Lars Anthonius Johannes Boom (born 30 December 1985) is a professional
cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross (cyclocross, CX, cyclo-X or cross) is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter (the international or "World Cup" season is October–February), and consist of many laps of a short (2.5–3.5&nb ...
and
mountain bike racing cyclist from the Netherlands. He has also competed professionally in road racing, having raced between 2004 and 2019.
Born in
Vlijmen, Netherlands, Boom has also previously competed for and their junior and continental teams over two spells with the team, as well as . Boom won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2008. He has also been the Dutch national cyclo-cross champion in his discipline from 2001 to 2012 – junior cyclo-cross champion from 2002 to 2003, under-23 champion from 2004 to 2006, and the elite champion from 2007 to 2012.
Career
Rabobank Continental (2003–2008)
During the 2005–2006 cyclocross season, Boom who just turned 20 years of age, scored several wins including a win ahead of
Sven Nys in the
Grand Prix Sven Nys as well as the win in the
Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Overijse after
Bart Wellens was disqualified for having kicked a spectator. Boom was beaten by
Zdeněk Štybar in a sprint for the Under 23 World Championships but returned a year later to dominate the race and to win the Under 23 World Champion jersey.
For the 2006–2007 season, Boom asked and received special dispensation to ride the Dutch Elite Cyclo Cross championships and became Champion of the Netherlands. In addition to Boom's successes in cyclo-cross, he has achieved success on the road and has won several stage races such as the
Tour de Bretagne. In September 2007, Boom became Under 23 World Time Trial champion beating Russian
Mikhail Ignatiev. In November 2007, Boom won the ''Gerrit Schulte Trophy'' as the Dutch cyclist of the year for his two World Championship wins. In the 2007–2008 Cyclo-cross season, Boom won a World Cup event in
Pijnacker, a
Gazet van Antwerpen event in Loenhout and then became Dutch Elite National cyclo-cross champion for the second time. After that, he also won the
World Cup races in
Liévin and
Hoogerheide. He went into the world championships in Treviso 2008 as big favourite and did not fail, he won the race and became the second rider after
Radomír Šimůnek to win the world title in all categories (Junior, Espoir and Elite).
During the 2008 road season, Boom continued his progression on the road despite a successful cyclocross season. On his third day of racing on the road, he won the third stage of the
Tour de Bretagne in Fréhel. Boom also won the sixth stage time trial. Boom then dominated the oldest stage race in the Netherlands – the
Olympia's Tour. After competing in two stage races in Spain in which he won the first and won three stages in the second, Boom returned to the Netherlands where he won the Dutch national road race championships for elite riders. He would win the national time trial title several weeks later after which he announced that he intended on switching focus from cyclo-cross to road racing after the 2008/09 cyclo-cross season.
Rabobank (2009–2014)
In 2009 Boom won the
Tour of Belgium after a strong performance uphill, and in the final Time Trial. In his first
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
, he was part of a break of 12 riders in the 15th stage. He rode away on the final climb and took the stage, making him the first Dutchman to win a stage in a
Grand Tour since 2005.
Boom started the 2010 season by winning the Dutch national cyclocross championships. This was only his second and last cross of the season he rode. In the prologue of
Paris–Nice he bested time-trial giants
Jens Voigt,
Levi Leipheimer,
Alberto Contador and
David Millar. During the winter of 2010–2011 Boom made a short return to cyclocross, he won the
World Cup race in Zolder and won for the fifth consecutive time the Dutch national cyclocross championships. In 2011 he was again the fastest in a prologue of a
World Tour event: the
Critérium du Dauphiné. Later that year he won two stages and the general classification in the
Tour of Britain.
Boom won the Dutch Cyclocross Championship for the sixth consecutive time in January 2012, extending his consecutive streak record.
In 2014 Boom won the fifth stage of the
Tour de France, a stage marked by difficulty due to wet conditions and significant sections of cobblestones. The stage was his first win of 2014 and came nine years to the day after the previous victory by a Dutch rider (
Pieter Weening) in the Tour de France.
Astana (2015–2016)
Subsequently, Boom announced that he would be leaving Belkin and joining for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Coming into the
Tour de France, Boom's notable results of the 2015 campaign were fourth in
Paris–Roubaix and sixth in the
Tour of Flanders. There was some controversy at the beginning of the Tour, as Boom's cortisol levels were too low in his blood per
MPCC rules to participate in a cycling event, but the Astana management decided to field him anyway. Boom blamed his asthma inhaler for his low cortisol levels.
