Evenepoel dominates time trial to stretch Vuelta lead

Team Quick Step's Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel crosses the finish line to win the 10th stage of the 2022 La Vuelta cycling tour of Spain on Aug. 30, 2022. (AFP)
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Updated 31 August 2022
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Evenepoel dominates time trial to stretch Vuelta lead

  • Evenepoel is now 2min 41sec ahead of Slovenian Roglic in the overall standings with Spain’s Enric Mas of Movistar third at 3min 03sec

VALENCIA, Spain: Remco Evenepoel won stage 10 of the Vuelta a Espana on Tuesday, extending his overall lead in the race by dominating a flat 30.9km individual time-trial from Elche to Alicante.

The 22-year-old Belgian not only won his first stage on the race but also extended his overall lead on defending champion Primoz Roglic by 48 seconds.

Last down the ramp at the Elche start line, Evenepoel was already in the race leader’s red jersey ahead of a time-trial that suited his strengths.

The Quick-Step leader timed 33min 18sec on the day while three-time defending champion Roglic was a distant second.

After speeding across the line with an average speed of 55.7 km/h, Evenepoel was kissed by his team director before lying flat on his bike frame for around a minute.

He came into the race claiming a stage win was his target.

“Now we’re going to fight to try to win this Vuelta,” Evenepoel vowed Tuesday.

“It was actually really hard,” he said.

“The pressure is off. I won a stage. Now the whole team is super confident, I think. Everybody is performing so well and now we just have to fight to keep this jersey and take it home to Wevelgem.”

Evenepoel is now 2min 41sec ahead of Slovenian Roglic in the overall standings with Spain’s Enric Mas of Movistar third at 3min 03sec.

Rounding out the top five are Carlos Rodriguez of Ineos at 3min 55sec and Simon Yates at 4min 50sec.

Touted in Belgium as the ‘new Eddy Merckx’ before he plunged into a ravine in Italy in 2020 and broke a hip, Evenepoel has won 11 races this season.

In Spain, he has the world champion Julian Alaphilippe to guide his every move and given his current advantage, the Vuelta should be his to lose if he plays his cards right.

Sam Bennett became the highest profile rider to pull out with COVID so far as the Irishman failed to start. The Bora rider had been in the running for the sprint jersey and won two stages in this year’s race.

The 156 remaining riders from the 184 who started out take on a flat run on Wednesday.

But on Thursday the race intensifies with a relentless 20km climb after a flat run though the province of Malaga on the Costa del Sol.

The biggest test still facing Evenepoel is the stage 15 run to Alto Hoya de la Mora in the Sierra Nevada, a pure mountain stage with over 40km of tough climbing in the Jaen province where sizzling temperatures are expected.

Alaphilippe is unlikely to be with him on the upper slopes, and it is there an alliance of fortune between the other contenders could see a series of attacks challenge the young Belgian.

Even then one last test on stage 20 with a hard summit finish remains before the run into Madrid on stage 21.


No. 1 tennis player Jannik Sinner featured on Andrea Bocelli’s new single

Updated 2 min 21 sec ago
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No. 1 tennis player Jannik Sinner featured on Andrea Bocelli’s new single

  • Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner is featured on Andrea Bocelli’s new single “Dust and Glory”
  • The song blends Italian and English and mixes Bocelli’s vocals with spoken verses from Sinner

ROME: Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner is featured on Andrea Bocelli’s new single, “Dust and Glory” that was released Friday.
The song, which blends Italian and English, mixes Bocelli’s vocals with spoken verses from Sinner.
It’s a tribute to the struggle and beauty of life’s journey, and “the fine line that turns dust into glory.”
There’s also an accompanying four-minute music video featuring private footage from the childhoods of both Italian stars, with current scenes filmed at Bocelli’s home in Tuscany.
“Talent doesn’t exist; it has to be earned,” Sinner says in the recording.
“Sharing this journey with Jannik was fascinating,” Bocelli said. “We’re from different worlds but close in commitment and discipline in the constant search for authenticity and beauty. I have always been his fan, fascinated not only by his talent, but also by his humility and his inner strength.”
Sinner added: “I am very honored and happy to be part of this project with Andrea, who for 30 years has been a unique and extraordinary voice, a flag of our country in the world. I could never have imagined hearing my voice in one of his songs, all this is a strong emotion.”


