Lars Boom will start in Volta Limburg Classic this Saturday. For the 32-year-old Team LottoNL-Jumbo rider, it’s his first race since his withdrawal in Paris-Nice. In the Dutch province of Limburg he wants the stimulation of competiton to return to the top level.

“I’m happy that I can race again”, Boom says about his comeback. “The most important thing in this race is to see what my heart rate will do.” The rider is medically fit, but he lacks in peak capacity, which is necessary to compete on the highest level. “I’m in shape. But during extreme efforts, my heart doesn’t reach the heart rate it should. I hope this race will provide the right peak.” 

The route of Volta Limburg Classic includes multiple small climbs. “That’s a good thing for me. Last month, I trained uphill a lot during my high altitude training camp. I want to race freely and see how it will go.” 

Boom isn’t planning to focus at his heart rate during the race. “I’m not going to look at my heart rate meter. We’ll analyze the data after the race. It’s good to start in a non-World Tour race first”, Boom said. “From there we’ll see what the plan will be for the upcoming weeks.”

In January, Boom needed to undergo surgery for cardiac arrhythmia. In Paris-Nice he made his comeback in the peloton. During the French stage race he noticed that his recovery hadn’t been optimal. Last week, the team announced Boom is going to skip the Flemish classics.

Video: Boom skips Flemish classics