Boonen to Monaco

Like many other Belgian sport stars: Justin Henin, Axel Merckx and Stefan Everts, sprint ace Tom Boonen will make a move to the fiscal paradise of Monaco, Belgian Teletekst reported. It is known that the high tax country of Belgium doesn't cut any of its athletes any slack, and many cyclists are making a move abroad.

"The financial side of it is pleasant of course, but that is not the main reason for me leaving my parental home in Balen," Boonen said. "I would like to lead a bit of a normal life again. It will be nice to walk down the street without people staring at me. Every day there's a dozen of interested fans at my front door; it's getting too much. I'm getting a bit fed up with having to tell the same story twenty times a day to people I don't know at all, or having to listen to their stories. Monaco will be a better place for me to train also, in winter I often don't have the courage to go out in the bad weather, in the South training will be easier."