England chooses to bowl first against India in test series opener at Headingley

Updated 11 min 31 sec ago
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England chooses to bowl first against India in test series opener at Headingley

  • The pitch has a green tinge and the weather is sunny and humid, the temperature topping out at 29 degrees on days one and two

LEEDS: England chose to bowl first against India in the test series opener at Headingley on Friday.
Both teams would have picked to field first. The last six test winners in Leeds bowled first.
The pitch has a green tinge and the weather is sunny and humid, the temperature topping out at 29 degrees on days one and two.
India, under new skipper Shubman Gill, has chosen to debut top-order batter Sai Sudharsan, give middle-order bat Karun Nair his first test in eight years. Shardul Thakur, who hasn’t played a test since December 2023, was preferred to Nitish Kumar Reddy as the fast bowling allrounder and Prasidh Krishna headed off uncapped Arshdeep Singh as the third seamer.
England named its team on Thursday, choosing at No. 3 in the batting order vice captain Ollie Pope over Jacob Bethell.
Lineups:
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Bryson Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Lokesh Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.


Liverpool star Mohamed Salah among nominees for PFA Player of the Year award

Updated 20 June 2025
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Liverpool star Mohamed Salah among nominees for PFA Player of the Year award

  • The 33-year-old played a key role in Liverpool’s Premier League title triumph last season
  • The Egypt star was voted Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association

LONDON: Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was among six players nominated for the Professional Footballers’ Association Men’s Player of the Year award on Friday.

The 33-year-old played a key role in Liverpool’s Premier League title triumph last season with 29 goals and 18 assists.

The Egypt star was voted Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association – securing almost 90 percent of the votes, marking the biggest winning margin this century – and is the firm favorite to land the PFA prize.

Salah is joined on the shortlist by Liverpool team-mate Alexis Mac Allister, Arsenal’s Declan Rice, Cole Palmer of Chelsea, Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

Palmer, who won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for 2023-24, was a surprise choice for the list given his struggles for Chelsea last season.

Rice starred in midfield for Arsenal, hitting a career-high nine goals while adding 10 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions.

Sweden striker Isak scored 23 goals for Newcastle as they qualified for the Champions League and ended a 56-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup.

Fernandes was one of United’s few bright spots in the club’s worst top-flight campaign since 1973-74, with eight league goals and 10 assists.

This year’s awards ceremony will be held in Manchester on August 19.


UFC Fight Night returns to Abu Dhabi in July with stacked card

Updated 20 June 2025
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UFC Fight Night returns to Abu Dhabi in July with stacked card

  • Robert Whittaker is bidding to hand Reinier de Ridder his first UFC loss in a clash that could earn the winner a lucrative title shot
  • Undefeated Movsar Evloev takes on UFC debutant Aaron Pico in a 5-round bout with potential huge title implications at featherweight

ABU DHABI: UFC CEO Dana White has revealed a strong card for UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder in Abu Dhabi on July 26 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

The main event will be headlined by former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and highly-rated Dutch standout Reinier de Ridder whose seamless transition from the ONE Championship has been hugely impressive.

White took to social media to announce what promises to be one of the most thrilling Fight Night cards of the year, which will see No.12-ranked 185-pounder De Ridder, undefeated in his three UFC bouts to date, likely earn a middleweight title eliminator should he defeat Whittaker.

“De Ridder is a former middleweight and light heavyweight world champion and has finished every one he has fought in the UFC,” White said.

“He’s coming off a win over the top prospect in the sport, Bo Nickal. If De Ridder can beat Whittaker, it’s very likely he’ll be fighting for the No. 1 contender bout next. I am pumped for this fight because these guys are both killers — and they always come out and deliver.”

