LOS ANGELES, Jan 19: Former world road race champion Tom Boonen will not take part in the Beijing Olympics’ track cycling events, according to Belgium’s national team manager.

Boonen announced last week his audacious bid to go for Olympic glory as part of a new Belgian track pursuit team - despite the fact he has little experience of the discipline.

The Quick Step team’s one-day specialist, a former winner of Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders, had been hoping to team up with Gert Steegmans, Sebastien Rosseler and Wouter Weylandt for the 4km event.

However Belgian team officials said from here late on Friday that Boonen would not be part of their Olympic plans.

“I can confirm that he will not be with the Belgian track team,” Belgium’s English coach, Jon Wiggins, told AFP here at the track World Cup.

“If that had been his objective, he would already be here with us.”According to a report in La Derniere Heure newspaper, Boonen - the winner of the points competition’s green jersey at the Tour de France last year - had said he was confident of scoring a track upset in Beijing.

“If the four of us really get going ... I’m 100 percent sure we can come up with something in Beijing,” said the 27-year-old.

“The main obstacle in our way is learning the technique in a matter of three weeks, because we won’t have the time to train together before August.—AFP