Spaniard Marc Marquez edged closer to the world title with a win at the Aragon MotoGP ahead of Jorge Lorenzo yesterday, when another of his closest challengers, Dani Pedrosa, crashed out in spectacular fashion.
The 20-year-old rookie started on pole, but needed to reel in world champion Lorenzo who had made a flying start to hit the front. He eventually passed the Yamaha rider with 10 laps to go and cruised home.
Marquez’s Honda teammate Pedrosa was in second place when he high-sided his bike and crashed as he came out of a corner with 18 laps to go. Initial reports said he had not suffered a serious injury.
Italian Valentino Rossi came in third ahead of Spaniard Alvaro Bautista, Germany’s Stefan Bradl and Britain’s Cal Crutchlow after a thrilling final-lap tussle between the four.
Championship leader Marquez moved on to 278 points with four races left, 39 ahead of second-placed Lorenzo. Pedrosa is third with 219 points.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or