BISHA, Saudi Arabia: A fourth Dakar Rally title is in reach for Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah, who will take a 33-minute lead into the last stage.
Al-Attiyah stuck fast to his nearest rival Sebastien Loeb on the 11th stage on Thursday and ended up gaining some seconds after the Frenchman was penalized five minutes for speeding in a restricted zone.
Instead of finishing runner-up to Carlos Sainz on the 346-kilometer loop stage into the Saudi dunes north of Bisha, Loeb’s time penalty dropped him to eighth.
Instead of gaining more than four minutes on Al-Attiyah, he lost 39 seconds. His sixth bid for a first Dakar title appears over.
The standings aren’t expected to change on the last stage on Friday, a short 164-kilometer sprint from Bisha to Jeddah, where the rally started on New Year’s Day.
Al-Attiyah has led the entire way.
“To control the Dakar is not easy, but I think we have a lot of experience now and we just need to manage the situation and to finish,” he said.
Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rajhi, racing his third Dakar at home and lying third overall more than an hour behind, is expected to make the podium for the first time.
Sainz led the penultimate stage throughout, winning his second stage of this Dakar and 41st in his career. Lucio Alvarez of Argentina was three minutes behind in second, and Mattias Ekstrom of Sweden third. Al-Attiyah was seventh.
British rider Sam Sunderland regained the overall motorbike lead by taking fast advantage of others’ tracks as he expected to when he was the 14th starter in the morning.
“Not just me, but a lot of guys sort of took it easy yesterday on the stage to have a better start position today,” Sunderland said. “You saw that today. Everybody pulled the pin; it was, ‘Let’s go.’ I was the same, all in, and here we are. It’s not a smart plan until the race is finished and you’ve done the job.”
Sunderland, the 2017 champion, has led for most of the rally until this second week, but wasn’t too unhappy with his position on Wednesday night. He showed why on Thursday.
He was among the leaders at every checkpoint, and was beaten to the stage win by four seconds by Kevin Benavides, the defending champion who suffered mechanical problems and didn’t finish on Wednesday but was allowed, under new rules, to continue racing.
Sunderland’s main rivals, Matthias Walkner of Austria and Pablo Quintanilla of Chile, were five and seven minutes back at Bisha.
The biggest loser was Adrien van Beveren, who had the overnight race lead. The Frenchman was among the riders to open the way and suffered navigation errors. He lost more than 19 minutes, and dropped from first to fourth overall, more than 15 minutes behind Sunderland.
Sunderland goes into the last stage leading Quintanilla and Walker by around seven minutes. With the end in sight, the trio will believe they can win. Van Beveren has likely missed out on a first Dakar podium finish.
Al-Attiyah 33 minutes up on Loeb before last Dakar stage
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Al-Attiyah 33 minutes up on Loeb before last Dakar stage
- Instead of finishing runner-up to Carlos Sainz on the 346-kilometer loop stage into the Saudi dunes north of Bisha, Loeb’s time penalty dropped him to eighth
- The standings aren’t expected to change on the last stage on Friday, a short 164-kilometer sprint from Bisha to Jeddah, where the rally started on New Year’s Day
Howe hopes Newcastle have ‘moved on’ in last two seasons
- Newcastle reached the Champions League for the first time in 20 years when they qualified for last season’s competition
- Newcastle slipped to 12th place after a 4-2 defeat at Brentford on December 7, but have since rallied
LONDON: Eddie Howe hopes his current Newcastle team have “moved on” from the one which finished fourth in the Premier League two seasons ago.
The Magpies continued an impressive run of results on Thursday by beating 10-man Aston Villa 3-0 at St. James’ Park — their fourth straight win in all competitions.
Newcastle climbed to fifth in the table and within six points of second-placed Chelsea.
Newcastle reached the Champions League for the first time in 20 years when they qualified for last season’s competition.
“I’d hope we’ve moved on from that team,” Howe said.
“You can never go back in time and replicate what that team was. That team was an outstanding side...
“But you can never go back. It’s all about the future. We’ve signed some new players, the dynamic is slightly different and for me, the evolution of the team always had to be that we wanted to be better with the ball, we wanted to control the game more with the ball.”
Newcastle went ahead in just the second minute through Anthony Gordon’s strike before Villa striker Jhon Duran was controversially sent off.
Further goals from Alexander Isak — his 10th in as many league games — and Joelinton secured all three points.
Newcastle slipped to 12th place after a 4-2 defeat at Brentford on December 7, but have since rallied.
“We’re shooting for whatever we can shoot for,” Howe said when asked about Newcastle’s top-four hopes.
“We’ll take small steps, we’ll go game-by-game, but I’m really heartened by how the team is playing.”
Markram leads South Africa to 180-5 in 1st Test against Pakistan
- Aiden Markram was batting on an attractive 81 off 123 balls before Pakistan hit back with two wickets in the latter half of the first session
- Pakistan were dismissed for 211 on Day 1 after Dane Paterson grabbed his second successive five-wicket haul, Corbin Bosch claimed 4-63
CENTURION: Opening batter Aiden Markram closed in on his eighth Test century and led South Africa to 180-5 at lunch on the second day of the first Test against Pakistan on Friday.
