Tour celebrates 100 years of punishing Pyrenees

Tue, Jul 20 10 08:37 AM

The first riders to climb the Pyrenees on the Tour de France 100 years ago called the organisers 'criminals' and this year's peloton may start to feel the same during Tuesday's punishing 16th stage.

Since the day in 1910 when Octave Lapize was the first at the top of the Tourmalet, the Pyrenees have become a tradition of the Tour and Tuesday's stage is seen by many as the hardest of this year's race.

The bunch will ride the 2,110-metres Tourmalet summit for the 76th time in a 199.5-km stage that includes the four climbs featured on the course of a ride between Perpignan and Bagneres-de-Luchon in 1910.

The Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet and Aubisque mountain passes remain as tough as they were a century ago and the celebration will be a painful one for many riders.

Luxembourg's Andy Schleck, who lost his yellow jersey to defending champion Alberto Contador in the 15th stage and trails by eight seconds, has vowed to take his revenge and is expected to go on the attack.

Source: Published>

FIFA begins inspection for 2018-2022 World Cups

Published>Tue, Jul 20 10 07:37 AM

Tokyo, July 20 (IANS) A FIFA inspection committee has started a visit to the 12 countries vying to host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022.

The visit to Japan Monday marks the start of a long tour to evaluate countries, which will conclude in Qatar in September, after the other seven candidates are visited and evaluated, Prensa Latina reported.

Each city will be visited for at least for four days and the work of the FIFA commission is to see if they are really ready, and evaluate the conditions of their sites, facilities, infrastructure and other aspects.

The commission is headed by Chilean Soccer Federation president Harold Mayne Nicholls.

A new stadium will be built in Osaka - provisionally called Osaka Ecology Stadium - with a capacity for 83,000 people, and it could be the site of the 2022 World Cup's opening and final matches if Japan is finally elected as the host.

Australia, South Korea, Qatar, the US and Japan are the candidates for the 2022 World Cup, while Britain, the US, Russia, Australia, Belgium/Holland (dual candidature) and Spain/Portugal are bidding for 2018.

Spain/Portugal will be evaluated Aug 30-Sep 2, the US Sep 6-9, and Qatar Sep 13-17.

The final decision will be made Dec 2 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Source: Web Search

Chain slip just part of the game, say former riders

Published>Tue, Jul 20 10 06:17 AM

It might have appeared terribly unjust, but Alberto Contador's pilfering of the yellow jersey after Tour de France rival Andy Schleck suffered a mechanical failure was all too familiar for cycling's old guard.

Saxo Bank rider Schleck attacked defending champion Contador in the ascent to the Port de Bales, but a chain slip allowed the Spaniard to gain 39 seconds and take an eight-second lead after Monday's 187.5-km 15th stage.

"I cannot change the situation even if I'm mad," Schleck told reporters. "Of course I wouldn't have minded to throw my bike into the fence and just hit someone but you've got to keep yourself under control in situations like this."

Crashes and mechanical failures have been part of Tour folklore as early as 1919, when yellow jersey-holder Eugene Christophe lost the Tour to Belgian Firmin Lambot after being robbed of some 70 minutes due to a broken bike.

The same Christophe all but lost the Tour six years earlier, when riding second overall, he was forced to repair his bike on his own in a local forge not far from where Luxembourg's Schleck saw his chain fall off.

Schleck said Contador and other riders who profited from his misfortune would not win any "fair play prize" on offer, but former riders were quick to bring him back down to earth.

"At my time, when others had mechanical problems, we would just attack," said Laurent Fignon, a Tour winner in 1983 and 1984.

"In the heat of the race and in the finale, you can't say to Contador -- 'hey, wait for Andy'," added former Belgian professional rider Johan Bruyneel, who groomed Contador to his first two tour triumphs.

"Andy didn't wait for Contador on the cobblestones either, I guess."

In the third stage, Schleck took advantage of his brother Frank's crash to go off in the wheel of team mate Fabian Cancellara and Contador lost over a minute in the process.

Frenchman Jean-Francois Bernard, third in the 1987 Tour de France, was even harsher.

"I would have given Contador a rollicking if he had waited for Schleck. That's the race," said Bernard, a pundit for daily L'Equipe's website (www.lequipe.fr).

Source: Web Search

Ministry vs national federation, this time on hockey field

Published>Tue, Jul 20 10 05:37 AM

The Sport Ministry is once again on a collision course with a sports federation. After the Badminton Association of India (BAI), Hockey India (HI) too is all set defy the Ministry's guidelines that put a cap on the age and tenure of office bearers.

The 83-year-old HI president Vidya Stokes, while disregarding Sports Ministry's guideline that put an age limit of 70 on sports officials, made it clear on Monday that she will contest the national hockey body's election on July 28.

Stokes has written to the returning officer this regard. "We are not in agreement as we are a society formed under the Society's Registration Act, 1860 and hence having our own constitution and election guidelines," she said. Stokes also warned of legal action in case of government interference in the election process.

