"I also didn't like riding over cobblestones. But I was good at it" - Tom Boonen empathises with Antonio Morgado's viral post-Le Samyn interview

UAE Team Emirates' Portuguese prospect, Antonio Morgado starred on the famed cobblestones of Belgium earlier this week, taking a narrow second place at Le Samyn behind Laurens Rex.

In his interview afterwards, was asked if he enjoyed his day in the saddle, to which he hilariously replied; "No. I don't like these types of races." A response that quickly went viral on social media. Watching at home was Classics legend, Tom Boonen and the 43-year-old Belgian admits he saw something of himself in the Portuguese.

"I also didn't like that, riding over cobblestones. But I was good at it," admits the four-time Paris-Roubaix winner and three-time Tour of Flanders winner in conversation with Jan Bakelants on the Wielerclub Wattage podcast for Sporza. "It may be that Morgado will still like the cobblestones if he can ride over them faster than the rest."

The fact Morgado is already impressing at such a young age bodes well for the 20-year-old whether or not he likes the cobbles says Boonen. "If you can do this at the age of 20, then you have everything you need to have a great future," he concludes. "But he still has to do it himself."