besides all cyclocrossers have a good sprint (Stybar f.ex), and Boom beat those guys in a sprint (even Stybar!).
And like I said, he won mass sprints in Olympia's tour and circuito montanes

I wouldn't put too much weight on those specific sprints. The opposition wasn't exactly stellar. It does show that he's not a diesel though. All I'm saying is that compared to alot of others in the top of the classics world he has yet to show that he has a sprint at their level and it might be that it could be a slight disadvantage for him.

Instead of comparing him to EBH I would at this point look at him as a slightly lighter and perhaps slightly quicker Cancellara. He's still very promising though and I still think he will be up there in alot of classics in the future but he also has alot to prove before I would put any money on him over other classics specialists.

 

[il_fiammingo]

I'm not seeing him as cobble rider. And I think given his TT ability he will be able to handle 250km classics.

I don't see why this is related.
Nowadays, the only link between TT ability and 250km classics is Fabian Cancellara. Beside him, i can't rember a TT'er excelling in classics and vice versa:
Miller, Rogers, Grabsch, Gontchar, Zabriskie, Rich, ...

Ballan, Boonen, Freire, Bettini, Rebellin, Zabel, Pozzato, Flecha, ...

 

[max_powers]

Physically large riders face specific challlenges in Pro racing, namely gravity.
A large Lars Boom's agressive pedaling, is necessary on a climb.

But I'm not sure a physically 'Big Mig' type of rider could succeed in a grand tour GC in today's peloton, without some serious extra Vo2 capacity. Even with that, a heart of a champion is required.

So Lar's palmares should drive his confidence well in the Pros.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Let me put it this way, Boom has a big engine, it would very much suprise me if he would not be good in 250km races

 

[Swingtop]

Let me put it this way, Boom has a big engine, it would very much suprise me if he would not be good in 250km races

Then why are you not seeing him as a cobble rider? That's the first thing that came to my mind when he left the field. (yes, finally a successor for Knaven! ) And he has said multiple times that he wants to be good in the Flanders classics. Remember him going in the Tour of Belgium on the cobbles, dashing away, just for testing his legs?

But the worlds will be a nice example of how much body he has for 250k races, which traditionally favour older riders with muchos kilometros in the legs.

 

[Walshworld]

Lars Boom looks like Vino.

I'm serious. Take a look: http://walshworld.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/vinokourov-and-lars-boom-separated-at-birth/

 

[Swingtop]

I'm serious. Take a look: http://walshworld.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/vinokourov-and-lars-boom-separated-at-birth/

Lol, even tho I used to be a big Vino fan, he'd wish he'd ride that well without extra blood. And I don't see the resemblance at all, really. ...