MONTMELO, Spain: Max Verstappen steered his Red Bull to victory at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday to increase his lead in the Formula 1 drivers championship.
Verstappen started from second on the grid behind pole-sitter Lando Norris. But the three-time champion whipped past the McLaren driver by the first turn and then overtook George Russell on lap three of 66 and never looked back.
Norris tried to mount a late challenge but Verstappen upped the pace to cross first. Norris was second, followed by Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes in third.
Verstappen said that his moves to get past Norris and Russell so early proved crucial so he could build an advantage and keep the hard-charging Norris at bay.
“I think what made the difference in the race was the beginning,” Verstappen said. “I took the lead and had my buffer. After that we had to drive a defensive race.”
Verstappen got his seventh win in 10 races this season and claimed his third straight victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalonia.
Verstappen has 219 points. Norris moved into second place with 150, overtaking Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who fell into third place with 148 points after finishing fifth.
Norris put the blame on his poor start — when he lost two spots — for having to settle for second. The British driver got his first win at Miami in May and was gunning for a second victory.
“I should have won,” Norris said. “I got a bad straight, it is as simple as that.”
Hamilton’s third place was the first podium of the season for the seven-time world champion, who is in his last season for Mercedes before joining Ferrari next season.
Norris was beaten from the starting line by Verstappen and Russell, who whipped around both rivals from his start from fourth on the grid to take a surprise lead after the nearly 600-meter (yard) run to the first corner.
Verstappen was right behind Russell, however, and within two laps he swerved past him just after his team told him “(this) might be our best opportunity now.”
Once ahead, Verstappen managed his tires on the tough Barcelona track, and his Red Bull team pulled off two clean pit stops to avoid any mistakes.
Norris showed his great form by chasing down both Mercedes after a tire change. He got past Hamilton and then featured in a long duel with Russell midway through the race. Norris swerved past, Russell counterattacked to edge ahead, before Norris finally got in front.
But the jousting also favored Verstappen, who added to his lead.
Norris turned up the speed over the final 10 laps and was closing on the Dutchman, but he ran out of time and track. He crossed two seconds behind Verstappen.
Russell finished fourth, while it was a bad day for Leclerc and Carlos Sainz as neither Ferrari could contend with the front-runners. Sainz, the Spanish fan’s best hope for a win, finished sixth.
Norris’ McLaren partner Oscar Piastri was seventh. Sergio Pérez in the other Red Bull was eighth after his start from 11th place following a third-place grid penalty incurred in last round’s Canadian GP. Alpine pair Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon rounded out the top 10. Fernando Alonso was 12th in his Aston Martin.
Max Verstappen holds off Lando Norris to win Spanish GP and increase F1 lead
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Max Verstappen holds off Lando Norris to win Spanish GP and increase F1 lead
- Verstappen started from second on the grid behind pole-sitter Lando Norris
- Once overtaken, Norris tried to mount a late challenge but Verstappen upped the pace to cross first
USA crash out of Copa in group phase as Uruguay, Panama advance
- USA captain Christian Pulisic blames lack of attacking quality for loss
- First-round exit raises fresh questions about the future of coach Gregg Berhalter
KANSAS CITY: The United States crashed out of the Copa America on Monday after a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay, as Panama sealed their place in the quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Bolivia.
The tournament hosts suffered an upset 2-1 defeat to Panama last week and went into Monday’s final Group C game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City needing to match or better Panama’s result against Bolivia to advance.
But US coach Gregg Berhalter’s side never looked like doing enough to seriously threaten a well-drilled Uruguay who advance to the last eight as group winners.
“Just looking at the faces of the staff and the players, we’re bitterly disappointed with the results,” Berhalter said.
“We know that we’re capable of more and in this tournament we didn’t show it. It’s really as simple as that. We should have done better.
“We’ll do a review and figure out what went wrong, why it went wrong, but it’s an empty feeling right now for sure.”
USA captain Christian Pulisic blamed a lack of attacking quality.
“We had a good start and brought a lot of energy, but just didn’t have enough quality,” he said. “We just couldn’t find a solution.”
Hopes of a great escape for Berhalter’s men faded inside the first 30 minutes as news filtered through that Panama had taken a 1-0 lead against Bolivia in Orlando.
US hopes were revived early in the second half after Bolivia equalized, leaving the hosts on course for qualification, provided they continued to hold Uruguay.
