Tom Boonen expressed regret that Mühl van Gerardsbergen has been removed from the 2020 Tour of Flanders route, but said the unprecedented October date may be the perfect opportunity to experiment with a shorter version of the ronde.

The Tour of Flanders was postponed to April due to a coronavirus outbreak and rescheduled for October 18. On Friday, the Flanders Classic announced that Mur van Geraasbergen and Tembosse had been removed from the route and that the total length had been reduced from 267 km to 241 km. Ghent-Wevelgem has been shortened to 238 km, as have Brabants Pile and Scheldeprijs.

"If this year's Ronde is more attractive, it could be shorter in the future," Boonen told Het Laatste Nieuws (opens in new tab).

"All races, including the classics, will be shortened. Mules is a victim of that. When the mules were removed from the Ronde in the past, there was much debate. It is the same now."

Boonen won the old finale of the Tour de Flanders twice, in Mules and Vosberg, and won the new finale, Kwaremont and Paterberg, for the first time in 2012; in 2017, after five years, Mules returned to the route, about 95 km from the finish but it proved to be a pivotal moment in the race as Boonen split the peloton and teammate Philippe Gilbert took a dramatic solo victory. Boonen said, "It's always an interesting moment in a race."

Boonen, like Oliver Naessen, prefers the longer Monument distance, but noted that a shorter ronde would give more racers a chance to win in Oudenaarde on October 18. He cited the example of the E3 Harelbeke, noting that the ronde winner often races "more intensely" at that shorter distance.

"Of course, it is better to have a fixed running distance in every race." I want races with a different storyline. In the Tour de Flanders and other top classics, there are riders who can make a difference in the last hour. But now, with a race of about 220 km, there will be about 10% more riders who have a chance of winning."

"Everyone prefers that everything stays the same. But I know from experience that shorter races can be more difficult than 260 km races where riders are saving themselves for longer distances. It will be interesting. Lessons may be learned. This is a special year. If there is ever a time to try something like this, it is now."