Leader Pogacar ‘scared’ for Tour after COVID-hit eighth stage

Jumbo-Visma team's Belgian rider Wout Van Aert (C) celebrates as he cycles to the finish line to win the 8th stage of Tour de France 2022 cycling race on July 9, 2022. (AFP)
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Updated 10 July 2022
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Leader Pogacar ‘scared’ for Tour after COVID-hit eighth stage

  • Jumbo-Visma’s van Aert won on a late incline ahead of Australia’s pre-stage favorite Michael Matthews with Pogacar just behind

LAUSANNE, Switzerland: Champion Tadej Pogacar said on Saturday he fears COVID-19 could wreak havoc on this year’s Tour de France after the Slovenian tightened his grip on the leader’s yellow jersey after stage eight.

Belgian rider Wout van Aert sprinted to victory in the coronavirus-hit proceedings at Lausanne with Pogacar finishing third.

The peloton left Dole in the Jura region under a cloud after Norwegian Vegard Stake Laengen from Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates and Frenchman Geoffrey Bouchard of AG2R Citroen tested positive for the virus and were withdrawn.

“It’s a big scare, the pandemic is still there with us, and we can’t risk racing with it,” said the 23-year-old two-time defending champion.

“We get tested every two days or so but Vegard got ill during the night, really, it’s worrying. All the fans packed tight on the roadside and shouting, sometimes you think maybe this is a source.

“He’s the train of our team,” the Slovenian continued of Stake Laengen.

“The big guy who leads us out, but I think we can make it to Paris without him.”

Jumbo-Visma’s van Aert won on a late incline ahead of Australia’s pre-stage favorite Michael Matthews with Pogacar just behind.

This was a second stage win for van Aert, who also came second three times during the opening stages in Denmark, and extends his lead in the sprint standings to 264pts ahead of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s Fabio Jakobsen on 149 and Pogacar, 128.

Van Aert’s chief rival Mathieu van der Poel fell off the back of the peloton before the attack.

“It would have been more prestigious to beat Mathieu too, but I can only beat who is there,” said van Aert, who alongside Pogacar is the big star of this 2022 Tour de France.

Taking a seat Pogacar had just vacated van Aert rigorously drenched his hands in sanitary gel, just stopping short of smearing it on his face.

“It’s never easy to win a bike race, and never easy to win a Tour de France stage, I need to find a way to thank my team for helping me today,” he said.

Pogacar also took a four-second bonus for his third place and extends his overall lead on Jumbo’s Dane Jonas Vingegaard at the top of the rankings to 39 seconds.

After the Covid withdrawals, cowbell ringing roadside fans cheered the pack along the way to the Swiss border where they caught a glimpse of what is to come with the Alps rearing into view on the horizon.

An early fall caught Pogacar and third-placed Geraint Thomas, while French climber Thibaut Pinot not only fell twice but also took a smack on the nose when a roadside food bag distributor got things badly wrong.

Denmark’s Magnus Cort Nielsen of EF Education-Easy Post will ride stage nine in the polka dot jersey again while Tom Pidcock of Ineos will wear the white under-26’s jersey albeit as second placed man behind Pogacar.

Sunday’s ninth stage runs from Aigle to Chatel les Portes du Soleil, an Alpine resort on the French-Swiss border, with more 40km of climbing on the 192km itinerary.

It reaches a high point of 1,778m at the Col de la Croix summit while a 15km, six percent, gradient challenge up the Pas de Morgins awaits any tired legs before the Tour re-enters France for the final 10km.


Newcastle secure Champions League spot on final day

Updated 9 sec ago
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Newcastle secure Champions League spot on final day

  • Magpies end up in fifth place, edging out Villa on goal difference

NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United squeezed into the Champions League places despite losing 1-0 to Everton at home in their final game of the Premier League season on Sunday, thanks to Manchester United’s 2-0 home win over Aston Villa.

The Magpies, who ended a 70-year domestic trophy drought by beating Liverpool to win the League Cup earlier in the season, ended up in fifth place on 66 points, edging out Villa on goal difference.

Newcastle dominated throughout but were undone by poor finishing and sloppy passing and they were punished for giving away the ball in the center of the pitch in the 65th minute, with Vitaliy Mykoloenko crossing for Carlos Alcaraz to score with a brilliant header.

The home side poured forward late in the second half as they sought to salvage some pride with an equalizer but Everton were in no mood to accommodate them and defended doggedly to the bitter end, finishing their season in 13th place on 48 points.

Meanwhile, Chelsea booked their place in the Champions League as Levi Colwill sealed a 1-0 win that shattered Nottingham Forest’s bid for a top-five finish.