Yet the US optimism was punctured just moments later when Uruguay took the lead in controversial circumstances through Mathias Olivera on 66 minutes.
Ronald Araujo’s powerful header from Nicolas de la Cruz’s free-kick was parried away by US goalkeeper Matt Turner, but only into the path of Olivera, who tucked away the rebound.
Replays appeared to show that Olivera was offside when Araujo first made contact with the ball, but despite a lengthy VAR review, Peruvian referee Kevin Ortega ruled that the goal should stand.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Berhalter said. “I don’t understand it, I feel like I know the offside rule pretty well.
“It’s disappointing. It really is. But you know that that happens in football, and we have to live with it.”
The mathematics of qualification looked even more bleak for the US after news that Panama had scored again through Eduardo Guerrero to regain the lead at 2-1, and the final nail in the coffin came when Cesar Yanis added a third for Panama in stoppage time.
The USA’s first-round exit raises fresh questions about the future of Berhalter, who remains deeply unpopular among swathes of American fans.
Berhalter was only reappointed to the US job in June last year following a hiatus after leading the team to the 2022 World Cup.
The nature of Monday’s early exit is certain to reignite debate about whether he is the best man to lead the United States into the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
Failure to defeat Uruguay, 14th in the latest FIFA rankings, extends Berhalter’s poor record against top 20 teams.
Berhalter has just five wins in 20 matches against top-20 teams during his reign, and four of those victories came against regional rivals Mexico — who were also eliminated from the Copa in the first round.
That dismal sequence continued after a toothless attacking performance against Uruguay, where the US registered only three shots on goal in a misfiring offensive display.
Defender Antonee Robinson described the officiating as “amateur hour” but stressed responsibility for the defeat lay with the players.
“Just not enough quality in the final third,” Robinson said.
“At the end of the day we weren’t good enough to get the result today. This is on us.”
Girmay ‘opens the door’ for Africa with Tour stage win as Carapaz takes lead
- Girmay is the third African to win on the Grande Boucle, first raced in 1903, after South Africans Daryl Impey and Rob Hunter
- Carapaz became the first Ecuadorian to wear the leader’s yellow jersey, taking it from Slovenian Tadej Pogacar who was held up in a late crash in the run to the line
TURIN: Eritrean Biniam Girmay dedicated his stage three win at the Tour de France on Monday to “the continent of Africa” as Richard Carapaz took the overall race lead in Turin.
“Let me open the door,” 24-year-old Girmay posted on social media after earlier pointing out he was the “first Black African to win at the Tour.
“It means a lot personally for me and for the continent of Africa,” he added.
Girmay is the third African to win on the Grande Boucle, first raced in 1903, after South Africans Daryl Impey and Rob Hunter.
“Huge congrats to all: Biniam Girmay makes history and wins stage 3 of Tour de France. A great and memorable day indeed for #eritreancycling and #africancycling,” Yemane G. Meskel, Eritrea’s Minister of Information, posted on X.
Multiple Tour winner Chris Froome was born in Kenya but competed for Britain.
“There are many obstacles for African riders,” said Intermarche rider Girmay.
“I had to come to Europe, learn English, learn the cycling language, it takes time and support.
“I should thank my team because with them I have grown every season.”
It was also a first for the Intermarche team.
“We hadn’t won the Tour de France yet, but now it’s our moment,” said Girmay.
Carapaz became the first Ecuadorian to wear the leader’s yellow jersey, taking it from Slovenian Tadej Pogacar who was held up in a late crash in the run to the line.
Carapaz and Pogacar are level on time at the top of the overall standings but the 31-year-old is ahead thanks to his better final position in the day’s racing.
Belgian Remco Evenepoel and Danish two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard are third and fourth respectively also on the same time.
Girmay pipped Colombian Fernando Gaviria and Belgian Arnaud De Lie after a chaotic finale marked by a late fall as the riders hit speeds of around 65kph in the dash to the line.
The crash, in which the big favorite for the sprint Belgian Jasper Philipsen was involved, created a break in the peloton.
Two-time race winner Pogacar, gunning for a historic Giro d’Italia and Tour double, did not fall but was delayed.
Veteran Mark Cavendish was held up by a wheel change as he bids for a record 35th stage win.
