Defending women’s Tour de France champion Demi Vollering wins time trial and takes overall lead

Defending women’s Tour de France champion Demi Vollering wins time trial and takes overall lead
Team SD Worx - Protime's Dutch rider Demi Vollering crosses the finish line during the 3rd stage (out of 8) of the third staging of the Women's Tour de France cycling race, a 6,3 km individual time trial between Rotterdam and Rotterdam, on Aug. 13, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 14 August 2024
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Defending women’s Tour de France champion Demi Vollering wins time trial and takes overall lead

Defending women’s Tour de France champion Demi Vollering wins time trial and takes overall lead
  • Vollering’s win made it three victories in three stages for Dutch riders as the eight-stage tour started in the Netherlands
  • Vollering leads the race overall standings by three seconds from teammate Wiebes with Dygert in third place after three stages

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands: Defending women’s Tour de France champion Demi Vollering won a short, sharp time trial through the streets of Rotterdam on Tuesday to take the overall leader’s yellow jersey from fellow Dutch rider Charlotte Kool in the third stage of this year’s tour.

Vollering’s win made it three victories in three stages for Dutch riders as the eight-stage tour started in the Netherlands.

Vollering, of the SD Worx-Protime team finished the 6.3-kilometer (3.9-mile) dash over tram rails and bridges in downtown Rotterdam in 7 minutes, 25 seconds. Her victory came hours after Kool beat another Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes on the line in the second stage.

“I’m very surprised. I didn’t see this coming,” Vollering, one of the favorites to win the tour, told Dutch broadcaster NOS.

American Chloe Dygert, who won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics individual time trial, and a gold on the Olympic track in the team pursuit, finished second behind Vollering in 7:30, narrowly ahead of Loes Adegeest.

Olympic time trial champion Grace Brown of Australia rode a gold-colored bike through the streets of Rotterdam but suffered a puncture, forcing her to swap onto another bike — without the gold paint job — and lose valuable time.

Vollering leads the race overall standings by three seconds from teammate Wiebes with Dygert in third place after three stages.

Earlier Tuesday, Kool, of the DSM-Firmenich PostNL team, made it two wins out of two as she passed Olympic road race silver medalist Marianne Vos then overtook Wiebes just before the finishing line in 1 hour, 32 minutes and 49 seconds. Vos finished third.

“Dreams seem to come true quite fast these days. First yesterday with the win and then to do it again with the team today in the yellow jersey, it is just incredible,” Kool said.

The first of Tuesday’s two stages took the riders 69.7 kilometers (43.3 miles) from Dordrecht to the nearby port city of Rotterdam through a typical Dutch landscape of pancake flat polders, waterside dikes and past World Heritage-listed windmills before ending in downtown Rotterdam.

Kool was wearing the leader’s yellow jersey after winning the opening stage in The Hague on Monday, kept it after her second straight stage win and then had to cede it to Vollering after the time trial.

After starting in the southern Dutch town of Valkenburg on Wednesday, the race heads south into Belgium, finishing in Liege. It then winds through eastern France to finish Aug. 18 at the top of the punishing climb of the Alpe d’Huez’s famous 21 hairpin bends.


Hamilton to start from the pit lane in Belgium

Hamilton to start from the pit lane in Belgium
Updated 27 July 2025
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Hamilton to start from the pit lane in Belgium

Hamilton to start from the pit lane in Belgium
  • The seven-times Formula One world champion won at Spa with Mercedes last year but has had a nightmare so far, qualifying 18th in Friday’s sprint qualifying and finishing 15th in Saturday’s 100km race

FRANCORCHAMPS: Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix from the pit lane with a new power unit after qualifying only 16th, Ferrari said.

The seven-times Formula One world champion won at Spa with Mercedes last year but has had a nightmare so far, qualifying 18th in Friday’s sprint qualifying and finishing 15th in Saturday’s 100km race.

Hamilton has won five times in Belgium and has been on the podium in all but two of the races he has finished at the longest circuit on the calendar.

The Briton, who moved to the Italian team in January and has yet to stand on the podium for them, apologized to Ferrari on Saturday for a performance he said was unacceptable.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli will also start from the pit lane after those teams also changed engine components.

Sunday’s race is set to be wet. The Formula Two feature race started behind the safety car while the Formula Three race was canceled entirely due to the conditions.


