PARIS, July 3 - Factbox on Belgian rider Tom
Boonen who failed a dope test for cocaine in April but will
compete in the Tour de France after a French arbitration court
ruled in his favour on Friday:
Born: Oct. 15, 1980 in Mol (Belgium)
Team: Quick Step
Height: 1.92 metres. Weight: 80 kilos
Professional victories: 86
EARLY CAREER
* Started his professional career in 2002 with the U.S.
Postal team, finishing the Paris-Roubaix classic in third place.
* Joined the Quick Step team in 2003.
TOUR DE FRANCE
* Won two stages in the 2004 Tour de France, including the
final one on the Champs-Elysees.
* Claimed two Tour de France stage victories in 2005 and
then withdrew from the race before the start of the 12th stage.
* In 2006 Boonen started as one of the favourites for the
Tour green jersey (best sprinter) and twice finished second in
stages but then pulled out of the race in the 15th stage in the
Alps.
* Clinched two stage victories en route to his first green
jersey for the best sprinter in the 2007 Tour.
* In 2008, failed an out-of-competition test for cocaine on
May 26 and was withdrawn from his team line-up for the Tour de
France.
* In February 2009, a Belgian court found him guilty of
drugs use but did not hand out any sentence.
* His team announced on May 9 he had failed another
out-of-competition test for cocaine in April.Tour de France
organisers banned Boonen from the race, and he took them to
court.
* On June 30 a French judge said she could not rule on the
matter, sending it before the French Court of Arbitration for
Sport.
* The arbitration court ruled on July 3, the day before the
start of the 2009 Tour, that Boonen should be allowed to race.
OTHER MAJOR WINS
* 2004 Ghent-Wevelgem classic.
* In 2005 he won two major classics with victories in
Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders and was crowned world
road race champion.
* Won Paris-Roubaix, the Queen of the Classics, for the
second time in 2008 and completed a hat-trick in the race this
year.
(Compiled by Julien Pretot; Editing by Alison Wildey; To
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sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)