South Africa, which needs to win one of the two Test matches against Pakistan to seal a place in the final of the World Test Championship at Lord’s next year, trails the visitors by 31 on a pitch tailor-made for fast bowlers.
Markram was batting on an attractive 81 off 123 balls before Pakistan hit back with two wickets in the latter half of the first session with captain Temba Bavuma (31) and David Bedingham (30) both edging behind the wickets.
Wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne was yet to score but Markram stood tall in the first session and helped South Africa score 98 runs before lunch for the loss of two wickets.
Resuming on 82-3, Markram completed his half century with an exquisite cover driven boundary off Naseem Shah and stretched the fourth-wicket stand to 70 runs with Bavuma before Pakistan got its first breakthrough.
Aamer Jamal was rewarded for his persistent length balls to Bavuma as the South African skipper finally got a thick outside edge while going for a loose drive.
Bedingham counterattacked from the onset, smashing five boundaries in his 33-ball knock and also survived when Pakistan unsuccessfully went for an lbw television review against Naseem Shah’s full pitched delivery, which television replays suggested would have missed the leg stump.
However, Naseem didn’t have to wait long as Bedingham was beaten by some extra bounce and nicked it in the first slip in the penultimate over before lunch.
Pakistan was dismissed for 211 on Day 1 after Dane Paterson (5-61) grabbed his second successive five-wicket haul and debutant Corbin Bosch claimed 4-63, which included a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket.
Swiatek not expecting WADA appeal over doping scandal
- Pole tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine in an out-of-competition sample in August when she was ranked number one
SYDNEY: World number two Iga Swiatek said on Friday she was ready to put a drugs scandal behind her, insisting there was no reason for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to appeal against her case.
The 23-year-old Pole tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August when she was ranked number one.
However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted that the violation was not intentional and she escaped with a one-month sanction that saw her miss three tournaments in Asia and lose her top ranking.
News of the saga only emerged in late November and she will play her first tournament since then at the mixed-teams United Cup in Sydney ahead of the Australian Open next month.
Swiatek said that, while the incident had been “mentally tough,” the public response had been generally positive, allaying fears that she would be ostracized.
“I think people, most of them, are understanding,” said the five-time Grand Slam champion.
“And the ones who read the documents and are aware of how the system works, they know that I had no fault and I had no influence on what was going on.
“I try to just go on with my life and focus on different things, focus on preparing for the season and on tennis, because this is the best thing you can do after a case like that,” she said.
Her case is similar to that of Italian men’s world number one Jannik Sinner.
He was exonerated by the ITIA for twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March. But WADA appealed against the decision in September and he is awaiting the outcome.
Swiatek said she does not anticipate WADA will follow the same path with her.
“I gave every possible evidence and there is not much, honestly, more to do,” she said.
“There is no point to do an appeal in our opinion.
“But, you know, I guess overall, this whole process was pretty abstract sometimes and hard to understand from a point of view where you don’t think about the law and everything.
“But honestly, this is about the law and the wording and this kind of stuff. So I’m not expecting an appeal, but I have kind of no influence on what’s going to happen.
“But I can say from the processes that I went through and how they treated me from the beginning, that it seemed fair for me,” she said.
“I managed to give the source (of the contamination) pretty quickly. That’s why the case closed, pretty quickly.”
Thunder run streak to 9 games as Shai ties career high with 45 points
- In a Florida showdown, Tyler Herro sank a jump shot with 0.1 of a second remaining to give the Miami Heat an 89-88 NBA thriller triumph over the host Orlando Magic
WASHINGTON: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander matched his career high with 45 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Indiana Pacers 120-114 on Thursday, stretching their NBA win streak to nine games.
The 26-year-old Canadian guard made 15-of-22 shots from the floor, 4-of-5 from 3-point range, and all 11 of his free throws while adding seven rebounds, eight assists, two blocked shots and a steal in a maestro performance.
“It’s the extra plays that put you over the edge,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We have a group of guys that are hungry to do whatever it takes to win and that’s why we win.”
Jalen Williams added 20 points and Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder in his 11th double-double of the season.
The Western Conference-leading Thunder are 24-5 and on a roll despite a loss in the NBA Cup final to Milwaukee that didn’t count against them in the regular season.
“The main thing is it’s genuine,” said Hartenstein. “We’re not coming in trying to fake something. We really all support each other.
“We’re not trying to put something on for the TV or for the world to see. We’re really supporting each other and I think that’s what makes it special.”
Andrew Nembhard led the host Pacers (15-16) with 23 points. Indiana took a 61-53 half-time lead before the Thunder struck in the second half and closed the game on a 17-7 run for the victory.