The 39-year-old prickly sprinter appeared genuinely pleased for Girmay.
“That’s massive, for him, for the Tour, for Africa. He’s a legend now isn’t he,” said Cavendish.
Carapaz came third on the Tour in 2021 but was overlooked in the build-up to this edition after falling on day one last year.
The Olympic road race champion was also not selected by Ecuador to defend his title at the Paris Games.
Now he has gatecrashed the Fab Four of Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic, who dropped off the pace in Turin.
“I was sick after the Tour of Switzerland and I know you need to be in optimal shape here,” said former Giro winner Carapaz.
“For the first time yesterday I felt much better. Whatever comes after this is a victory, but we will defend the jersey with everything as long as we can.”
After two sweltering stages, the skies were shrouded grey entering the northern Italian industrial city with thunder and torrential rain shortly after the race ended.
Girmay is a strong sprinter and modelled his style on Peter Sagan.
He was aided in his win at Turin by the absence of stage favorite Philipsen, who fell in the run in.
The stage winner spoke about his childhood in Eritrea, where cycling is a major sport.
“After lunch in July my dad always used to say ‘come on guys, let’s watch the Tour de France’.
“One day, after Sagan won and I asked my dad if he thought I could win one day and he said if I worked hard I could.
“But I was inspired too by Daniel Teklehaimanot when he got the polka dot jersey in 2015,” he recalled of his compatriot.
“But this is for everyone, they all inspired me, all the Eritrean cyclists.”
It was his second Grand Tour stage win after the Giro in 2022 where he injured an eye opening a bottle of prosecco on the podium.
First Palestinian Olympic boxer fights hurdles before history
- Abu Sal will take on his first Olympic fight on July 28 after an unusual training routine with his remote coach Ahmad Harara, 32, who is held back by Israeli travel restrictions
BEITUNIA, Palestinian Territories: Every morning Palestinian boxer Waseem Abu Sal checks texts from his Cairo-based coach — a Gazan who cannot travel to him in the occupied West Bank — to see his daily Olympics training schedule as he prepares to make history.
The 20-year-old will be the first Palestinian boxer to participate in the Olympics after he bagged a wildcard spot and now dreams of delivering the first-ever medal for the Palestinians when he competes in Paris.
“This has been my dream since I was 10 years old,” he told AFP the day after receiving the invitation last week.
“Every day I went to sleep and woke up thinking about how I could reach the Olympics.”
Abu Sal will take on his first Olympic fight on July 28 after an unusual training routine with his remote coach Ahmad Harara, 32, who is held back by Israeli travel restrictions.
“I only see him when I travel” for international competitions, Waseem Abu Sal told AFP at his gym in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
“He writes my training schedule every day, and I train in the morning, and again in the evening with coach Nader Jayousi.”
Harara said he could not see his star fighter because of “the occupation barriers between the West Bank and Gaza” as an ID holder of the latter territory.
“Since then, I have been overseeing Wassem’s training remotely,” Harara said.
The Palestine Olympic Committee has been represented on the International Olympic Committee since 1995 despite a lack of statehood.
Though Abu Sal did not make it through the Olympic qualifying rounds, he received a wildcard spot in a system that ensures representation for all countries at the Games.
The political reality of the West Bank — dotted by Israeli army checkpoints that restrict movement — means Abu Sal is fighting hurdles even before he makes history.
“Athletes from the West Bank can’t easily come to us,” he said.
His usual sparring partner in Ramallah outweighs him by several weight classes — 71 kilograms to Abu Sal’s 57 kg.
Another partner closer to him in weight is based in Jerusalem, on the other side of Israel’s security barrier, making regular training difficult.
“This makes it hard to hold tournaments, leading to less competition in the country,” he said.
Traveling abroad to train or compete comes with its own difficulties.
“Many countries deny visas to those with Palestinian passports, causing us to miss out on tournaments while waiting for visas,” he said.
When Abu Sal flies for Paris in July, he will do so from the Jordanian capital of Amman, which he will travel to from Ramallah by road, as he usually does when going abroad for competitions.
Nader Jayousi, head of the Palestinian Olympic delegation that will send seven athletes to Paris this year, is a mentor to Abu Sal.
At the official’s Ramallah gym, Waseem trains alongside other promising young boxers under his watchful eye.
As the Olympic prospect spars, a mix of rap and traditional Palestinian songs fills the gym.
