Astana’s Dario Cataldo on Sunday won the 15th stage of the Giro d’Italia in Como, outsprinting the other survivor of a long breakaway, fellow Italian, Mattia Cattaneo.
Richard Carapaz, the overall leader, finished 11 seconds behind with Simon Yates and Vincenzo Nibali, but Primoz Roglic, who came off his bike on the final descent, lost 40 seconds to the Ecuadoran.
While Cataldo and Cattaneo of Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec played cat and mouse up the final straight for the stage victory, the heavyweight contenders were fighting a desperate battle for seconds behind them at the end of the 232km stage.
Photo: AFP
Nibali of Bahrain-Merida attacked throughout the closing stages and only Carapaz and two Britons, Yates of Mitchelton-Scott, and Hugh Carthy of EF Education First, managed to stay with the Italian.
They finished just 11 seconds behind Cataldo. Yates snatched third to pick up a four-second bonus.
“I wanted to see how the others responded,” Nibali said at the finish, adding that he was happy he was “able to do something.”
Carapaz increased his lead to 47 seconds over Roglic. Nibali is another minute further back in third place.
“Among those in contention for the victory, there is also Carapaz,” the Ecuadoran said, but accepted Nibali had taken the initiative on the stage. “It was a mistake, on my part and on Roglic’s part, to give him so much space.”
The Movistar Team rider said Nibali was a threat.
“I think he’s very strong,” Carapaz said. “I think I’m going to be seeing a lot of him this week. We both want to finish on the podium, so it should be quite a spectacle for the people watching on the TV.”
Nibali was greeted at the finish by the 36-year-old Alberto Contador, winner of seven Grand Tours.
“I told him that he has always been an inspiration,” said the 34 year-old Sicilian, who has won four Grand Tours. “He could attack unexpectedly, up or down, in a key stage or on a transitional stage. He didn’t want to be second or third, he was just riding to win. That’s a champion’s mindset.”
Spaniard Mikel Landa, the Movistar Team leader, was part of a quintet that finished 36 seconds behind the winners.
Slovenian Roglic, who started the day seven seconds behind Carapaz, rode into a barrier taking a corner too wide as the contenders took terrifying risks on the final descent.
He had to exchange bikes with a teammate and came in 51 seconds behind the winner in a trio that also contained Trek-Segafredo’s Dutchman Bauke Mollema.
Nibali said Vuelta a Espana champion Yates had demonstrated better form.
“He is more than five minutes away, but he has shown that his condition is improving,” Nibali said.
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
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
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
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and