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sports Diabierna 22 Juli 2022

Chris Froome out of Tour de France with COVID-19

(AP) — Four-time Tour "I'm really disappointed not
de France champion to be able to roll into Paris
Chris Froome pulled out and finish off this Tour de
of cycling's biggest race France," Froome said. "It's
on Thursday after testing been an extremely special
positive for COVID-19. race for us as a team and for
me personally as well. I've
Froome withdrew from the really been finding my legs
Tour ahead of Stage 18 from again."
Lourdes to Hautacam in the
Pyrenees. Froome was 26th overall, lag-
ging 1 hour, 27 minutes, 14
Froome said in a video mes- seconds behind race leader
sage he will take a few days Jonas Vingegaard.
off and refocus on compet-
ing at the Spanish Vuelta next So much has changed for
month. Froome since that training
crash during the 2019 Crité-
Froome, who rides for the Is- rium du Dauphiné, an event
rael–Premier Tech team, said he had been using to fine-
he was sad not to reach Paris tune his bid for a record-
after achieving his best result equaling fifth Tour title. The
since a career-changing crash accident not only left him
in 2019 with a third-place with a fractured right femur, itive racing, Froome did not the fast-growing Israel Start- still very far from the level
finish in the Alpe d'Huez a fractured elbow and frac- return to his previous best Up Nation team, Froome that helped him secure the
stage last week. tured ribs, it also cost him his level and lost his status as the was left out of the Ineos ros- Spanish Vuelta (in 2011 and
spot in Team Ineos' Tour de leader of the British team. Af- ter for the 2020 Tour because 2017) and the Giro d'Italia
The Tour ends on Sunday on France squad the year after. ter it was announced his con- of poor form. (2018) in addition to his four
the Champs-Elysees. tract could not be renewed Tour titles.
After getting back to compet- and that he would be joining The Kenyan-born cyclist is

Stay or go? Ronaldo's future uncertain at Manchester United

(AP) – The weekly social It's why, for the 37-year-old training with the English best teams in England like mobility and an ability to be
media posts published by Ronaldo, playing for Man- club because of what has Manchester City and Liver- part of a team pressing game
Cristiano Ronaldo this chester United — still one been described as "personal pool. United finished sixth counts for a lot, too, and Ron-
offseason typically have of the world's most famous reasons." The expectation, last season, 35 points behind aldo does not offer that, even
shown the soccer super- sports teams, despite their recently hired United man- first-place City. if he remains a supremely
star half-dressed, muscles recent trophy drought — just ager Erik ten Hag repeats on athletic player with that un-
bulging, either working isn't enough. He wants to an almost-daily basis, is that So, while the rest of the canny knack of coming alive
out or promoting one of be competing on the biggest Ronaldo will be back before United squad has been on in the penalty area and scor-
his many brands. stage, winning the biggest the Premier League begins tour in Thailand and Austra- ing from anywhere. A team's
trophies while he can. and be a key member of the lia, getting match-sharp and structure must change to ac-
Remaining relevant and squad. acquainted with ten Hag and commodate a player like an
highly visible is clearly so Hence the current standoff his methods, Ronaldo has aging Ronaldo, covering for
important to the player who, with United, which is be- The reality, it seems, is dif- been back home in Portu- his deficiencies and the need
along with Lionel Messi, is coming more damaging and ferent. Ronaldo reportedly gal with his family while his to make him the focal point.
the greatest of his generation. disruptive as the days go by wants out after just one sea- agent, Jorge Mendes, shops
That also extends to the fi- and the new season looms. son back at Old Trafford, around seeking a new club In short, his presence re-
nal years of his career on the with United no longer in for his most famous client. quires compromises to be
field, too. Publicly, Ronaldo has not the Champions League or in made. He is a problem and a
yet returned to preseason shape to compete with the Currently, there is no buyer. solution.

And the Premier League sea- Bayern Munich is anoth-
son starts in about two weeks. er team to have reportedly
turned down the chance to
On the face of it, United still sign Ronaldo. There has been
wants to keep Ronaldo — he no desire from Real Madrid
was the team's top scorer last or Juventus to go back in for
season with 24 goals and is him, either.
back to being the club's post-
er boy for the marketing de- Ronaldo's wage demands are
partment — and ten Hag has likely ruling out most of the
called the striker "extremely other clubs competing in this
important" along with being season's Champions League,
"not for sale." a competition in which he
is the record scorer with 141
But why would other top goals — 16 more than Messi
clubs be cold on a player who — and for which he lives.
is still a guaranteed source of
goals, and revenue for that It leaves Ronaldo in an awk-
matter? ward spot. Still one of the
greatest scorers in soccer but
Goals might be the aim of the a player unwanted by the best
game but they are not neces- teams.
sarily enough for a modern-
day coach. A certain level of