“It’s a proud moment, not just for me, but for Palestine as the first-ever Palestinian boxer will represent Palestine at the Olympics,” Jayousi said.
He echoed Abu Sal’s concerns about restrictions.
“We don’t have that big number of very good boxers that I can make Waseem train with,” he said.
“That’s a big challenge for us because iron sharpens iron.”
One of the biggest challenges to his Olympic preparation has been the war in Gaza, which started after Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel that left 1,195 people dead, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,718 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
Among them were athletes or relatives of athletes, according to Palestinian officials.
Jayousi points to the cases of a coach killed in an air strike, a Gaza boxer who lost an uncle, and another whose eye was lost to shrapnel.
The devastating conflict and casualty updates knocked the mental health of Abu Sal and his teammates, said Jayousi.
“This has affected our boxers big time, because we were every day getting news about athletes we are losing.”
Traveling between the West Bank cities has also become more dangerous due to an uptick in checkpoints, army presence, and settler violence.
Since October 7, Palestinian officials say at least 553 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army or settlers who live in settlements the UN considers illegal under international law.
But as the Olympics near, Abu Sal’s resolve has only been strengthened to “train, eat, and sleep” after receiving the ticket to fight for gold.
“It was like life had come back to me,” he said.
Alcaraz, Sinner and Gauff open Wimbledon campaigns in style
- Spanish holder Alcaraz eases into second round
- Top seed Sinner gets through in four sets
- Belarusians Sabalenka, Azarenka pull out injured
LONDON: For the last 50 weeks, Carlos Alcaraz knew the exact date and time he would walk back on Center Court to open the defense of his Wimbledon title and the Spaniard kept his goosebumps in check on Monday to book his place in the second round.
While injury woes have plagued many of the players who have also hoisted the Challenge Cup in recent years — with question marks over the participation of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray — Alcaraz showed he was fighting fit despite a less than ideal buildup to the grasscourt major.
The third seed, who admitted he even gets nervous practicing on the spiritual home of grasscourt tennis, beat fellow 21-year-old, Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal, 7-6(3) 7-5 6-2 on an overcast day in southwest London.
“Stepping on this court, it’s the most beautiful court I’ve played on. I still get nerves when I’m playing here,” Alcaraz, whose Queen’s Club title defense ended with an early exit last month, said courtside.
“I played for 45 minutes here on Thursday and it’s the first time I get nervous practicing. I’m glad and I’m a privileged guy to play on this court.
“When I walk around, I get goosebumps. I remember last year and that was a great feeling.”
World No. 1 and top seed Jannik Sinner suffered a mid-match injury scare after a slip and was briefly troubled by Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann before winning 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-3 to set up a mouth-watering all-Italian clash against 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini.
“That’s going to a big challenge for me,” Sinner said.
SEEDS SIDELINED
The opening day of the grasscourt Grand Slam saw several seeds pull out with injuries or illness — the highest-profile being women’s third seed Aryna Sabalenka who could not take to court because of a shoulder injury.
Fellow Belarusian and twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka also pulled out with a shoulder problem ahead of her match with 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens.
Sabalenka’s withdrawal removed one mighty obstacle for second seed Coco Gauff who concluded Center Court action on Monday with an impressive 6-1 6-2 defeat of fellow American Caroline Dolehide.
Former world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka returned to Wimbledon after a five-year absence and came through a topsy-turvy clash against France’s Diane Parry, winning 6-1 1-6 6-4.
Fans flocking to the All England Club on Tuesday will hope seven-times champion Djokovic and Andy Murray, who ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s Wimbledon champion when he won the first of his two titles in 2013, will both be fit enough to make their Center Court dates.
While second seed Djokovic had knee surgery last month, Murray is recovering from a procedure on his back just days ago and, with this year’s tournament expected to be his Wimbledon swansong, he is desperately hoping he can write the ending of his own script with one final rousing run on court.
Twice French Open runner-up Casper Ruud was another player delighted to be back on court after he was hit by a parasitic infection that kept him in bed for almost two weeks following his run to the Roland Garros semifinals last month.
Ruud matched his best result at the championships after he reached the second round by beating Australian qualifier Alex Bolt 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4.
Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, beaten in the semifinals last year by Alcaraz, produced an assured 6-3 6-4 6-2 victory over American Aleksandar Kovacevic.
