Bahrain Victorious rider Finlay Pickering had to scramble to make it to Turin in time for the Vuelta a Espana’s start, arriving without his luggage after being drafted in as a last-minute replacement.
The 22-year-old Briton received a call to replace injured teammate Damiano Caruso less than 24 hours before the opening stage began, triggering a frantic journey involving a 200-km taxi ride from Andorra to Toulouse and a flight delay.
He went on to finish Saturday’s first stage in 153rd place.
“It was actually really lucky, because I had a problem with a pair of training wheels and they were in a bike shop, so I was a bit late going out training,” Pickering told reporters.
“I was on the way to pick them up when I got a call from management saying ‘How quickly can I be in an airport’? Well, if I drive fast, I guess the answer’s — pretty quick... The first flight was delayed, so I didn’t get my suitcase.
“But at least I managed to pack two pairs of shoes (in hand luggage) so I can start today. I’ve got a set of boxers, a set of socks, and the team are really good at looking after me, so — no stress.”
Pickering has never previously competed in a Grand Tour, but he did not seem daunted by the prospect.
“I’m pretty ready. I’m a bike rider and this is a bike race, after all — even if it’s a pretty big one,” he added.
Bahrain Victorious rider Pickering’s mad dash pays off in Grand Tour debut
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Bahrain Victorious rider Pickering’s mad dash pays off in Grand Tour debut
- “It was actually really lucky, because I had a problem with a pair of training wheels and they were in a bike shop, so I was a bit late going out training,” Pickering told reporters
Jordan make history as they reach Arab Cup final for first time with narrow victory over Saudi Arabia
- Green Falcons left to rue squandered chances as they miss out on what would have been their first final appearance in the competition since 2002
- Semi-final victory comes during a stellar year for Jordan in which they also qualified for the World Cup for the first time ever
DOHA: A header by Nizar Al-Rashdan gave Jordan a 1-0 victory in a tense match against Saudi Arabia on Monday and sent them to their first Arab Cup final.
Deprived of the services of Yazan Al-Naimat, who suffered a devastating knee injury in their quarter-final against Iraq, Jordan delivered a brave performance, greatly limiting the Saudi attacking threat across the 90 minutes.
The semi-final at Al-Bayt Stadium in Qatar attracted the highest attendance of the tournament so far, a vibrant crowd of 62,825. Both sides began cautiously, with Jordan lining up in a robust 5-4-1 formation that sought to restrict Salem Al-Dawsari and Saleh Abou Al-Shamat in the final third.
The game opened up a little after the break, as a tactical change from Jordan helped them gain greater control on the counterattack. Mohammed Abu Zrayq in particular proved influential down the right flank as he stretched the Saudi defense and gave the Nashama more attacking momentum.
The decisive moment, however, came from the opposite side. Mahmoud Al-Mardi delivered a dipping cross from the left, catching the Green Falcons’ defense off guard, and Al-Rashdan rose to head home the only goal of the match in the 66th minute.
Saudi Arabia responded with a series of substitutions, including the introduction of Al-Qadsiah midfielder Musab Al-Juwayr. The former Al-Hilal player helped link play between Al-Dawsari and Feras Al-Brikan down the left channel as the Saudis pressed for the equalizer.
Al-Brikan and then Saleh Al-Shehri both went close but Yazeed Abulaila stood firm in goal, producing a crucial save just minutes after Jordan took the lead.
The match ended on a particularly sour note for Saudi Arabia when last man Waleed Al-Ahmed was shown a straight red card in the closing moments after bringing down an opponent to halt a counterattack, as Jordan saw out their historic victory.
They now face Morocco, who earlier in the day defeated the UAE 3-0, in the final on Thursday.