Colwill struck early in the second half at the City Ground to ensure Enzo Maresca’s side returned to Europe’s elite club competition after a two-year absence.

The Blues finished fourth in the Premier League, four points above seventh-placed Forest, who were consigned to the UEFA Conference League after failing in their attempt to play in the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81.

Chelsea won five of their last six league games to earn their Champions League berth despite criticism of Maresca’s conversative tactics from frustrated fans.

With their Champions League fate successfully resolved, Chelsea can focus on winning their first trophy since the Club World Cup in 2022 when they face Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday.

Leading Chelsea to Champions League qualification and silverware would be a fitting riposte to Maresca’s doubters after a turbulent debut season in charge for the Italian.

Chelsea had won only seven of their previous 18 away league games, in contrast to their impressive record of 12 wins from 19 at Stamford Bridge.

But they rose to Maresca’s challenge after he urged them to prove they could cope with the pressure of a must-win match on the road.

Forest, who were third for several weeks, paid the price for failing to win any of their last four home games.

Despite missing out on the Champions League, Forest’s highest finish since coming third in 1994-95 was an impressive achievement for a club that battled to avoid relegation on the final day of last season.

Forest’s players were greeted by hundreds of fans waving red flares and balloons when they stepped off the team bus, setting the tone for a raucous atmosphere that peaked when Taiwo Awoniyi came onto the pitch just before kick-off.

Awoniyi sustained a serious abdominal injury after colliding with a post against Leicester and has been recovering after being placed in an induced coma following surgery.

Nuno Espirito Santo had urged Forest to use the Nigerian striker’s recovery from his horrific injury as their inspiration.

There was no lack of endeavour from Nuno’s team as they worked tirelessly to rattle Chelsea, but chances were at a premium in a tense clash.

It took Chelsea half an hour to create a chance of note when Pedro Neto shot wastefully over from five yards after Cole Palmer’s cross picked out the winger.

Forest striker Chris Wood squandered a similar opportunity just before half-time as he met Ola Aina’s cross with a volley that flashed over from close range.

With an average age of 24 years and 36 days, Chelsea’s starting line-up was the youngest over the course of an entire season in the Premier League era.

Chelsea’s lack of experience has been an issue at times in a rocky season, but they got the job done in the 50th minute.

Neco Williams’ weak attempt to head clear was seized on by Neto and his low cross reached Colwill for a tap-in at the far post.


Lando Norris wins in Monaco to slash Oscar Piastri’s F1 lead

Updated 25 May 2025
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Lando Norris wins in Monaco to slash Oscar Piastri’s F1 lead

  • Win is Briton’s first since Melbourne, who cuts Australian’s lead to three points
  • Mandatory second pitstop fails to change order

MONACO: Lando Norris celebrated his first Monaco Grand Prix win from pole position on Sunday and slashed McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri’s Formula One lead to three points in a race more about strategy than speed.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished runner-up in the home race he won last year, with Piastri third and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen fourth — all four finishing in the order they started.
The afternoon featured two mandatory pitstops for the first time but hopes of more action around the harborside circuit fell short.
Drivers through the field played a waiting game, with Verstappen holding off his final stop until the penultimate lap and those behind biding their time while keeping out of trouble. Norris ultimately lapped all but four cars.
The win was the Briton’s second in eight races and first since the Australian season-opener in March, as well as McLaren’s first at Monaco since 2008.
“Monaco baby!,” he shouted over the radio as the chequered flag finally fell.
“The last quarter was stressful with Leclerc behind and Max ahead but we won in Monaco,” said Norris.
“This is what I dreamed of when I was a kid, so I achieved one of my dreams.”
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was fifth with Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar sixth and Haas’s Esteban Ocon seventh.
Liam Lawson scored his first points of the season for Racing Bulls in eighth place and Williams completed the top 10 with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz.
Mercedes had a dismal afternoon in the Mediterranean sunshine, after a nightmare in qualifying, with George Russell 11th and Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli 18th and the last car still running.
The virtual safety car was deployed on the opening lap when Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto went into the tire wall at Portier, the turn before the tunnel, as Antonelli passed on the inside.
Bortoleto made it back to the pits and continued.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was the first retirement, the Frenchman crashing into the back of Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull at the tunnel exit on lap nine and limping back to the pits with the front left wheel hanging off.
“Is he an idiot, what is he doing?” exclaimed Tsunoda.
Gasly, who said he had no brakes, almost took out Argentine rookie team mate Franco Colapinto as he careered through the Nouvelle Chicane.
Aston Martin’s double world champion Fernando Alonso was the second retirement, pulling off on lap 38 with a smoking car to continue his scoreless run for the season.


