The atypically favorable weather conditions with no signs of crosswinds animating the action in the first days of the Paris-Nice didn’t ease a visible nervousness in the peloton and Lars Boom was one of the victims of the crash-marred first two stages of French event. The Team Belkin rider pulled out of the race with a fractured elbow, but remains optimistic about his chances to participate in the major cobbled Classics as he headed home for further medical examination.

With the likes of Gianni Meersman (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) and Kris Boeckmans (Lotto-Belisol), Boom was forced to abandon the French stage race on Monday due to injuries sustained in crashes and is expected to undergo a more detailed medical check-up in following days to assess the full extent of the damage.

It was reported, however, that the 28-year old Dutchman pulled out of the race with a broken elbow and the rider confirmed those news for the De Telegraaf. Boom also expressed optimism about his chances to return to competition for his spring’s main objectives, the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix.

“I’m in pain now but I assume that I’m going to be at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix,” Boom said, according to De Telegraaf.

“I was able to finish and I was able to move my elbow, but after I took a shower, the pain got worse so we went to the hospital.”

Boom has already shown very promising signs of increasing form during his appearances earlier in the season, particularly in the Tour of Qatar and especially Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Even though the Paris-Nice wasn’t an important objective for the Belkin rider itself, the race was meant to serve as an solid build-up before the coming cobbled Classics and thus he admitted that missing out on those racing kilometers it a serious blow to his preparations.

“I’m sorry to miss out on the kilometres from Paris-Nice,” he said.

“I’ll have to adjust things a bit but I already feel I have very good legs, so I can pick it up again.”

It was a day of a mixed feelings for Team Belkin on Monday, with Boom abandoning the race and young Moreno Hofland winning second stage despite missing out on his main lead-out man and being forced to improvise.

“Lars Boom crashed, which was a pity because he was supposed to be my lead-out man, so we had to improvise," Hofland said of his win.

“After finishing second at Kuurne, now to win at Paris-Nice, I just cannot believe it. It's very special to win a stage in this race."