Frenchman Jonathan Hivert won the first stage of the Tour of Andalusia on Monday, a 164km ride from San Fernando to Ubrique.
The 27-year-old — who is in top form having won France’s first professional race of the season the Etoile de Besseges earlier this month — prevailed in a sprint finish ahead of Spaniard Alejandro Valverde and Dutchman Bauke Mollema.
Movistar rider Valverde retained the overall lead, holding a seven second advantage over Belgium’s Jurgen Van den Broeck and Mollema, who is a further four seconds back, after the Spaniard won Sunday’s prologue.
Photo: EPA
Hivert is eighth overall and 25 seconds off the lead.
Katusha win appeal
AFP, PARIS
Cycling’s World Tour will feature 19 teams this season, instead of 18, after Russian cycling team Katusha won their appeal to be reinstated, the sport’s world governing body UCI announced on Monday.
“Exceptionally there are 19 registered UCI ProTeams in the 2013 season,” a UCI statement read. “The decision comes further to the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS] ruling of 15 February 2013 which upheld the application of Katusha Management SA to be registered as a UCI ProTeam for the season 2013.”
Katusha won its appeal to the CAS after being excluded from the circuit in December, leaving them at the mercy of the organizers of the major Tours as to whether they are invited to compete or not.
The CAS initially upheld the ruling last month, but overturned that decision on appeal on Friday.
The controversial team, who count last year’s World Tour champion Joaquim Rodriguez of Spain and Russia’s Denis Menchov in their ranks, is run by Russia’s Viacheslav Ekimov, a former teammate of Lance Armstrong.
In November the Association of Race Organisers warned it would only consider handing out invitations to teams which had signed up to the anti-doping charter — the Movement for Credible Cycling.
Katusha had been refused a wild-card entry to this year’s Giro d’Italia as they had not signed up for the Movement, but they have since done so as a probationary member.
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Shohei Ohtani on Thursday delivered his first two-homer game of the season and had six RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers poured it on with five long balls in a 19-2 victory over the visiting Athletics. Max Muncy, Andy Pages and James Outman also hit home runs for the Dodgers, who left no doubt by taking a 13-2 lead following a seven-run third inning. Muncy and Kim Hye-seong each had three hits for Los Angeles. Dodgers right-hander Matt Sauer led off a bullpen game by allowing two runs in four innings. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (1-1) finished with four scoreless innings after he
RSS