Sonny Bill Williams might be making headlines in Australia, but the French press was far more concerned with cycling than the controversy surrounding the AWOL rugby league star.

On the day Spaniard Carlos Sastre won the Tour de France ahead of Australia's Cadel Evans, French newspapers and websites paid little attention to Williams' walk out on the NRL to join cashed-up French rugby union club Toulon.

Leading sports newspaper L'Equipe ran a small story about Williams on Saturday citing reports from Australian media.

It also carried a quote from Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal saying the club had spoken with Williams a while ago but no deal had been entered into.

Website Sport.fr ran a similar piece.

Le Monde was similarly preoccupied with the Tour de France.

Williams was aboard a London-bound plane from Singapore and believed to be en route to France to explore a two-year, $3 million offer to join Toulon, angering NRL club the Bulldogs, where he has a contract until 2012.

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