PARIS: Breaking with tradition at the Tour de France is stirring controversy.
Since race organizers announced plans last week to climb the iconic Montmartre hill in Paris during the final stage in July, the cycling world has been abuzz. Could the climb actually decide the Tour winner? Or disrupt the final sprint by injecting tactical uncertainty into what is usually a celebratory day?
Well, that remains to be seen. But one thing seems certain: The stage will be a spectacle.
At last year’s Olympics, massive crowds lined the streets of Montmartre — the area in the northern part of Paris that is popular among artists and offers grand vistas of the city — to cheer on riders.
Inspired by the frenetic atmosphere and willing to build on the momentum, Tour organizers said this month that riders competing in cycling’s biggest race this summer would climb the Montmartre hill and pass beneath the Sacré-Coeur basilica before “battling it out on a stage that may break from the traditions established over the past 50 years in the heart of the capital.”
Traditionally, the Tour final stage is largely processional until a sprint decides the day’s winner on the Champs-Élysées. Last year’s final stage was held outside Paris for the first time since 1905 because of a clash with the Olympics, moving instead to Nice. The world famous avenue is back on the program this year for the conclusion of the 3,320-kilometer (2,060-mile) race.
The inclusion of the steep Montmartre climb could dramatically change the dynamics of the stage. If the hill features just a few kilometers from the finish line, or is climbed several times, pure sprinters will likely be dropped before they can compete for the stage win. And if the general classification remains tight ahead of the final stage, the yellow jersey itself could be decided in Paris.
Riders not happy
Full details of the route will be presented at a news conference on Wednesday. With a peloton roughly twice as big as it was at the Olympics, organizers are working with Paris authorities and the Prefecture of police to ensure the security of the race on the narrow and cobbled streets of the area. But some top riders have already expressed their lack of enthusiasm about the addition.
“Montmartre was nice to do in the Olympics, it seemed good, a lot of people, a really good atmosphere,” two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard told reporters this week. “But when they came to the Montmartre, there was only 15 riders left in the bunch. And when we do the Tour de France, there will be 150 guys fighting for positions on a very narrow climb. It could end up being more stress than they want to have.”
Even Remco Evenepoel, who won the Olympic men’s road race in Paris last year and the gold medal in the time trial, is also opposed to the idea.
“There will be enough battle for positioning in the first week of the Tour,” he told sports media Sporza. “With Montmartre added, that would mean we have to do the same on the last day. We will be tired enough by then.”
Evenepoel also lamented the fact that sprinters would be robbed of a rare chance to claim a prestigious win on the world famous avenue.
“They get a big chance every year to sprint for a stage win on the Champs-Elysées,” he said. “That chance is then taken away from them. In my opinion, Montmartre is an unnecessary obstacle.”
Marc Madiot, who manages the Groupama-FDJ team, said bad weather on the final day could make the stage more treacherous.
“Imagine a slight rain in Paris; it’s not going to be easy for the riders,” he told RMC Radio. “Do we want a show? Do we want to visit Paris? Do we want to commemorate the Olympics? If we expect a real race, we could be disappointed. And if we do get a real race, we put everything that has happened in the last three weeks in jeopardy.”
The Tour starts from the northern city of Lille on July 5, and the women’s race kicks off on July 26 from the Brittany town of Vannes.
Tour de France’s new Montmartre climb could be a game changer. It sparks controversy
https://arab.news/6tbzg
Tour de France’s new Montmartre climb could be a game changer. It sparks controversy
Scheffler in 3-way tie for lead at Travelers with Fleetwood and Thomas
- All it took was the fate of the wind, good or bad, to shape the leaderboard going into the weekend at the TPC River Highlands, with 12 players separated by four shots
- The average score was 70.7, nearly two shots harder than the opening round
CROMWELL, Connecticut: Scottie Scheffler provided hope with a late double bogey. Tommy Fleetwood charged through with two eagles in three holes, and so did Justin Thomas with five straight birdies. They wound up tied for the lead on a blustery Friday at the Travelers Championship.
All it took was the fate of the wind, good or bad, to shape the leaderboard going into the weekend at the TPC River Highlands, with 12 players separated by four shots.
Scheffler was comfortably in front when the left-to-right wind his tee shot had been riding laid down, sending his ball into the fairway bunker on the par-4 17th. He put the next one in the water, barely reached the green with his fourth shot and made double bogey. He wound up with a 1-under 69.
Fleetwood felt the wind going right-to-left, then slightly hurting, then slightly helping on the par-5 13th. He had 240 yards to at least cover the water, 264 yards to the hole, and he felt his 9-wood would at least reach the green.
