Lars Boom has officially decided to put an end to his road racing career following the dissolution of his Loompot-Charles team.

According to Wielerflits.nl (opens in new tab), the 33-year-old Dutchman was unable to find a new contract and chose to focus on gravel and mountain bike racing.

Boom, the 2008 cyclocross world champion and 2007 U23 time trial world champion, is best known for his stage win at the 2014 Tour de France on a rainy day that took him through several cobbled sections used in Paris-Roubaix.

In 2017, he underwent heart surgery to correct an irregular heartbeat. He won stages at the Tour of Britain and the Bink Bank Tour that year, but has not been on the podium since.

His manager suggested that road racing may remain in Boom's future. He said, "I don't rule out the possibility of him competing in road racing, whether at the lower levels or not. But it would be to support gravel and mountain bike competitions. That is Lars' main priority right now." Boom looks forward to rekindling his passion for racing in different disciplines. He and American Peter Stetina have made the switch from road to off-road.

"I have had a very long career on the road and my many wins and podiums make me very proud. With my current team being inactive, I had the opportunity to shift my focus to a passion that has always been important to me. Gravel and beach races, and MTB marathons.