Lefevere and Boonen react to Tour exclusion

Patrick Lefevere of Team Quick Step has acknowledged, but not necessarily accepted, ASO's decision to ban Tom Boonen from the Tour de France. "Of course, we regret this decision, especially since Tom didn't test positive in a sporting case. But we take note of it," he told HLN.

"I do not think that we will go with the team to the CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport - ed.] but we should discuss that with our sponsors," he noted, in an indication that the team may try to force the Tour de France organiser to accept Boonen's participation. "I think it is especially up to the athlete and his representatives to take any possible steps."

Boonen's attorney, Luc Deleu told Radio 2 Antwerp that he did not think his client would take that step. "It doesn't seem suitable to me to go over the head of the race organisers to go to the CAS or other agencies.

"It is not a question of being frightened of not being invited to other competitions," he explained, but simply that "Tom has decided to accept the consequences of his actions."