Men’s 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov continued his resurgence with a 6-3 6-4 7-5 win against Dusan Lajovic, while three-times Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, at 39 the oldest man in the draw, rolled back the years with a 6-3 7-5 6-4 win over British wildcard Charles Broom.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu, who rocketed to fame by winning the 2021 US Open as a qualifier but has struggled to reach such heights since because of injuries, had England soccer idol David Beckham watching her from the Center Court royal box and she duly delivered an encouraging victory.
Wildcard Raducanu, 21, missed last year’s Wimbledon because of injury but opened her account with a battling 7-6(0) 6-3 win against Mexico’s Renata Zarazua.
Zarazua was a last-minute replacement for Russian 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova who withdrew because of illness.
Costa penalty heroics rescue Ronaldo as Portugal edge past Slovenia at Euros
FRANKFURT: Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa saved three Slovenia penalties to earn his side a 3-0 shoot-out victory after Cristiano Ronaldo redeemed himself from the spot in a dramatic Euro 2024 last 16 clash on Monday.
Portugal forward Ronaldo broke down in tears after missing a penalty in the first period of extra-time in the goalless tie in Frankfurt.
But he recovered to convert in the shoot-out as Portugal scraped through to set up a blockbuster clash with France in the quarter-finals.
Slovenia battled valiantly to keep Portugal at bay, with Jan Oblak making a stunning save to keep out Ronaldo’s penalty after Diogo Jota was fouled.
However, Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva all scored in the shoot-out and Slovenia’s trio missed, sending the Selecao through in heart-stopping fashion.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez reverted to a more familiar 4-3-3 system after his side were embarrassed by debutants Georgia in their last group game when he deployed three at the back.
The Euro 2016 winners dominated the ball and created their first chance after 12 minutes when Silva’s inviting cross just evaded Ronaldo and Fernandes could not turn home at the far post.
Slovenia, playing in their first ever knock-out match at a major competition, maintained their defensive shape well and limited Portugal’s opportunities.
Former Real Madrid striker Ronaldo directed a soft header at his old nemesis, Atletico Madrid keeper Oblak, under vital pressure from Vanja Drkusic.
The Slovenian defender was booked moments later for bringing down the surging Rafael Leao as he charged toward Oblak’s goal.
Ronaldo smashed the free-kick narrowly over the bar with the goalkeeper at full stretch.
Slovenia produced their first effort on target just before half-time when RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko fired at Costa from the edge of the box.
Portugal’s holding midfielder Joao Palhinha hit the outside of the post with a low drive, the final kick of the first half, after more good work by the menacing Leao.
Ronaldo forced a solid stop by Oblak with another venomous free-kick early in the second half as the Al-Nassr forward tried in vain to break down Slovenia’s defensive wall, which comfortably held England to a goalless draw in the group stage.
Matjaz Kek’s side had a golden chance to take the lead on a rare burst forward, but Sesko dragged wide after beating the oldest player in the competition’s history, 41-year-old Pepe, for pace.
Still determined to score, Portugal captain Ronaldo thumped yet another free-kick over the crossbar with 20 minutes remaining.
The striker had a chance to settle the game in open play with two minutes to go but, in down the left, could only shoot straight at Oblak, leading to extra-time.
The pace dipped in extra-time and the first period was uneventful, until the 103rd minute when Jota barged into the area and went down over Drkusic’s leg for a penalty.
Ronaldo fired it hard to Oblak’s left but the goalkeeper produced a stunning save to deny him, tipping his effort against the post and out.
In half-time of extra-time, Ronaldo was in tears after his miss, and Portugal fans sang his name to try to raise his shattered morale.
Slovenia missed another huge opening of their own when Pepe gave the ball away with a loose pass and Sesko stole it to race through on goal.
The forward fired too close to Costa who produced an excellent save with his leg, forcing a penalty shoot-out — Slovenia’s first ever.
Slovenia went first and substitute Josip Ilicic’s effort was brilliantly saved by Costa.
Ronaldo buried his kick and asked for forgiveness from the fans behind the goal for his extra-time miss, before Costa saved Slovenia’s second from Jure Balkovec.
Costa made a third consecutive penalty save from Benjamin Verbic after Fernandes converted and Silva won it as he sent Oblak the wrong way.