Saleh Al-Shehri returns for Al-Ittihad ahead of SPL trophy celebrations and King’s Cup final

Updated 25 May 2025
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Saleh Al-Shehri returns for Al-Ittihad ahead of SPL trophy celebrations and King’s Cup final

  • The Saudi international had been sidelined since April 17 with a hamstring injury

JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad striker Saleh Al-Shehri has returned to full training ahead of the club’s Saudi Pro League title celebrations and their final league fixture against Damac on Monday.

The Saudi international had been sidelined since April 17 with a hamstring injury sustained during a match against Al-Fateh in round 28.

He missed five games during his recovery but trained with the squad on Saturday under the watchful eye of head coach Laurent Blanc.

His return comes as a timely boost for the Jeddah club, which will also welcome back several key players ahead of a crucial fortnight.

French striker Karim Benzema and Algerian midfielder Houssem Aouar are both back from injury, while Brazilian enforcer Fabinho Tavares is available once again after serving a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation.

Al-Ittihad resumed training on Saturday following a short two-day break, with preparations now focused on Monday’s season finale and the King’s Cup final against Al-Qadsiah on May 30.

With the league title already secured, Blanc’s side will be hoping to finish their campaign on a high before lifting the Roshn League trophy in front of their home fans at the King Abdullah Sports City.


UAE jiu-jitsu team dominates day one in Amman with two golds

UAE team captured two gold, two silver and three bronze medals. supplied
Updated 25 May 2025
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UAE jiu-jitsu team dominates day one in Amman with two golds

  • The team captured two gold, two silver and three bronze medals in the men’s divisions, reaffirming its dominance in one of the continent’s most prestigious jiu-jitsu competitions

Amman: The UAE National Jiu-Jitsu Team began its campaign at the 9th Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship with a strong showing, securing seven medals on the first day of competition at Prince Hamzah Hall in Al-Hussein Youth City, Amman.

The team captured two gold, two silver and three bronze medals in the men’s divisions, reaffirming its dominance in one of the continent’s most prestigious jiu-jitsu competitions.

Theyab Al-Nuaimi (56kg) and Mohamed Ali Al-Suwaidi (69kg) each claimed gold, while Omar Al-Suwaidi (56kg) and Khaled Al-Shehhi (62kg) earned silver. Mehdi Al-Awlaki (77kg), Hazza Al-Qubaisi (85kg) and Faraj Al-Awlaki (94kg) brought home bronze.

Fahad Ali Al-Shamsi, secretary-general of the UAE and Asian Jiu-Jitsu Federations, congratulated the athletes, citing sustained support from wise leadership as a key factor in their continental success.

“This encouraging start reflects the hard work of our technical and administrative teams, as well as the players’ dedication and discipline,” he said. “It’s a fantastic first step toward our goal of topping the overall rankings. Today’s achievement boosts our confidence in the team and emphasizes our athletes’ commitment to proudly represent the UAE.”

He also said that Mubadala Investment Company’s long-term strategic partnership, in place since 2023, had been instrumental in enhancing the team’s preparation and performance at major continental and international tournaments.

Head Coach Helder Medeiros was pleased with the results, citing the high quality of play and progress made by several Asian nations. He highlighted the team’s continued analysis and preparation for the upcoming women’s and under-21 competitions.

Gold medalist Theyab Al-Nuaimi regarded his triumph as a proud moment for both himself and his teammates, recognizing weeks of intense training and discipline. He also praised his coach and the federation for their support.


Galeno returns to Al-Ahli squad ahead of season finale

Updated 25 May 2025
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Galeno returns to Al-Ahli squad ahead of season finale

  • Key player available for selection in Monday’s crucial clash against Al-Riyad
  • Forward had been out of action since injury in Elite AFC Champions League final

Brazilian winger Wanderson Galeno has rejoined Al-Ahli’s first team after a three-week absence due to injury, the club confirmed on Saturday.

Al-Ahli announced via its official X platform account that Galeno has returned to full training, making him available for selection in Monday’s crucial clash against Al-Riyadh — the 34th and final round of the Saudi Pro League (Roshn League).

Galeno had been out since sustaining a thigh muscle injury during the Elite AFC Champions League final against Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale on May 3. He scored in that match, helping Al-Ahli to secure a 2–0 victory and lift the continental title.

Since his arrival from Brazil in January, Galeno has made a strong impact with 18 appearances, netting seven goals and providing five assists for the Jeddah-based side.