CYCLING
Contador takes firm grip
Alberto Contador took a firm grip of the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol in Spain after claiming victory on the third stage on Friday to extend his overall lead over Chris Froome to 27 seconds. The 157.6km stage from Motril to Alto de Hazallanas was the first summit finish for either Contador or Froome this season and just like in the Vuelta a Espana in September last year, the Spaniard was too strong for the 2013 Tour de France winner. Froome was not even in the initial chasing group when Contador attacked, but got stronger as the climb went on to finish 19 seconds behind in second place. France’s Romain Bardet was third, a further 1 minute, 22 seconds back. Second place was also enough to move Froome up to second in the general classification, 1 minute, 32 seconds ahead of Benat Intxausti.
CYCLING
Rafael Valls wins stage
Spain’s Rafael Valls won Friday’s tough Tour of Oman fourth stage with a summit finish on Green Mountain to take the overall lead. Tejay van Garderen of the US came home second 5 seconds adrift, with Spaniard Alejandro Valverde at 19 seconds completing the podium. Valls prised the leader’s red jersey from Fabian Cancellara with Van Garderen moving second overall 19 seconds behind, with two stages remaining. “I am the first one to be surprised,” Valls said. “I didn’t expect to win at all, especially with the riders left in the final group,” added Valls, who picked up only his second career stage win and the first since the Tour of San Luis five years ago.
GOLF
Goosen grabs one-shot lead
South African veteran Retief Goosen, a two-time US Open winner, seized a one-shot lead at the Northern Trust Open in Pacific Palisades, California, on Friday in tough conditions more reminiscent of a major championship. On a firm and fast-running Riviera Country Club layout where most players struggled to get the ball close, Goosen scrambled well as he eked out a one-under 70 in the second round. That gave Goosen, who is seeking his first PGA Tour victory since 2009, a slender one-shot advantage over Americans Ryan Moore (68) and Justin Thomas (69), as well as Canadian Graham DeLaet (67).
GOLF
Chawrasia leads at halfway
Local favorite S.S.P. Chawrasia’s 36-hole bogey-free run at his happy hunting ground earned a one-shot halfway lead over holder Siddikur Rahman at the Delhi Golf Course on Friday. The ever-smiling Indian birdied the opening hole and picked up three more shots on the back nine for a two-day total of 10-under 132 at the course where he has won twice. Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat was a further three shots behind after an even-par round.
GOLF
Ko, Ariya share Open lead
World No. 1 Lydia Ko and Thai teenager Ariya Jutanugarn shared the lead after the third round of the Women’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne yesterday. The New Zealand teenager’s usual birdie haul eluded her, with searing temperatures baking the greens. She collected three birdies against two bogeys in a round of one-under 72 to move to seven-under. Ariya had three birdies and two bogeys to stay with Ko in what is shaping up as a titanic battle. South Korea’s Amy Yang also laid down a challenge after a three-under 70 to be a shot back. Chen Ssu-chia (77) was the highest-ranked Taiwanese on seven-over 226, while Hsu Wei-ling (80) and Min Lee (81) were another five shots back.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
Doping fears prevented former US Open champion Emma Raducanu from treating insect bites on the eve of the Australian Open, she said, with players increasingly wary about ingesting contaminated substances. The British player was speaking in the wake of high-profile doping cases involving Iga Swiatak and Jannik Sinner. “I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use,” the 22-year-old said, recalling an incident on Friday. “I got really badly bitten by, I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess,” she added. The bites “flared up and swelled up really a
TWO IN A WEEK: Despite an undefeated start to the year playing alongside Jiang Xinyu of China, Wu Fang-hsien is to play the Australian Open with a Russian partner Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien yesterday triumphed at the Hobart International, winning the women’s doubles title at the US$275,094 outdoor hard-court tournament, while McCartney Kessler lifted the trophy in the women’s singles. Fourth-ranked Wu and partner Jiang Xinyu of China took 1 hour, 15 minutes to defeat Romania’s Monica Niculescu and Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) at the Hobart International Tennis Centre, their second title in a week. Wu and Jiang on Sunday won the women’s doubles title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, beating Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Sabrina Santamaria of the US. Their winning ways continued in Australia as they stretched
Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists” where avid amateurs can chase Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square kilometer in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in the past few years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the stretch of coast between Valencia and Alicante now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January, the region experiences an invasion of cyclists. Star names such as three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe
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