No Giro di Lombardia: Boogerd retires

This morning, Michael Boogerd has taken the decision himself: it’s a no go for the Giro di Lombardia coming Saturday. "With pain in my heart," according to the flag bearer of Dutch cycling. Boogerd is recovering from a crash last week Friday during training, causing a serious injury on his left knee plus Erysipelas, a bacterial infection.

Yesterday, Michael Boogerd carefully tried to pick up his training again. "But I have to be realistic," Boogerd says. "My knee hurts too much and I can’t bend it. It has no use."

Coming Saturday's Giro di Lombardia should have been Michael Boogerds final big race. Boogerd: "Now I say goodbye with a twelth spot at the Worlds in Stuttgart. That’s what I have to do it with."

Coming Sunday, on the Cauberg in Valkenburg, The Netherlands, a Michael Boogerd farewell criterium will be organized. Boogerd: "I will be there! How, I have to see, but I’m for sure going to ride one lap." The Cauberg is the traditional finish of the Amstel Gold Race, a race which was won by Boogerd in 1999.

Boogerd also started a foundation. The Michael Boogerd Foundation is raising money for the following organisations: KiKa, Right to Play, War Child and Ride for the Roses. Besides various actions like the organistaion of the Ride for the Roses in groningen the foundation also created a t-shirt. On the front side of the t-shirt is a picture of Michael Boogerd and at the back Boogerd's palmares are listed (see picture) . You can order a t-shirt by by sending a mail with your size, name, adress, telephone number and the number of your bankaccount to: info@michaelboogerd.nl and transfer Euro 20 to IBAN: NL89RABO0133387712, BIC: RABONL2U, Accountholder M. Koch, reference goede doel and your name.