Quick-Step apologises to Shimano over Tom Boonen's chainring comments

Boonen had blamed the components company for his mechanical at Tour of Flanders, but the team has sought to clarify his comments

Tom Boonen at the 2017 Tour of Flanders (Sunada)

(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

Team Quick-Step Floors apologised this week over comments its star Tom Boonen made regarding groupset supplier Shimano and the problems he had in Sunday's Tour of Flanders.

Boonen stopped with a mechanical problem on the Taaienberg with just 38km to race. His chain had come off and then got stuck between his inner chainring and the frame. The team scrabbled to get Boonen riding again, but the three-time winner - riding his last Tour of Flanders - was unable to ride himself back in to contention at such a crucial stage of the race.

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