Monday’s Omega Pharma Quick Step recon of cobbled sectors included in the feared Tour de France fifth stage from Ypres to Arenberg aroused huge speculations about Belgian team’s roster for the French grand tour. However, Tom Boonen made it clear that his absence had more to do with appointment at the dentist than not making the final selection for the three-week event, in which he still hopes to appear for the first time since 2011.

Even though it has been made absolutely clear that it’s all about supporting Mark Cavendish in this year’s Tour de France for Omega Pharma-Quick Step, an unexpected addition of a cobbled stage opened new possibilities for classics specialists in the likes of Boonen, not only to guide leaders through tricky pave sections, but to fight for a victory in the Arenberg forest.

Boonen has won six stages at the French grand tour, the last one in 2007 when he also took a victory in the points classification, and even though he decided to concentrate exclusively on the classics since then, a rare possibility of challenging other cobbled specialists at the Tour apparently seemed appealing enough for the 33-year old Belgian.

Asked about his absence at the Omega Pharma-Quick Step reconnaissance held on Monday, the four time Paris-Roubaix champion explained that it was caused by his appointment at a dentist and he felt no need of inspecting well known sectors one more time.

“I was not there because I had to go to the dentist. I had a broken tooth in the Tour of Belgium, which had to be fixed,” said Boonen ahead of the Gullegem Koerse on Tuesday. “Anyway, I do not need to do it as I know that route really well.”

Since the Omega Pharma-Quick Step roster for the Tour de France is yet to be announced, Boonen will ride the Tour de Suiss as a final build-up towards his possible appearance at the French three-week event.

"There is nothing yet decided. I just know that I started in Gippingen and then in the Tour of Switzerland."

The Tour de France begins in Leeds on July 5 and finishes in Paris on July 27.