Vingegaard leads Tour ahead of ‘decisive’ mountains

Jumbo-Visma's Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey cycles during the 12th stage of the Tour de France cycling race, 169 km between Roanne and Belleville-en-Beaujolais, in central-eastern France, on Thursday. (File/AFP)
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Updated 14 July 2023
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Vingegaard leads Tour ahead of ‘decisive’ mountains

  • It was a second win for Izagirre’s team Cofidis after Victor Lafay triumphed in San Sebastian, and also a second Basque win after Pello Bilbao won stage 10 on Tuesday
  • For Friday’s French national holiday of July 14 the Tour has programmed a marquee mountain finish at the top of Le Grand Colombier in the Jura mountain range

BELLEVILLE, FRANCE: Basque rider Ion Izagirre broke away to claim stage 12 of the Tour de France on Thursday as defending champion Jonas Vingegaard retained a slender lead in his duel with Tadej Pogacar.

After a fast-paced ride through the Beaujolais vineyards Vingegaard is only 17 seconds clear of Pogacar in the overall standings ahead of three days in the mountains the Dane described as “decisive.”

For Friday’s French national holiday of July 14 the Tour has programmed a marquee mountain finish at the top of Le Grand Colombier in the Jura mountain range — a regular obstacle on recent Tours.

“Tomorrow will be a decisive day,” Vingegaard said.

“It’s a long, hard climb, it all comes down to who is feeling good and who is not,” he added.

Pogacar, the Tour winner in 2020 and 2021, said: “I want to win it. It’s a good climb, if I have the legs I’ll attack. I should be good.”

Pogacar added he wanted an early night ahead of the Grand Colombier.

On a lighter note Vingegaard admitted to enjoying a tipple in his free time when asked about the local wine as he dropped his often cagey approach to the press.

“My wife and I enjoy a bottle of wine from time to time but as a cyclist obviously not so often. Personally I prefer a bottle of white,” he said.

It was a second win for Izagirre’s team Cofidis after Victor Lafay triumphed in San Sebastian, and also a second Basque win after Pello Bilbao won stage 10 on Tuesday.

“It’s great for the Basques, three stages there and two wins for us (the Basques),” Izagirre said.

“Tonight we’re going to have a party,” said the winner who will be far from alone with France preparing for its national holiday on Friday.

There was around 25km of climbing on the run from Roanne to Belleville as the peloton tore across the hilly route with the pack splintering.

Cutting an infernal pace, over 100 riders soon fell off as they pedalled through some of France’s most prestigious vineyards.

An elite escape group formed only 80km from home and even this divided many times before the 34-year-old Izagirre made his decisive move on the fifth and toughest ascent, the Col de la Croix Rosier, a 5.3km-long stretch at eight percent gradient 28km from the finish.

Having won stages on all three Grand Tours Izagirre executed a ruthless finale, extending his lead all the way to the line in Belleville.

Frenchman Thibaut Pinot was part of the breakaway gaining over four minutes on the main contenders and climbing back into the top 10.

Belgian sprinter Jasper Philipsen had hoped for a quiet day in the peloton with the possibility of a bunch sprint where he could glean a fifth stage win but he did at least retain his huge lead in the green jersey standings.

Another fast man, Fabio Jakobsen of the Quick-Step team, withdrew from the Tour ahead of stage 12, struggling to shake off the after-effects of a hard fall.

“At this point it seems impossible for me to get to Paris,” he explained.

Others might be persuaded of this impossibility if they take a close look at the road ahead.

Saturday ends with a sensational downhill ride from Les Portes du Soleil, while 24 hours later it should be a blockbuster climb at Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc.


Djokovic races into French Open fourth round

Updated 8 sec ago
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Djokovic races into French Open fourth round

  • The sixth seed will face 81st-ranked Cameron Norrie for a spot in the quarter-finals

PARIS: Novak Djokovic was in a hurry on Saturday as the 24-time Grand Slam winner dismissed world number 153 Filip Misolic 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to book his place spot in the last 16 at Roland Garros.
The three-time French Open champion needed just over two hours to beat his Austrian opponent in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Djokovic had previously joked that he was not keen on potentially playing the late match on center court on Saturday as it would overlap with the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan.
“It’s going to be PSG that I will support. I will definitely watch it if I’m not playing night session,” said AC Milan fan Djokovic.
“Yeah, that will be nice. FYI, Roland Garros schedule...”
With the umpire obliged to request excited local spectators concentrate on the match happening in front of them, the Serb was likely in little doubt as to the situation of the football match taking place in Munich.
But Djokovic put his quest for a record-breaking 25th major title firmly to the forefront of his mind as he overwhelmed Misolic with a typically clinical performance.
“I think I was solid in the important moments across the three sets,” said Djokovic who praised his opponent with whom he regularly practices.
“I would like you to give him a big round of applause,” he requested of the crowd in Paris.
The 38-year-old faced only one break point, which he saved, while hitting just 14 unforced errors to 33 winners.
The sixth seed will face 81st-ranked Cameron Norrie for a spot in the quarter-finals, after the former top 10 Brit earlier beat his compatriot Jacob Fearnley in straight sets.


Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League in style

Updated 5 min 19 sec ago
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Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League in style

  • Qatari-owned club thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in the most one-sided final in the competition’s history

MUNICH, Germany: Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time by thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 on Saturday in the most one-sided final in the competition’s history.
Teenager Desire Doue scored twice for PSG and set up the opening goal for Achraf Hakimi in Munich’s Allianz Arena before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made it four and then 19-year-old substitute Senny Mayulu completed the scoring.
PSG took the lead after 12 minutes when Hakimi sidefooted home a pass from Doue.
The Parisians went 2-0 ahead eight minutes later when their defender Willian Pacho improbably kept the ball from going out at the PSG end and the resulting fast-flowing move led to Doue firing in a deflected shot that evaded Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
PSG made it 3-0 with a goal created by Vitinha’s surging run. He exchanged passes with Ousmane Dembele, before delivering a pass into the path of 19-year-old Doue who drilled the ball into the net.
The match was put beyond doubt by Georgian international Kvaratskhelia’s brilliant low finish before Mayulu rounded off a slick passing move.
Qatari-owned PSG are just the second French club since Marseille in 1993 to win European football’s top trophy.
 


PSG fans display banner calling for end to ‘genocide’ in Gaza during Champions League final

Updated 31 May 2025
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PSG fans display banner calling for end to ‘genocide’ in Gaza during Champions League final

  • PSG fans are known for their stance against the war in Gaza
  • The latest banner was likely to lead to disquiet among local authorities in Munich

MUNICH: Paris Saint-Germain supporters displayed a banner saying “Stop genocide in Gaza” during the Champions League final on Saturday.

They raised it shortly after Achraf Hakimi gave their team a 1-0 lead against his former side Inter Milan in the 12th minute. Désiré Doué scored PSG’s second after the banner was raised for a 2-0 halftime lead.

PSG fans are known for their stance against the war in Gaza. They previously displayed a giant banner saying “Free Palestine” in November during the Champions League match against Atlético Madrid.

The latest banner was likely to lead to disquiet among local authorities in Munich. Munich’s city hall displays an Israeli flag as well as a Ukrainian one, and German support for Israel is strong for historical reasons.

PSG could also face a fine. UEFA bans the use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit a provocative message that is judged not fit for a sports event, particularly provocative messages that are of a political, ideological, religious or offensive nature.

Financial penalties are typical for a first offense — 10,000 euros ($10,700) for a political banner or disturbances.

Israel’s nearly three-month blockade on Gaza has pushed the population of over two million to the brink of famine. It has allowed some aid to enter in recent days, but aid organizations say far from enough is getting in.

The UN World Food Program said the fear of starvation in Gaza is high.


21 athletes killed in Nigeria road crash

Updated 31 May 2025
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21 athletes killed in Nigeria road crash

  • The Federal Road Safety Corps said the afternoon crash “might have occurred as a result of fatigue and excessive speed“
  • The athletes were returning from the 22nd National Sports Festival

ABUJA: A bus crash on a Nigerian highway on Saturday killed 21 athletes returning from a national sports tournament, with authorities saying the accident might have been the result of driver fatigue or excessive speed.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said the afternoon crash, which did not involve other vehicles, “might have occurred as a result of fatigue and excessive speed” after a long overnight trip.

The athletes were returning to Kano, in Nigeria’s north, from the 22nd National Sports Festival, held around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to the south in Ogun state.


President Bola Tinubu had recently said the games, which included sports ranging from wheelchair basketball to traditional west African wrestling, represented “the unity, strength and resilience that define us as a nation.”

Road accidents are common on Nigeria’s poorly maintained roads due largely to speeding and a disregard for traffic rules.

Last year Nigeria recorded 9,570 road accidents that resulted in 5,421 deaths, according to FRSC data.


Portuguese goalkeeper Patricio joins Al-Ain for Club World Cup

Updated 31 May 2025
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Portuguese goalkeeper Patricio joins Al-Ain for Club World Cup

  • “Patricio will arrive to the UAE tomorrow evening to undergo medical tests,” Al-Ain said
  • Patricio played 108 matches for Portugal

ABU DHABI: Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio will join Al-Ain on a short-term contract for the Club World Cup, the team from the United Arab Emirates said on Saturday.

“Al-Ain has signed Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio to participate with the team in the 2025 Club World Cup,” the club said on X about the 37-year-old Portugal international who is joining them from Atalanta.

“Patricio will arrive to the United Arab Emirates tomorrow evening to undergo medical tests and join the first-team training,” Al-Ain added.


Patricio played 108 matches for Portugal, helping them win Euro 2016, and has had spells with Sporting Lisbon, Wolverhampton Wanderers and AS Roma.

Al-Ain, who won the AFC Champions League title in 2024, reached the final of the 2018 Club World Cup final in front of their home fans.

This year’s revamped 32-team tournament will take place in the United States in June and July.

Al Ain have been drawn in Group G with Juventus, Manchester City and Morocco’s Wydade.

FIFA opened an exceptional transfer window from June 1-10 to allow players to be signed for the tournament.