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Quick Step CEO pushing for Boonen in Tour de France

Team sponsor Quick Step has explained why it is so anxious for Tom Boonen to ride the Tour de France: it has already prepared a big publicity campaign for its laminate flooring products to run in France during the Tour with Boonen in the lead role. The company has already purchased the advertising time on French television.

Quick Step CEO Frans De Cock told the Belga press agency that he had asked Boonen privately after Wednesday's press conference whether he still wanted to ride the Tour. "He said explicitly, 'yes, I want to'. So I will do everything I can to make that happen." De Cock will meet with Tour organisers this week to discuss the matter.

"For a cycling sponsor, the Tour means half of the return for the year's investment. I need Tom Boonen. I think that Quick Step has contributed a lot to the sport."