Boonen battles to be fit

London - Former world champion Tom Boonen admitted on Sunday he is facing a battle to be fit for the Olympics after breaking a rib in a fall during the Tour of Poland.

The Belgian, who skipped the Tour de France to concentrate on his preparations for the Olympics, suffered the injury on the fifth stage of the Polish race on Saturday and underwent a medical check-up on Sunday.

The checks underlined a fracture of the sixth rib on the right side of his chest.

"There's nothing more to do than wait and see how the situation will evolve," said Boonen.

"I'm sad because my condition is good and I really don't want to lose the chance to participate in the Olympics. On Thursday I will have the answer that I'm waiting for."