For several years, Tom Boonen has used Paris-Nice to put the finishing touches on his condition. Last week he was sick but he seems to have completely recovered. "I didn't have to skip any training and in this race I will work a lot for the team and for myself," he told Sporza.

Tom Boonen performed modestly in the prologue. He was 43rd, 26 seconds behind teammate Michal Kwiatkowski. "The result might have been a little better, but I'm satisfied with it," Boonen said.

"On such a short course you have to go faster than you think. I should have started a little faster, but I feared that I would blow up on that climb. But you could go full gas."

Thank to Kwiatkowski's win, Boonen know what will be expected of him in the coming days: work. However, he does not put his own ambitions  aside.

"I will do a lot of work," said Boonen. "For myself, but also in the service of the team, especially in the last stages. That was the plan even before the race. But on Monday and Tuesday I will try to go for the win in the sprint."

Boonen has not yet recovered completely from the opening weelend because last week the Etixx-Quick Step leader was under the weather. "But I did not have to skip any training. I can work with guarantees and even feel very good.

"In Paris-Nice, I want to take the next step to a higher level. I want to finish this race well and then do a good workout for Milan-Sanremo. After that it is the intention to become even stronger for each race."