Tom Boonen, who has won four Paris-Roubaix races on his bicycle, the rainbow jersey in the Tour de France, three Tour of Flanders victories, and six stages in the Tour de France, is also enjoying success in his new sporting career, motorsports.

The Belgian rider, who won the CN Prototype class of the Benelux-focused GT & Prototype Challenge race series at the end of October, likened his victory to a major triumph in his professional cycling career.

"It was amazing! It's better than any win I've had as a pro rider," Boonen said in an interview with Sport/Voetbalmagazine.

The 40-year-old's victory on October 30 at the Assen motor racing circuit in the Netherlands secured him the overall victory in the series, which he also won in 2019.

Boonen took three wins during the 10-round season, winning the opening round in Hockenheim, Germany, and the final round in Zolder, the Netherlands, before securing the overall win with 196 points at the final round in Assen.

The former QuickStep rider received his motor racing license in 2017 and competed in the VW Beetle-based Fun Cup and NASCAR European series before switching to sports car/prototype racing.

"Winning Paris-Roubaix for the third or fourth time was not as 'exciting' as my first win as a rookie racing driver," he told Sport/Voetbalmagazine.

"The joy of victory is not proportional to the importance of the race. You get used to it. That's why the first steps are the most fun.

Boonen compared the feeling of racing cars and motorcycles for 16 years, from 2002 to 2017. He said motorsports is less chaotic than the group sprints he used to participate in on a motorcycle.

"Bunch sprints are a hormonal explosion," Bohnen said.

"After a chaotic final where you find your way, you leap forward like a bolt, then stick your hands in the air. Burn!

"With my car there is less chaos and more control. I'm hyper-focused and never push the limits, even in direct confrontation with other cars. When I cross the finish line, the joy is immense.