So much depended on the fickle wind that fooled so many players.
“I just sort of caught the right moment,” said Fleetwood, who also chipped in for eagle on the reachable 15th and shot 65. “Came off perfect and then beautiful putt.”
Thomas wished he could have hit the ball a little better off the tee, but he stayed out of trouble, stayed patient and cashed in on the back nine with his five straight birdies, two of them from the 25-foot range, that led to a 64.
They were at 9-under 131, one shot ahead of Jason Day (66).
Rory McIlroy was 3 over through four holes in gusts that topped 30 mph, at one point falling eight shots behind Scheffler, a daunting prospect. But he kept in the game, found hope when Scheffler dropped back to 9 under, and got a little luck on his own.
His second shot from a bunker on the 17th was so think that he took one hand off the club and waited for the worse, mainly a splash. It founded the water at such a low trajectory that it skipped out onto the fairway.
He failed to get up-and-down, taking bogey, but felt it could have been worse — the shot, and his position going into the weekend He batted for a 71, leaving him only four back.
“The conditions today definitely bunched the entire field together and should make for an exciting weekend,” McIlroy said
The conditions — mainly the wind strong that was blowing hats off of heads and sending unoccupied chairs tumbling away — was everything in the second round.
The average score was 70.7, nearly two shots harder than the opening round. It was the highest scoring average for a single round at the Travelers since the second round in 2017.
The toughest part for players was figuring out which way it was blowing. Scheffler experienced that on the 17th.
“The tee shot, I hit exactly the way I wanted to,” Scheffler said. “Somehow the wind either stops or goes back because the way my ball was flying it should have basically gotten to the middle of the fairway and I end up in the left bunker.
“Then I catch it a hair fat, and all of a sudden I’m dropping and hitting my fourth shot, and I hit the shot exactly the way we wanted to, and as the ball is flying, you get a gust into the wind, and all of a sudden the ball is not on the green,” he said. “You can’t get every one correct. You just do your best to manage your way around the golf course.”
Day had his own version of a hat trick on the front nine — three pars, three birdies, three bogeys — until hitting all the right shots for a 31 on the back to get in the hunt.
Denny McCarthy (64) and Austin Eckroat (71) were at 7-under 133, followed by Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley 70) and Nick Taylor (68).
Patrick Cantlay had a 68 with a double bogey on the par-5 13th and joined the large group at 135 that included McIlroy.
If the wind wasn’t bad enough, Luke Clanton showed remarkable patience in his second tournament as a pro. He had been playing with Jordan Spieth, who had to withdraw with soreness in his upper back on Thursday. Clanton was a single in the middle of the field, behind Scheffler and US Open champion J.J. Spaun, in front of Andrew Novak and Jacob Bridgeman.
He waited on every shot and did well to post a 72, leaving him in the middle of the pack.
Alcaraz extends winning streak, Draper into semifinals at Queen’s
- Alcaraz, who won the Wimbledon warm-up event in 2023, will face Spanish compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut in Saturday’s semifinals
- The 23-year-old had twice lost in the last eight at Queen’s, but now he is just two wins away from joining Andy Murray as only the second British champion at the tournament in the Open area
LONDON: Carlos Alcaraz was relieved to overcome the challenge of Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets to reach the semifinals at Queen’s Club and extend his career-best winning streak to 16 matches on Friday.
In his first tournament since winning the French Open in remarkable fashion against Jannik Sinner, the world No. 2 had been forced to come through a grueling three-set battle against Jaume Munar in Thursday’s second round.
But Alcaraz was ruthless with his opportunities against world No. 80 Rinderknech as the Spaniard took his only two break point chances for a 7-5, 6-4 win inside 90 minutes on court.
“I thought I was going to feel much worse, but we are tennis players, we have to do whatever we have to do to feel good,” said Alcaraz after his three-and-a-half-hour battle against Munar.
“I’m glad that today was one hour and 20 minutes, a bit more like grass.”
Alcaraz, who won the Wimbledon warm-up event in 2023, will face Spanish compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut in Saturday’s semifinals after he beat fourth seed Holger Rune 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-2.
“I’m feeling great, and I’m just happy to play at such a good level today. It was a big challenge today, but I’m happy with the way I played and felt today,” added Alcaraz.
Jack Draper, who ended Alcaraz’s defense at Queen’s last year, reached the semifinals for the first time and secured a top-four seed at Wimbledon with a tense 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win over American Brandon Nakashima.
The 23-year-old had twice lost in the last eight at Queen’s, but now he is just two wins away from joining Andy Murray as only the second British champion at the tournament in the Open area.
