Bus check was 'routine', QuickStep

QuickStep tonight had their bus checked by police on the eve of the Tour de France in a move the Belgian team described as “routine”.

The QuickStep squad, whose leading riders include Belgian Tom Boonen and Sylvain Chavanel of France, had their bus taken from the team hotel in Challans, western France to a local police station for inspection.

But QuickStep spokesman Alessandro Tegner tonight reported the situation was nothing out of the ordinary.

He said: “The team bus now is outside the hotel.

“Nothing was found on the team bus. It was a normal routine check by the police.”

The 98th Tour begins tomorrow with a 191-kilometre road stage from Passage du Gois to Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers.