Sebastien Loeb claimed the lead in the Rally of Greece on Friday, opening up a 6.5 second lead over Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala after a demanding second day in tricky conditions.
French world champion Loeb, who has not won in Greece for four years, trailed Latvala by 2.8 seconds after Thursday’s first stage, but showed his class on the rock-strewn terrain in and around the gulf of Corinth.
Friday’s itinerary consisted of eight stages over a grueling 12-hour period with service during the day restricted to two 15-minute remote stops in the town of Itea.
Loeb took the lead on Stage 4, Elikonas, and held it until the final stage of the day, SS9.
“We are leading, so that’s the most important thing. There was a lot of dust in this stage and I made two mistakes near the end, but generally it was a good day,” Loeb said.
Latvala, who has made an impressive return from a broken collarbone that forced him to miss the previous round in Argentina, reduced Loeb’s lead to just 6.5 seconds.
The factory Ford driver suffered the injury while on a cross-country skiing training run in Lapland.
Back behind the wheel, the Ford driver’s stage win on the second run through Thiva saw him beat Loeb by 3.7 seconds, as the Citroen man battled with visibility issues because of numerous delayed cars ahead kicking up dust.
“It has been a reasonably good day; I started gaining back my driving in the afternoon,” Latvala said. “I will try to catch him tomorrow, but it’s like in Finland, where the differences are in seconds.”
Latvala’s teammate Petter Solberg also shaved time off Loeb’s lead on Thiva and heads into the overnight break 17.7 seconds off the lead in third place.
In the second Citroen, fourth-placed Mikko Hirvonen lost time after suffering a puncture, which the Finn suspected was the result of some slight deviations off the beaten track while unsighted by dust.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely