Lars Boom signs with Roompot-Charles

The newly formulated Roompot-Charles team have signed Lars Boom for the 2019 season, bolstering the roster for the Dutch-Belgian Pro Continental squad that will be a merger of the Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij and Veranda’s Willems-Crelan teams.

The 32-year-old Dutchman, who raced with LottoNL-Jumbo the past two season after two years with Astana, was suspended for one month in July after striking Sport Vlaanderen’s Preben Van Hecke during stage 2 of the Tour of Norway in May. He returned to racing in August for the Tour de Pologne, Binck Bank Tour and Vuelta a Espana.

The Veranda’s Willems-Crelan team have had a turbulent season of their own, with the Belgian Pro Continental team first denying an announcement that it had been acquired by Aqua Blue Sport, then announcing a merger with the Dutch Roompot squad. During the turmoil, star rider Wout van Aert severed ties with the team and their Sniper Cycling management company.

ADVERTISEMENT

Landing Boom is a sign the merger between the two teams is indeed moving full steam ahead toward next year.

"I still know Lars from the past and am very happy to have someone with his experience and abilities," said team director Erik Breukink. "He is a very big reinforcement for the team next year. He brings peace and experience that will undoubtedly have a positive influence on the other boys."

Boom is a former cyclo-cross world champion and the double Dutch road and time trial champion, all in 2008. He has won stages in the Vuelta a Espana and Tour de France, and he's taken overall victories at the Tour of Belgium, the Eneco Tour and twice at the Tour of Britain.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com