LottoNL–Jumbo (2017–2018)
After two seasons with Astana, Boom announced in August 2016 he would be joining .
In January 2018 Boom had a successful heart surgery to treat a cardiac arrhythmia. Boom returned to racing for the
Paris–Nice in March.
In May 2018, Boom was expelled from the
Tour of Norway for aggression against Belgian rider
Preben Van Hecke
Preben Van Hecke (born 9 July 1982) is a Belgium, Belgian former professional road bicycle racer, who competed professionally between 2004 and 2019 for the , and . He won the Belgian National Road Race Championships in 2015, out of a two-man brea ...
. Video images showed some kind of incident where Van Hecke had to brake and Boom was upset about this. He overtook Van Hecke and punched him and attacked his helmet during the race. On 2 July, the UCI suspended him for a month, missing the
Tour de France as a result.
Retirement from road racing
In December 2019, Boom announced that he was retiring from road racing after being unable to find a contract for 2020, due to his team folding at the end of the season.
He was a
directeur sportif for
UCI Women's World Tour team
Liv Racing for
the 2021 season and for in 2022.
Major results
Cyclo-cross
;2001–2002
: 1st
National Junior Championships
;2002–2003
: 1st
UCI World Junior Championships
: 1st
National Junior Championships
: 1st Overall
Junior Superprestige
::1st
Sint-Michielsgestel
::1st
Gavere
::1st
Gieten
::1st
Diegem
::1st
Hoogstraten
::1st Harnes
::3rd Vorselaar
;2003–2004
: 1st
National Under-23 Championships
:
UCI Under-23 World Cup
::1st
Koksijde
::3rd
Nommay
;2004–2005
: 1st
UEC European Under-23 Championships
: 1st
National Under-23 Championships
: 3rd Overall
Under-23 Superprestige
::1st
Ruddervoorde
::2nd
Hamme
::3rd
Gieten
;2005–2006
: 1st
National Under-23 Championships
: 1st
Overijse
:
Gazet van Antwerpen
::1st
Baal
:
UCI Under-23 World Cup
::1st
Hoogerheide
: 2nd
UCI World Under-23 Championships
:
Superprestige
::3rd
Gieten
;2006–2007
: 1st
UCI World Under-23 Championships
: 1st
National Championships
:
UCI Under-23 World Cup
::1st
Hoogerheide
::2nd
Nommay
: 1st Heerlen
:
Gazet van Antwerpen
::2nd
Baal
: 3rd
Eeklo
;2007–2008
: 1st
UCI World Championships
: 1st
National Championships
:
UCI World Cup
::1st
Pijnacker
::1st Liévin
::1st
Hoogerheide
::3rd
Tábor
Tábor (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants, making it the second most populated town in the region. The town was founded by the Hussites in 1420. The historic town centre is well pres ...
::3rd
Koksijde
::3rd
Hofstade
:
Gazet van Antwerpen
::1st
Loenhout
::2nd
Niel
::2nd
Essen
Essen () is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, as well as ...
::3rd
Oostmalle
: 1st
Mechelen
Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical context. T ...
: 1st Zeddam
: 2nd Heerlen
:
Superprestige
::3rd
Gieten
;2008–2009
: 1st
National Championships
:
UCI World Cup
::1st
Pijnacker
::1st
Nommay
::2nd
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
:
Gazet van Antwerpen
::1st
Niel
::2nd
Koppenberg
: 1st
Surhuisterveen
:
Superprestige
::2nd Veghel-Eerde
: 2nd
Overijse
: 2nd
Woerden
;2009–2010
: 1st
National Championships
;2010–2011
: 1st
National Championships
:
UCI World Cup
::1st
Heusden-Zolder
: 1st Leudelange
;2011–2012
: 1st
National Championships
;2012–2013
: 2nd
National Championships
;2016–2017
: 2nd
Surhuisterveen
UCI World Cup results
Road
;2004
: 1st Stage 2
Triptyque Ardennais
: 3rd Overall
Circuit de Lorraine
;2005
: 1st Young rider classification, Triptyque des Barrages
: 1st Stage 2
Grand Prix de la Somme
: 2nd Overall
Hessen-Rundfahrt
: 10th
Grand Prix de la ville de Pérenchies
;2006
: 1st Overall
Volta ao Distrito de Santarém
::1st Stage 3 (
ITT)
: 1st Overall
Le Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux
::1st Stage 2 (
ITT)
: 1st Stage 3a (
ITT)
Thüringen Rundfahrt der U23
: 2nd
Time trial
In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...
, National Under-23 Championships
;2007
: 1st
Time trial
In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...
