Boven has been assigned an additional function within the Rabo ProTeam in his final year. He will serve as the chairman of the recently established riders council, which is comparable to the players councils that are frequently used in professional soccer. "However, that function is more difficult to execute in the sport of cycling, because everyone is constantly traveling and because sometimes I do not even see some of my teammates at all." Hence, his assistants Juan Antonio Flecha and Grischa Niermann were not chosen without a reason. "Grischa will ride the minor and major tours; I will do the spring season and Juan Antonio will do both. This means that there is always a member of the riders council nearby who the riders can consult and contact."

 

Boven started his season at Australia's Tour Down Under. "That indeed was a very nice adventure; it is great that I got to experience that as well. If Australia had been just a little bit closer to home, it could have been my place for vacation." Currently, Boven is training at Mallorca and perhaps to ride one race. After that, he will head to Italy for the Giro Della Provincia di Grosseto, and then he wants to start at his favourite races: the Flemish spring season including the classics. "I will compete until the Scheldeprijs. The thought that every race will also be my last one has not really hit me yet."