Ukraine lead standings after Day 6 of IMMAF Youth World Championships in Al-Ain

Ukraine lead standings after Day 6 of IMMAF Youth World Championships in Al-Ain
Updated 27 July 2025
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Ukraine lead standings after Day 6 of IMMAF Youth World Championships in Al-Ain

Ukraine lead standings after Day 6 of IMMAF Youth World Championships in Al-Ain
  • England deliver a strong showing to stay close behind, while Tajikistan round out the top three

ALAIN: Day 6 of the IMMAF Youth World Championships featured action in the Youth A (16-17 years) category, as the competition heads into its final stretch with Ukraine at the top of the medal table.

The International Mixed Martial Arts federation tournament is taking place in the Al-Ain region for the first time, under the patronage of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi.

In Saturday’s bouts, defending champions Ukraine held their lead and remain favorites to retain the title. England delivered another strong showing to stay close behind, while Tajikistan rounded out the top three.

Mohammed Jasem Al-Hosani, member of the MMA committee at the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation, said: “The sixth edition of this championship reflects the UAE’s growing stature on the global mixed martial arts map. It sets a benchmark in professional organisation, community engagement, and international participation. The strong turnout and competitive spirit we’ve seen over the past week highlight the success of the federation’s strategy to grow the sport and prepare new generations to represent their nations in elite competitions.”

Gillian Pensavalle, mother of Valentina Pensavalle, who won gold in the Youth A bantamweight (61kg) division, said: “We came all the way from England to take part in this important championship. We’re thrilled with the result and proud of the gold medal. It took a lot of preparation and hard work. We’ve really enjoyed the experience. Al Ain region is a beautiful place, and the atmosphere at the event has been incredible. We’re already looking forward to coming back next year.”

The IMMAF Youth World Championships conclude on Sunday with the final bouts in the Youth A category. These matches will determine the final medal standings.

 


AG.AL complete comeback to win Honor of Kings Grand Final at Esports World Cup 2025

AG.AL complete comeback to win Honor of Kings Grand Final at Esports World Cup 2025
Updated 27 July 2025
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AG.AL complete comeback to win Honor of Kings Grand Final at Esports World Cup 2025

AG.AL complete comeback to win Honor of Kings Grand Final at Esports World Cup 2025
  • Victory lands team $750,000 prize and 1,000 Club Championship points
  • AG.AL’s Jiahao ‘Zoe’ Chen wins $10,000 as tournament MVP

RIYADH: AG.AL won the Honor of Kings Grand Final at Esports World Cup 2025 after coming back from 3-1 down to win the best-of-seven series 4-3.

Team AG.AL won the first game before quickly finding themselves 3-1 down to team TT Global. Battling back, AG.AL displayed skill and determination to tie the match 3-3, taking the Grand Final to a conclusive seventh game.

Riding the momentum, AG.AL managed to secure the championship win with a confident performance in the seventh game, winning the series 4-3.

“I feel extremely happy, and I would like to give a huge applause to all my teammates, we did make a miracle happen,” said AG.AL’s Bicheng “YiNuo” Xu. “We showed our persistence and perseverance during those times when we were losing and behind.”

Team AG.AL overcame challenges from 17 other clubs to win the tournament, claim a $750,000 prize and secure 1,000 Club Championship points, taking the team to second place on the Club Championship table.

AG.AL’s Jiahao “Zoe” Chen was named the MVP after the impressive comeback win in the final. He will receive an additional $10,000 and the MVP medal to recognise his achievements.

Discussing the significance of the win and how the tournament has supported the team to elevate their profile internationally, AG.AL’s Xu said: “AG.AL is very well known in China, I think that everyone in China who has an interest in esports has heard of us.

“That being said, we might not be quite as well known on the global stage, and I believe this win has given us a big opportunity. Winning this championship at the Esports World Cup 2025 has introduced us to the world and now they will remember the name AG.AL. and who we are.”

The third week of EWC 2025 continues until Sunday, July 27 with finals in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

 


Joaquin Niemann running away from field in UK

Joaquin Niemann running away from field in UK
Updated 27 July 2025
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Joaquin Niemann running away from field in UK

Joaquin Niemann running away from field in UK
  • Niemann, already a four-time winner on the LIV Golf tour this season, is looking to add his to his titles at Adelaide, Singapore, Mexico City and Virginia

Joaquin Niemann of Chile has opened up a six-stroke lead heading into Sunday’s final round at LIV Golf United Kingdom.

