Image 1 of 2 Tom Boonen celebrates his first win of 2013 (Image credit: Photopress.be) Image 2 of 2 Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma QuickStep) crashes out of the Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Tom Boonen is back on the bike and getting ready to tackle the 2014 season. “The hunger is great,” he said. “I wish it was January already.”

The Omega Pharma-QuickStep rider has now recovered from the perineal cyst which caused him to end his season early. His last race was the Tour de Wallonnie in late July, where he won a stage for his only win of the season.

“I'm pretty much back in training. Three days a week I train twice : in the morning in the gym and cycling in the afternoon,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “Currently I ride five times a week, in addition to a day of walking and a rest day.”

He said that he was looking forward to meeting up with his teammates again in November. “You must remember that I have been out for two months.”

Boonen, who turns 33 later this month, says “the plan” is to come back stronger than ever.

“I made ​​a schedule for the next three months . Normally I have no time to focus on work in the gym. Like every season I do some strength training, but to get real power you need three months. I have that time now. “I am working very hard, both my upper body and leg muscles.

“The bike training will only become serious in November. I am now riding for only three hours.”