First it was shingles. Then he suffered one of the worst crashes of his career.

But after enduring a rather inauspicious start to his season, Bend’s Ian Boswell is ready and raring to represent his home country in professional cycling’s most prestigious and competitive race in the United States.

Boswell, who finished seventh overall in the 2015 Tour of California, is aiming for even loftier goals this time around in the seven-stage race, which starts Sunday in Sacramento.

As one of the leaders of Team Sky, can he win the overall title in the World Tour race?

“Potentially, yeah,” Boswell says. “I haven’t raced at full health in a couple weeks now, so it’s hard to really judge. But I guess that’s my goal. It’s a race that I’ll have opportunities to race for the win, which is something to take advantage of.”

A 2009 graduate of Bend’s Summit High School, Boswell, 26, is in his fifth year on the England-based Team Sky, regarded as one of the top teams in pro cycling.

He raced in the Giro d’Italia last year at this time and he raced in the Vuelta a España in both 2015 and 2016. Those two races represent two of cycling’s three Grand Tours, the other being the Tour de France.

A strong performance in California for Boswell could influence Team Sky officials when assembling their team for this year’s Tour de France.

“Depending on how everything’s going, I’ll try to make the Tour team,” Boswell says. “It’s still a while away, but I’m hoping to try to put my hand up for that by having a good ride in California. That would kind of raise the eyebrows of the selection committee of Sky.

“That’s kind of how it works — talk with your legs.”

Boswell — who has been based in Nice, France, for the past several years — came down with shingles in late February. The painful skin rash, caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, hampered his training, but he was able to get back on track after about two to three weeks.

Then, in the Tour of the Alps race in Austria and Italy in mid-April, Boswell crashed while descending at about 50 mph. While he suffered no broken bones, the left side of his body was bruised and badly scraped.

“When you go down at that speed you tend to bang yourself up pretty good,” Boswell says. “I still have a few scars, but it’s pretty much healed and thankfully nothing was broken. That’s the worst crash I’ve had in quite a while. The timing of it definitely wasn’t ideal.”

Boswell spent more than a week back home in Bend recovering before leaving for Sacramento on Thursday. He took part in a few group rides while he was in Central Oregon, catching up with longtime friends.

“It’s funny how Bend has changed and grown, but at the same time a lot of familiar faces in the cycling community,” Boswell says.

He says he has been eyeing the Tour of California since the start of the season. As an all-around cyclist (a strong climber and time trialist), Boswell is a rider capable of competing for an overall victory in the general classification (GC). But three other Team Sky riders in the Tour of California have similar skills, including Brits Tao Geoghegan Hart and Peter Kennaugh, and Spaniard David Lopez.

“There’s four of us who are kind of the climber/GC guys, so between the four of us, it will kind of be decided on the road with how we’re all feeling,” Boswell says. “I’ll definitely have my opportunities, and if I’m feeling good, I’ll have free rein to race for my own aspirations.”

Boswell also points to Andrew Talansky of Cannondale-Drapac and David de la Cruz of Quick-Step Floors as other top riders to watch this week.

Boswell says the two decisive stages in the Tour of California will be stage five, a 78-mile route that finishes with a climb to the top of 4,193-foot Mount Baldy near Los Angeles and includes 12,000 feet of elevation gain, and stage six, a 15-mile time trial at Big Bear Lake, east of L.A.

The first four stages will likely feature mostly sprint finishes, during which Team Sky will try to procure stage wins for its standout sprinter, Elia Viviani of Italy.

“If we can win a couple stages beforehand, and kind of build up the morale of the team, that’ll be really good going into the back half of the race,” Boswell says.

This marks the first year that the Tour of California, in its 12th edition, will be a World Tour race, putting it in the same category as the Grand Tours. That means more European teams and riders, making this the strongest California field ever.

But Boswell says he is ready.

“My preparation hasn’t been ideal with the crash and sickness this spring, but at the same time I’m more experienced than in years past, and stronger with so many hard races in my legs,” he says. “The experience I’ve gained over the last couple years has definitely paid off, and you just get a bit wiser and a bit stronger each year.”

— Reporter: 541-383-0318,

mmorical@bendbulletin.com

“Depending on how everything’s going, I’ll try to make the Tour (de France) team. It’s still a while away, 
but I’m hoping to try to put my hand up for that by having a good ride in California. That would kind of raise 
the eyebrows of the selection committee of Sky. That’s kind of how it works — talk with your legs.”

Tour of California

What: A seven-stage road cycling race widely regarded as the most prestigious and competitive in the United States

When: Sunday through Saturday

Where: The race starts Sunday in Sacramento and finishes Saturday in Pasadena

Television: The race is scheduled to air live on NBCSN, and the final stage will air live on NBC

Website: www.amgentourofcalifornia.com