"I think he has a good head on his shoulders" - Tom Boonen impressed by electric opening to 2025 season of 'the new Tom Boonen' Paul Magnier

Few riders have managed to start the 2025 season as consistently impressive as Soudal - Quick-Step's French wonderkid, Paul Magnier. The 20-year-old, dubbed by his own team as 'the new Tom Boonen', is yet to finish outside the podium places in his five race days so far this campaign.

Magnier kicked off his season in style, outsprinting the likes of Jordi Meeus and Marijn van den Berg to take the opening stage of Etoile de Besseges. The Frenchman then back up that strong performance with a 3rd placed finish on stage 2, before he, like many others in the peloton, abandoned the race on stage 3, citing safety concerns.

Since his appearance at the French stage race in early February, Magnier has shown an incredibly consistent and competitive level. The Frenchman has finished 2nd at the Figueira Champions Classic, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Le Samyn behind Antonio Morgado, Soren Waerenskjold and Mathieu van der Poel respectively, further increasing the growing hype surrounding the latest prodigious talent to emerge from 'The Wolfpack'.  

As mentioned, those within his own team have been touting Magnier as 'the new Tom Boonen', so what has the Belgian Classics legend himself make of his heir apparent's performances this year. "I only saw Magnier really race for the first time last weekend," Boonen, a seven-time Monument winner, explains to Sporza's Wielerclub Wattage podcast. "He road carefully and tried not to make the decision himself yet. So I think he has a good head on his shoulders."

Boonen isn't getting too ahead of himself just yet though, despite Magnier already drawing comparisons to the legendary Belgian. "I think Magnier can become that too. But I would like to see him flash a few more times this spring," concludes the now-44-year-old. 

The next outing for Magnier, is scheduled to be the Italian stage race Tirreno-Adriatico, starting on the 10th of March. The Frenchman is then set to return to one-day racing at Milano-Sanremo, Gent Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen, before making an expected Grand Tour debut at the Giro d'Italia.