The main card boasts two five-round bouts and a stacked lineup of electrifying talent, former champions, and elite contenders — all coming together for one of the year’s most anticipated international showcases, marking the 21st UFC event in Abu Dhabi since 2010.

In the co-main event in Abu Dhabi, unbeaten featherweight Movsar Evloev takes on UFC newcomer Aaron Pico. Evloev, who will be looking to extend his eight-fight winning streak since his UFC debut in 2019, most recently outpointed Aljamain Sterling in a hard-fought unanimous decision at UFC 310 in December 2024.

Pico, long considered MMA’s top free agent, recently joined the UFC roster. A decorated collegiate wrestler and former Bellator standout, the 28-year-old currently holds a 13-4 professional record and arrives with major expectations.

White added: “Aaron Pico is a ridiculously violent striker and a very high-level grappler. He’s had hype behind him since he was a teenager because of his skill set and fighting style — people compare him to guys like Justin Gaethje or Dustin Poirier.”

Former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan makes his return in a featured bout against rising contender Marcus McGhee. Yan will be looking to build on the momentum from a strong 2024, where he secured consecutive wins over Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo.

UFC Abu Dhabi Fight Card:

Robert Whittaker vs. Renier de Ridder - Middleweight

Movsar Evloev vs. Aaron Pico - Featherweight

Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee - Bantamweight

Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov - Bantamweight

Shara Magomedov vs. Marc-Andre Barriault - Middleweight

Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov - Light Heavyweight


Emirates extends global partnership with ATP through 2030

Updated 20 June 2025
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Emirates extends global partnership with ATP through 2030

  • Since 2013, the Dubai-based airline and ATP Tour have built one of the longest standing and most recognizable partnerships in professional tennis

DUBAI: Emirates and the ATP Tour have renewed their global partnership, with the airline continuing as the premier partner of the competition through 2030.

First joining forces in 2013, Emirates and the ATP have built one of the longest-standing and most recognizable partnerships in professional tennis.

Emirates will continue to showcase its premium hospitality at close to 60 ATP tournaments spanning six continents each season.

The airline’s signature net branding will remain a distinctive part of the viewing experience for millions of fans worldwide.

Emirates will also continue to receive prominent marketing rights and high-value brand visibility across the season, maintaining one of the broadest footprints in tennis.

From 2026, Emirates will further expand its brand presence by becoming the ATP’s first umpire sleeve-patch partner.

The initiative builds on Emirates’ association with sport officiating across its major sponsorships, including the NBA, International Cricket Council, World Rugby, European Rugby Champions Cup and SailGP.

Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ executive vice president, corporate communications, marketing and brand, said this was an opportunity for Emirates to connect with tennis fans worldwide and build a consistent, authentic brand association with the sport.

“Through exceptional hospitality and strategic on-ground activations at the world’s most prestigious tournaments, we’re strengthening engagement with our loyal customer base to remain top-of-mind.

“We’re committed to working closely with the ATP and leveraging this partnership further as we continue expanding Emirates’ global tennis footprint.”

Daniele Sano, ATP’s chief business officer, said: “Emirates has been a constant presence on the ATP Tour for over a decade, and this renewal is a big moment for both of us.

“It speaks to the strength of our relationship and everything we’ve built together. Right now, the Tour is in a really exciting place. We’re seeing record attendance, growing commercial interest, and real momentum across the board.

“We’re proud to keep building with a partner, and a truly premium brand, that shares our belief in the future of the sport.”

In addition to leveraging the ATP’s digital and social channels, Emirates will begin collaborating with players on digital promotions through a dedicated activation program.

The ATP Tour connects Emirates with more than 5 million fans on-site each season, underscoring the global reach of both tennis and the world’s largest international airline.

Beyond the ATP Tour, Emirates is a sponsor of all four Grand Slam tennis tournaments: the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.