Draper will move above Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz in the world rankings next week to a career-high of four.
That means at Wimbledon, which starts on June 30, Draper will avoid defending champion Alcaraz and world No. 1 Sinner until the semifinals.
“Last year I went there ranked 40th and now I’m fourth. To get to that position is an incredible feeling,” Draper said.
“It is testament to the work me and my team have done and I’m proud of that.”
Draper will face Jiri Lehecka in the last four on Saturday after the Czech world No. 30 beat beat British No. 2 Jacob Fearnley 7-5, 6-2.
Promotional tour for Alvarez and Crawford’s ‘Fight of the Century’ gets underway in Riyadh
- The boxers will face off in Las Vegas in September for the unified super-middleweight title and a specially crafted Ring Magazine belt worth $188,000
RIYADH: Boxing superstars Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford shared the stage in Riyadh on Friday at the start of a promotional tour ahead of their highly anticipated bout in Las Vegas on Sept. 13.
The two champions, who will face off for the unified super-middleweight title and a specially crafted Ring Magazine belt valued at $188,000, appeared at a press conference in Boulevard City as part of Riyadh Season.
“My goal is always being in these kinds of fights: big fights,” Alvarez, the reigning undisputed champion with a record of 62 wins, 39 of them by knockout, told Arab News. “And I’m here again. So I feel grateful and excited.”
He added that the sport has developed and progressed in the Kingdom in recent years, adding: “Turki Alalshikh (chairperson of the General Entertainment Authority) has helped a lot. Right now we have boxing gyms here and they’re helping a lot of kids. So that’s very nice.”
Looking ahead to his showdown with Crawford, the Mexican fighter said: “I think this fight is going to be one of my best fights in my history, in my record. I’m very excited and motivated. This is what it’s all about. I want to make history.”
Asked for his thoughts on his opponent, Alvarez said: “Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great fighter — but like I said, he’s not Canelo. He’s one of the top fighters I’m going to face in my career, for sure.”
Crawford, an American fighter who holds a record of 41 wins, with 31 knockouts, and is a four-division world champion, said: “This is my moment and I’m not letting Canelo take it away from me. It’s going to be an exciting day for boxing; history will be made.”
Alalshikh said the fight marks the beginning of a long-term partnership with Netflix, which will stream the bout to more than 300 million subscribers worldwide.
“We will do big things together and this is the beginning of a great relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the GEA and Netflix,” he added.
Asked what he hopes to see from the fighters during their bout, Alalshikh said: “I’m sure they will deliver for me smashing face and blood.”
As for the decision to stage the fight in Las Vegas, he described the city as “the capital of boxing.”
The promotional tour will continue in New York City on June 22 and Las Vegas on June 27.
Benfica knock out Auckland in Club World Cup romp
- With the Portuguese side leading by a goal at half-time the match was suspended because of a storm
- Despite their eventual collapse, Auckland battled hard in the first half
ORLANDO: Benfica romped to a 6-0 win over Auckland City on Friday in a Club World Cup match in Orlando which suffered a long weather delay, with Angel Di Maria netting two penalties.
With the Portuguese side leading by a goal at half-time the match was suspended because of a storm, eventually resuming two hours later.
Auckland of New Zealand, the only Oceania Football Confederation representatives at the tournament, were thrashed 10-0 by Bayern Munich in their Group C opener and this defeat means they are eliminated.
Despite their eventual collapse, Auckland battled hard in the first half and almost made it to the break unscathed.
Auckland goalkeeper Nathan Garrow made several good saves to keep Benfica at bay and the Portuguese side grew frustrated.
Benfica took the lead deep into first half stoppage time when Gianluca Prestianni was clumsily felled in the area by Haris Zeb.
Di Maria, who converted a spot-kick in the opening 2-2 draw against Boca Juniors, sent Garrow the wrong way.
At half-time the match became the fourth in the last four days at the tournament to be impacted by a suspension for adverse conditions, with a storm arriving at the Inter&CO Stadium.
When play eventually resumed, Benfica came back out strongly.
Vangelis Pavlidis bundled his way through and smashed home to double Bruno Lage’s team’s lead in the 53rd minute, with Renato Sanches netting the third 10 minutes later from outside the box with a deflected effort.
Luxembourg midfielder Leandro Barreiro bagged a brace to expand Benfica’s lead, tucking home at the back post from Pavlidis’ cross for the fourth before netting from close range.
Nikko Boxall brought down Di Maria in stoppage time and the Argentine World Cup winner beat Garrow from the spot again to wrap up Benfica’s emphatic triumph.
Later Friday German giants Bayern Munich take on Argentine outfit Boca Juniors in the other Group C match.