,
UCI World Under-23 Championships
: 1st
Time trial
In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...
, National Under-23 Championships
: 1st Overall
Tour de Bretagne
::1st Young rider classification
::1st Prologue & Stage 5 (
ITT)
: 1st
Omloop der Kempen
Omloop der Kempen is an elite men's and women's professional road bicycle racing event held annually in Veldhoven, Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean N ...
: 1st Prologue
Tour de Normandie
: 3rd Overall
Volta ao Distrito de Santarém
: 3rd Overall
Tour du Poitou-Charentes
: 4th Overall
Olympia's Tour
::1st Prologue, Stages 4 & 6 (
ITT)
: 6th
Grand Prix de la Somme
;2008
: National Championships
::1st
Road race
::1st
Time trial
In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...
: 1st Overall
Olympia's Tour
::1st Stages 7 (
ITT) & 8
: 1st Overall
Volta a Lleida
::1st Stage 8
:
Circuito Montañés
::1st Stages 1, 5a (
ITT) & 7
:
Tour de Bretagne
::1st Stages 3 & 6 (
ITT)
: 1st Stage 4
Vuelta Ciclista a León
Vuelta Ciclista a León, also known as La Vuelta León, is a former road bicycle race held annually in the province of Province of León, León in Spain. From 2005 until 2013 it was organised as a 2.2 event on the professional UCI Europe Tour. The ...
;2009
: 1st Overall
Tour of Belgium
: 1st Stage 15
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
: 7th Overall
Sachsen Tour
;2010
: 1st
Grote Prijs Jef Scherens
: 1st Prologue
Paris–Nice
: 3rd
Road race, National Championships
: 5th
E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
E3 Saxo Bank Classic, previously known as E3 BinckBank Classic, E3 Harelbeke, Harelbeke–Antwerp–Harelbeke and E3-Prijs Vlaanderen, is an annual road cycling race in Flanders, Belgium. The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke, covering 203 ki ...
: 6th Overall
Eneco Tour
;2011
: 1st Overall
Tour of Britain
::1st Stages 3 & 6
: 1st Prologue
Critérium du Dauphiné
: 1st Prologue
Tour of Qatar
: 1st Stage 1 (
TTT)
Tirreno–Adriatico
: 9th
Gent–Wevelgem
Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, is a road bicycle racing, road cycling race in Belgium, held annually since 1934. It is one of the classic cycle races, classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, run in late ...
: 10th
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
;2012
: 1st Overall
Eneco Tour
: 2nd Overall
Ster ZLM Toer
::1st Stage 3
: National Championships
::2nd
Road race
::2nd
Time trial
In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...
: 2nd
Ronde van Zeeland Seaports
: 5th
Road race,
UCI World Championships
: 6th
Paris–Roubaix
;2013
: 1st Overall
Ster ZLM Toer
::1st Stage 4
: 1st
Profronde van Heerlen
: 1st Profronde van Zevenbergen
: 1st Points classification,
Eneco Tour
: 1st Stage 2 (
ITT)
Tour Méditerranéen
: 2nd Overall
Tour du Haut Var
::1st Stage 2
: 3rd
Profronde van Oostvoorne
: 4th
Binche–Chimay–Binche
;2014
: 1st Stage 5
Tour de France
: 2nd Overall
Eneco Tour
;2015
: 1st Stage 1
Danmark Rundt
: 4th
Paris–Roubaix
: 6th
Tour of Flanders
;2016
: 6th
E3 Harelbeke
;2017
: 1st Overall
Tour of Britain
::1st Stage 5 (
ITT)
: 4th
Veenendaal–Veenendaal Classic
: 8th Overall
BinckBank Tour
::1st Stage 5
;2019
: 4th
Le Samyn
: 8th
Clásica de Almería
Grand Tour general classification results timeline
Monuments results timeline
Mountain bike
;2017
: 1st Marathon, National Championships
;2018
: 1st Beach race, UEC European Championships
: 1st Marathon, National Championships
;2019
: 2nd Marathon, National Championships
See also
*
List of Dutch Olympic cyclists
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boom, Lars
1985 births
Living people
Dutch cyclo-cross cyclists
Dutch male cyclists
Dutch Vuelta a España stage winners
People from Heusden
Cyclists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Olympic cyclists for the Netherlands
2014 Tour de France stage winners
Dutch Tour de France stage winners
UCI Cyclo-cross World Champions (men)
Dutch cycling time trial champions
UCI Road World Championships cyclists for the Netherlands
Cyclists from North Brabant