September 25th, 2005 - Madrid, Spain. Tom Boonen won the Rainbow Jersey with a long, 300-meter sprint at the end of the 273km World Championships Elite Men's Road Race. Well no shit, who didn't see that coming?
The real question is when did Tom Boonen learn how to use a SMS Text Messenger? Lets take at look his racing results from the last few years and find out.
Tom Boonen's Race Palmars:
2005
- 2 Tour of Qatar stage wins
- 1st, GP E3-Harelbeke
- 1st, Paris-Roubaix
- 1st, Tour of Flanders
- 2 Paris-Nice stage wins
- 2 Tour de L'Oise stage wins
- 2 Tour of Picardie stage wins
- 1st, Tour of Belgium, including 2 stage wins
- 2 Tour de France stage wins (with time in the Green Jersey)
- 2005 World Road Race Championships
2004
- 1st, Ghent-Wevelgem
- 1st, GP E3-Harelbeke
- 1st, GP de l'Escaut
- 1st, Memorial Van Steenbergen
- 1st, Tour of Picardie, including 2 stage wins
- 2 Tour of Germany stage wins
- 1 Tour of Belgium stage win
- 2 Tour de France stage wins
- 1 Tour of Britan stage win
2003
- 1 Tour of Belgium stage win
So it appears that during the off-season between 2003 and 2004 Tom finally figured out his SMS Text Messenger. Judging from his performance in the 2005 Worlds, he can type "wasp" and "washing-machine" faster than any other rider in the peleton.
For more information on "wasps," "washing-machines," SMS Text Messaging and an aging Johan Museeuw doping himself into retirement, read the Cyclingnews.com article.
Here is a follow-up to this story, pulled directly from Boonen's mouth as posted on Sept. 28th at Cyclingnews.com.
Tom's Rainbow Jersey was considered 'lost' after a wild night on the town in the city of Madrid. "I thought I had lost it in a night-club in Madrid, but I received an SMS saying the shirt has been returned," Boonen confessed, slightly embarrassed. Apparently Boonen had trouble remembering that he had given the precious piece of clothing to two "less intoxicated" Belgian fans to safeguard it for him. On Tuesday, the jersey was returned to him as promised.
Article was last edited on Thursday, August 7th, 2008 @ 3:31 PM
Now you're talking.