Meanwhile, in a related development the government observer, SK Mendiratta, in letter to the Returning Officer, Justice RC Chopra, said that the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) given by the ministry for the elections was conditional on the federation accepting the government guidelines on elections to NSFs. The letter states clearly, though the tenure limitations do not apply in this case, the age restrictions will have to be observed.

"Obviously, the restrictions relating to number of terms of office would not apply in the case of the present election, this being the first election of office bearers of Hockey India...The age restrictions with regard to the President, Secretary General and Treasurer shall be applicable in relation to the present elections," Mendiratta wrote.

Though the returning officer was unavailable for comments, sources close to him said that any decision will only be taken during the scrutiny of nominations on Tuesday morning. "The government observer will also be there, as will be representatives from the candidates and most of the candidates themselves. Justice Chopra will decide only then," a source said.

In case Stokes is disqualified, it will pave the way for former India captain and Olympian Pargat Singh to be the president. When contacted, Pargat remained non-committal. "We will have to wait and see what the returning officer decides tomorrow. If he decides to reject the nomination, then we will see what next," he said.

If elected, Pargat would be the first sportsman to take charge of the sport.

If HI decides to go ahead with elections disregarding the government guidelines, it may further complicate matters for the sport, already struggling with two governing bodies (IHF and HI). In which case, violating the ministry's directions may affect HI's chances to retaining administrative powers.

Source: Web Search

Brazil boosts spending to speed up World Cup works

Tue, Jul 20 10 03:57 AM

The Brazilian government announced measures on Monday to speed up preparations to host the soccer World Cup in 2014, boosting spending and cutting red tape for public works projects.

The move follows growing concern in recent weeks, including by the soccer world governing body FIFA, that preparations for the sporting event were seriously delayed.

The debate put the spotlight on numerous obstacles to investment in Brazil's fast-growing economy and angered President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has been touting the tournament as an accomplishment of his government ahead of October's presidential election.

Brazil will also host the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

In a signing ceremony arranged at short notice, Lula pledged 5.5 billion reais ($3.1 billion) to revamp airports in the 12 cities that will host the soccer tournament.

He also lifted restrictions on the ability of cities to raise debt to pay for infrastructure such as roads, stadiums and trains.

Lula, who called some of the concerns senseless, said the latest measures would avoid problems Brazil had with funding the 2007 Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The federal government also donated real estate and earmarked 740 million reais on Monday to allow seven cities, including Rio de Janeiro, to overhaul their ports and facilitate docking of large cruise ships.

"Certainly it will be an alternative to the lack of hotels," said Pedro Brito, the ports minister.

Lula blamed the Sao Paulo state government, which until April was run by the opposition presidential candidate Jose Serra, for failing to provide an adequate stadium to host the World Cup.

"Frankly, I can't imagine a World Cup in Brazil without Sao Paulo as one of the corners for athletes to play ball," Lula said during the ceremony in the capital Brasilia.

Source: Published>

Tampa Bay acquires Gagne in trade with Flyers

Tue, Jul 20 10 02:57 AM

The Tampa Bay Lightning strengthened their offense Monday by acquiring 40-goal scorer Simon Gagne in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Lightning sent defenseman Matt Walker and a 2011 fourth-round draft pick to Philadelphia in return, the team said.

"With his combination of speed and skill we are excited to have him with us," Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman.

Gagne had played his entire 664-game NHL career with the Flyers, recording 259 goals, including 47 game-winners, and a total of 524 points.

"I'm very excited right now," twice NHL All Star Gagne told reporters. "I'm looking at this opportunity as a new challenge and a new start."

Gagne has reached the playoffs in nine of his 11 seasons, scoring 32 goals and posting 47 points from 90 career postseason games.

The 30-year-old Quebec native shined in Philadelphia's march to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, recording nine goals and 12 points in 19 games.

Source: Published>

Roger Hayden to replace De Puniet at Laguna Seca

Tue, Jul 20 10 02:01 AM

American Roger Lee Hayden, younger brother of 2006 MotoGP world champion Nicky, will stand in for injured Frenchman Randy de Puniet at this weekend's U.S. Grand Prix, the LCR Honda team said on Monday.

De Puniet broke the tibia and fibula in his left leg at the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring and had surgery on Sunday night.

The team said the 29-year-old Frenchman had a titanium rod inserted in his leg and will leave hospital on Tuesday.

"They say that I need six weeks recovery period to start racing again but I will try my best to be back in Brno," the rider said, referring to the Czech Grand Prix on Aug. 15.

Yamaha's world champion Valentino Rossi made his race return at the weekend, finishing fourth, just six weeks after breaking his leg.

Hayden knows the Laguna Seca circuit well and raced there in MotoGP for Kawasaki in 2007, finishing seventh.

Source: Published>