One of the big transfers of this season was the Lars Boom’s move from Belkin Pro Cycling to Astana Pro Team. The Dutch rider will be the leader on classic races. According to Biciciclismo, he hopes to shine during his first season with the Kazakh team :

“For me it was time to sign a new contract after 11 years on the same team. I was ready for something new and different to Team Belkin. My mind needed this, new people, new coaches, new directors, new people around me, new challenges“, he told the Spanish website. 

He thinks that he is not in a “ideal situation“ because Astana is in a controversy situation with doping cases. “The positives of the Iglinsky brothers is something stupid, like the other guys,” he said. “I have always been and will be a clean rider, and it is not a problem for me to be on Astana. I'm happy to be able begin a normal year that I hope is very good.”

About his races program, he will start the season in Australia at the Tour Down Under. He will ride too the Dubaï Tour and the Tour of Qatar before come back in Europe to race the Classics: Strade Bianche, Paris-Nice, Milan-San Remo, Dwars door Vlaanderens, E3 Harelbeke, Gent Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. “I hope to perform well from Dwars door Vlaanderen up to Roubaix, giving a high level during those four weeks and trying to win a classic. I will go out to win all of them, with the goal of winning at least one, but I think especially Roubaix. If I win Roubaix, the season will be perfect.”

On the next Tour de France, he will help Vincenzo Nibali to win a second title. “For me it will be very important days in Holland and Belgium,” he added. “To win with Vincenzo (Nibali) is the main goal, and personally I want to do well in the prologue and the team time trial. It will be great to try and win that day in my country. So I have labored in Calpe. I've made some changes on the bike, and I will train on the Specialized time trial bike. I will focus on it after the Classics.”