“We didn’t get off to the start we wanted,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But that’s what good teams do, play through situations and because we did that we got the W.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, who set his career high of 45 points last month in a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, sank a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma City a 114-109 edge with 59 seconds remaining and sank six free throws in the final 36 seconds to seal the triumph.
His crucial 3-pointer came after extra work on his outside shooting and confidence to keep firing after a miss.
“It feels good, but that’s what the work is about,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It went in because I took the shot.
“In the past, I probably would have gotten discouraged missing one and not shooting it, but I would like to think I’ve grown a bit, enough to trust in my work, take a shot, stay true to it and it paid off tonight because of that.
“But it’s about continuing to push forward. I’m going to miss some and I’m going to make some. You’ve always got to stay shooting.”
In a Florida showdown, Tyler Herro sank a jump shot with 0.1 of a second remaining to give the Miami Heat an 89-88 NBA thriller triumph over the host Orlando Magic.
Herro scored 20 points to lead the Heat, whose president Pat Riley said hours earlier that the team has no plans to trade All-Star forward Jimmy Butler.
At Washington, the NBA-worst Wizards improved to 5-23 by beating Charlotte 113-110 as Jordan Poole scored 25 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer for Washington with 8.1 seconds remaining.
Host Atlanta got 30 points and 15 rebounds from Jalen Johnson and 27 points and 13 assists from Trae Young in a 141-133 triumph over Chicago. Zach LaVine had 37 points in a losing cause.
The Houston Rockets, led by 30 points from Jalen Green and 27 off the bench by Cam Whitmore, beat host New Orleans 128-111.
With stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard out due to illness, the Milwaukee Bucks lost at home to Brooklyn 111-105 as Cameron Johnson led the Nets with 29 points.
Zach Edey had 21 points and 16 rebounds and Jaren Jackson added 21 points and 11 rebounds to spark the Memphis Grizzlies over visiting Toronto 155-126.
Two killed in treacherous Sydney-Hobart yacht race
- Both crew members were struck on the head by booms as the yachts raced southwards along the New South Wales coast, police said
- So far 17 yachts have pulled out from the initial fleet of 104 that left Sydney Harbor on Boxing Day
SYDNEY: Two sailors have been killed in separate incidents in the treacherous Sydney to Hobart bluewater classic, officials said Friday, as a string of yachts limped out of a race fleet battered by powerful winds.
Both crew members — a 55-year-old man on Flying Fish Arctos and a 65-year-old man on Bowline — were struck on the head by booms as the yachts raced southwards along the New South Wales coast, police said.
Other crew tried to revive the two Australians but were unsuccessful. They were the first fatalities in the race since 1998.
Police believe crews on both boats were changing sails when the booms swung, said New South Wales marine area command superintendent Joseph McNulty.
“The hull moves, the sails are moving, the booms are moving. It’s a technical change of sail at sea. So that may have contributed to the deaths of those people today,” he told reporters.
“Both those crews are doing it pretty tough at the moment. They are shaken up by what they’ve seen and what they’ve had to do.”
So far 17 yachts — including race record holder Comanche — have pulled out from the initial fleet of 104 that left Sydney Harbor on Boxing Day, organizers said.
Several were dismasted or suffered damaged mainsails.
The lead boats experienced winds overnight of 25 to 30 knots — near gale force, said David Jacobs, vice commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.
“So they’re traveling extremely fast,” he told reporters.
“The sea was not unusually large from the information I have received,” he said.
The deaths would hit the racing community hard, Jacobs said.
“On a boat itself they train together, live together, cook together, they do everything together. It would be devastating, as we are devastated,” he said.
He promised an investigation by the yacht club to help improve safety in the event but said the race would go on.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a statement saying it was “heartbreaking that two lives have been lost at what should have been a time of joy.”
Gale-force winds and high seas had been forecast for the 628-nautical mile event, which ends in the Tasmanian state capital Hobart after the fleet tackles the notorious Bass Strait.
But this was not an “extreme” forecast, Jacobs said.
“These fleets can handle those winds easily. They are ocean racers, they are used to the winds,” he said.
In a night of drama, one man was swept overboard from the yacht Porco Rosso and carried more than a kilometer (more than half a mile) away before being rescued by his crew, Jacobs said.
Weather is a critical factor in the race, first held in 1945, with winds and sea conditions often changing rapidly.
The overnight fatalities were the first in the race since 1998 when six men died, five boats sank and 55 sailors were rescued after a deep depression exploded over the fleet in Bass Strait.
Comanche’s retirement left the door open for supermaxi rival LawConnect to win line honors for the second straight year.
Comanche, which surged over the finish line in one day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds to set a new mark in 2017, was leading when she retired.
LawConnect held a lead of more than 18 nautical miles by early Friday afternoon over its nearest rival Celestial.
Wild Oats, which has twice won the race — the last time in 2014 — was among this year’s casualties, with rigging damage.
Alive, last year’s overall winner of the Tattersall Cup, which takes into account boat size and other factors, was one of the first to pull out this year, retiring with engine issues.