Liverpool sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for huge fee that could climb to $156m
- “I feel very happy and very proud,” Wirtz told the official Liverpool website
- “Finally it’s done and I was waiting for a long time”
LONDON: Liverpool delivered a huge statement of intent after winning the Premier League title by signing Germany star Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen on Friday.
The transfer fee could climb to 116 million pounds ($156 million), which would make the 22-year-old Wirtz the most expensive player in the history of British soccer.
“I feel very happy and very proud,” Wirtz told the official Liverpool website. “Finally it’s done and I was waiting for a long time.
“I’m really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League.
“I will see how I can perform there. I hope I can do my best. I spoke also with some players who played there and they told me that it’s perfect for me and every pitch is perfect, you can enjoy every game. I’m really looking forward to playing my first game.”
Liverpool, determined to keep moving forward despite securing a record-tying 20th English top-flight title, splashed out a club record to bring in not only one of the best players from Germany, but one of the top youngsters in the world.
Wirtz has been a key first-team player for Leverkusen since he was 17. He was the outstanding attacking player in the team that won the Bundesliga and German Cup in 2023-24 without losing a game, and is a regular in Germany’s national team.
It’s why Liverpool were ready to pay a guaranteed 100 million pounds, plus 16 million pounds in potential add-ons. Wirtz had two years left on his contract, giving Leverkusen leverage in negotiations.
The Premier League record for an initial fee was set when Chelsea signed Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for 106.7 million pounds ($131.4 million at the time) in 2023, before the London club agreed to pay up to 115 million pounds ($146 million at the time) for midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton later that year.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot arrived last summer and signed just one outfield player — forward Federico Chiesa — for the 2024-25 season.
Chiesa barely played and the Reds won the league by 10 points, after which Slot and some of his players — including Virgil van Dijk — spoke about there being big plans for this transfer window.
Having already signed right wing back Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen for a reported 35 to 40 million euros ($39.7 million to $45.4 million), Liverpool have returned to the German club to take Wirtz, who rejected an opportunity to join Bayern Munich — a Bundesliga rival which have long pursued him.
One obstacle to that move was the size of the fee Leverkusen wanted. Another was concern over how Wirtz might fit into the same lineup as Jamal Musiala, Germany’s other standout young attacking midfielder.
Losing Wirtz leaves Leverkusen and their new coach, Erik ten Hag with an even bigger rebuild following the departure of Xabi Alonso for Real Madrid.
Just after his 17th birthday, Wirtz became the youngest player in Leverkusen’s history when he made his debut against Werder Bremen in May 2020, in an empty stadium at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A month later he was the youngest player to score in Bundesliga history, though that record has since been topped.
Wirtz’s versatile attacking midfield play was a vital ingredient in Alonso transforming Leverkusen into a team that could win the Bundesliga and German Cup without losing a game.
He and Alonso stayed for another sometimes-disappointing season which ended with second place to Bayern in the league and a loss to Bayern in the Champions League round of 16.
Wirtz showed he can deal with adversity when a cruciate ligament tear in his knee ruled him out for almost all of 2022 — including Alonso’s first games as coach — before he returned to power Leverkusen to their league and cup double in 2023-24.
Wirtz has become a vital player for the German national team with 29 caps. He played all five of their matches at Euro 2024 on home soil.
He’s also had to contend with hostility from fans of his boyhood club Cologne, which he left for nearby Leverkusen at 16. Liverpool and Bayern were reportedly interested then, too.
Cologne claimed that deal broke an agreement between the clubs not to pursue each other’s youth players. Leverkusen argued Wirtz was so talented that he counted as a first-team player despite his age.
Cologne and Leverkusen are barely 10 kilometers (6 miles) apart, so going to Liverpool will be the first time that Wirtz has moved away from his roots.
His parents Hans Wirtz and Karin Gross have played a big role in his career — they were also his agents until last year — and he’s close to his older sister Juliane, a professional player for Werder Bremen in the women’s Bundesliga.
Wirtz’s decision to turn down Bayern and the Bundesliga for Liverpool has caused some raised eyebrows in Germany.
“I wouldn’t have thought Florian would make this switch so early,” former Germany great Lothar Matthäus told broadcaster n-tv last month. “But he wants to get out of his comfort zone.”
Wirtz seems likely to slot in as the No. 10 at Liverpool, a more creative solution in that role compared to the hard-running Dominik Szoboszlai.
Whether Slot also now pushes for a new striker as an upgrade to current options Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez remains to be seen.
Szoboszlai could drop back into one of the two deeper midfield positions, competing with Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones.
