Do you feel that you can ride better while listening to music? You’re not alone. While many of us like to listen to music while we ride, there are also a number of musicians that are cyclists or runners and vice versa. Given that DeFeet’s own founder, Shane Cooper is a long time musician as well as the Chief Sockologist, it seems like a natural direction for the company to be exploring the connection of the two worlds. To kick off the series, DeFeet caught up with legendary cyclist Tom Boonen as he prepares for his final Paris – Roubaix…
From DeFeet:
Episode 1 includes some time with a very special person. We say person, because while he’s a cyclist by profession, Tom Boonen is a world class gentleman first and foremost. Even in the face of a massive growing stardom, his kind demeanor toward others never wavered. DeFeet had already been stomping to victories in the Spring classics for nearly a decade when our socks first landed on Boonen’s feet. Since he began as a professional in 2002, he took us along for the rides. What rides they were, too.
When Boonen puts his 16 year pro career to rest on April 9, 2017 at the end of Paris-Roubaix, he finalizes one of the greatest careers witnessed in cycling. Were he to win this last Paris-Roubaix, there would be no debate about the greatest cobblestone rider of all time. To us, it doesn’t matter. Boonen is the quintessential modern master of the classics. Year in and year out, he applied himself the entire season. For many years he was able to put in shockingly brilliant Spring racing, and still come away with the green jersey at the Tour de France in July.
Racing will bid farewell to Tom Boonen in April, but we doubt Boonen will hang his wheels and head to the pub in Belgium. No, that’s not how the next 20 years will go down. He will be there, somewhere. Probably in the background, but still strong and dapper as he heads into middle age. This Classics man will always show the class.