The Torque GC captain moved to 14-under par with an 8-under 65 on Saturday at the JCB Golf and Country Club in Rocester, England. He racked up nine birdies with a lone bogey at the par-4 15th hole.

Bubba Watson is in solo second at 8-under after a second-round 68. England’s Paul Casey (68), Caleb Surratt (68) and Poland’s Adrian Meronk (70) are tied for third at 7-under.

Niemann, already a four-time winner on the LIV Golf tour this season, is looking to add his to his titles at Adelaide, Singapore, Mexico City and Virginia.

“I had a great time. I made a lot of putts,” Niemann said. “I was laughing at it sometimes because I’m not used to seeing so many of those going in, and it’s kind of cool to see that.

“Other than that, I hit some good shots. Everything felt pretty much under control, off the tee, irons, putting. Yeah, just pretty happy the way I’ve been going through the last two days.”

Niemann had five birdies on the front nine, including three in a row at Nos. 1-3.

“I think it’s a great course for my eyes,” said Niemann, who was T2 here last year. “I feel like there’s a lot of blind shots. There’s a lot of left-to- right shots, left-to-right, right-to-left. You’ve got to move it around. You’ve got to use different types of shots off the tee, as well. I feel pretty confident on this course. Hopefully I can improve one position from last year, and I’ll be pretty happy.”

Niemann’s Torque GC is also in front for the team championship at 24-under, three shots ahead of Legion XIII as it seeks its first team title since 2023.

“We know we can do it. We’ve been close for a few chances,” Niemann said. .”.. I think it’s going to be an exciting day for all of us tomorrow and hopefully see low scores from the four of us.”

Watson knows it will take a hot round and perhaps poor weather to keep Niemann off the top of the podium.

“He’s playing so good, you don’t expect him to do anything, like come backwards,” Watson said. “Wind direction — I haven’t looked at the weather. That can change a golf course or how we play it, pin setups.

“But we’re going to give it our all and then hopefully that’s good enough, have a round like he’s having (Saturday). He shoots like even or 1-under, whatever it is — but we’re just going to go out there and do the same thing and hopefully that’s good enough or have a really high finish.”

Five golfers are tied for sixth at 6-under, including Niemann’s Torque GC teammate Carlos Ortiz of Mexico.


Man Utd boss Amorim hails ‘really important’ Fernandes

Man Utd boss Amorim hails ‘really important’ Fernandes
Updated 27 July 2025
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Man Utd boss Amorim hails ‘really important’ Fernandes

Man Utd boss Amorim hails ‘really important’ Fernandes
  • Asked about Fernandes’ importance to the team, Amorim told reporters after the win: “It was so clear last season, you can see it with the goals and assists

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim heaped praise on captain Bruno Fernandes after the midfielder scored twice in a 2-1 pre-season win over fellow Premier League club West Ham United at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday.

Fernandes, who scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season and won the club’s Player of the Year award, was linked with a move to Saudi Pro-League club Al Hilal earlier this year.

However, the 30-year-old said last month that he had considered the move but ultimately turned it down to keep playing at the highest level.

Asked about Fernandes’ importance to the team, Amorim told reporters after the win: “It was so clear last season, you can see it with the goals and assists. But it’s not just that.

“I think now he has more players, I feel, to help him to lead the group, and that is a good thing. He is our leader and really important, not just on the field but off the field. He leads by example.

“Sometimes, the problem is he gets frustrated and loses a little bit of focus of his job. Sometimes, he wants to help the teammates so much, it is not the best thing to do. They have to do their job, and Bruno has, for example, to wait for the ball.”

United have signed Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo so far in the transfer window, with Amorim saying the signings would take some of the pressure off Fernandes in attack.

“Last year, I felt sometimes I pushed him back to have more possession in the build-up, and we miss Bruno near the box,” Amorim added.

“With different characteristics from Bryan (Mbeumo) and Matheus Cunha — and I really like Kobbie Mainoo’s game — he (Fernandes) will have more help this season.”