Germany’s Pascal Ackermann on Thursday was declared winner of the ninth stage of the Vuelta a Espana after Sam Bennett was dramatically demoted for shoulder-barging in the final kilometer.
Bennett thought he had clinched his second stage win in Spain, but replays showed the infraction, leaving Ackermann to claim victory.
Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz of Ineos Grenadiers retained the overall lead.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Carapaz was 13 seconds ahead of Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic, with Ireland’s Dan Martin 28 seconds back in third place.
After crossing the line with his arms outstretched, Bennett said that it had been a “big fight” to secure what he thought was his 50th career victory.
“We had some guys nearly put us into the barriers trying to take the wheel, which was a bit sketchy, but we stayed upright,” Bennett said.
However, replays then showed what organizers decided amounted to “irregular sprinting” after Bennett twice barged into Emils Liepins, who had tried to slip into the Deceuninck-QuickStep train.
Ackermann believed the right decision was made.
“It wasn’t a fair action from him,” Ackermann said. “I think, after all the crashes in the last week, we have to take care of the other guys. If there is no gap, we have to stop. I feel sorry for Sam, but they took me out in Scheldeprijs and now we have to ride more fairly.”
“I’m really happy about this victory and also for my team, they did an awesome job today, they did it all from the front and I’m happy to give something back to them,” he said.
Deceuninck-QuickStep manager Patrick Lefevere vented his frustration on social media.
“What bullshit,” Lefevere wrote. “He was in his lead out and the @trek rider want to pull him out of it. But we know already a longtime the incompetence of the @Uci var safety first.”
At the halfway point in this year’s reduced 18-stage event, riders were presented with perhaps the flattest stage between Castrillo del Val and Aguilar de Campoo.
Bora-Hansgrohe and QuickStep made the biggest moves, with Bennett and Ackermann pulling away together with Jasper Philipsen in pursuit.
Bennett appeared to have timed his final surge to perfection, only for the video replays to cut him short.
Lotto-Soudal’s Gerben Thijssen came third to seal his second consecutive podium place in sprint stages.
An influx of soccer players to India from Australia has highlighted changing fortunes as the Indian Super League (ISL) flourishes and the A-League hits lean times during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just two Australians played in the Indian Super League last year, but 10 were among the 11 teams when the competition got under way in a bio-secure “bubble” in Goa last week. Non-Australian A-League players have also made the move, including English striker Adam Le Fondre — last season’s second-highest goal-scorer with Sydney FC — along with German defender Matti Steinman and Aaron Holloway of Wales. Much of the change is down to
‘YOU’RE CHAMPIONS’: Pope Francis told the NBA delegation that they had become models of teamwork, while remaining humble and preserving their own humanity Pope Francis on Monday met with NBA players at the Vatican, lauding them as “champions” and saying he supported their work on social justice. The five players — Marco Belinelli, Sterling Brown, Jonathan Isaac, Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver — were joined in the delegation by National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts and two other union executives, Sherrie Deans and Matteo Zuretti. “We’re here because, frankly, we’re inspired by the work that you do globally,” Roberts told the pope during the meeting in the Vatican Apostolic Library. The union said that the players spoke about their “individual and collective efforts addressing
TRYLESS ENCOUNTER: Australia’s Jordan Petaia came closest to scoring a try as Argentina remained unbeaten after a battle of penalties between Sanchez and Hodge Argentina yesterday battled back to earn a brutal 15-15 Tri Nations draw in a messy game against Australia, reinforcing their credentials after an epic win against the All Blacks last week. The Pumas looked in trouble when they slipped nine points behind in the second half in Newcastle, north of Sydney, but the golden boot of Nicolas Sanchez rescued them to keep the tournament wide open. After his 25 points against New Zealand, he again bagged them all, with his Australia opposite number Reece Hodge missing a penalty in the dying minutes to secure a win for the Wallabies. Mario Ledesma’s side came
‘ONE LAST APPLAUSE’: An homage of cheers resounded through Buenos Aires on Wednesday night, while earlier a contingent met at the Obelisk to remember their hero Stunned Argentines were on Wednesday plunged into grief by the death of the country’s favorite son Diego Maradona, a sublimely gifted sporting hero they saw as “the most human of gods.” The news fell like a hammer blow to a nation beaten down by months of economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, but one where soccer is seen as a panacea for all ills. At 10pm, Buenos Aires exploded in cheers, horns, sirens and lights for the man who famously wore the No. 10, after a viral social media message called for “one last applause.” The homage resounded throughout the night in all
RSS