Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Friday 27 July 2018
Thomas looks to cement Tour lead in final mountain leg

By ANDREW DAMPF time cut as thousands of One fan who reached over
PAU, France (AP) — Arn- French spectators cheered the barriers nearly took
aud Demare was reward- him on. Thomas down on Wednes-
ed Thursday for hauling his Greipel, who also quit in day
muscular frame over the Stage 12, later apologized "I thought it was maybe
Alps and through the Pyr- on Twitter, saying he had an accident, just maybe
enees. relied on "incorrect" infor- an overly exuberant fan,"
Geraint Thomas, mean- mation. Thomas said. "But when I
while, is preparing to ce- "It hurt me enormously," got back to the hotel and
ment his hold on the yel- Demare said. "It's a shame was showed the pictures it
low jersey in Friday's final that people cast doubts was obviously something
mountain test of the Tour over my performance and else. It's not nice. It's not
de France. my hard work. ... I thought what you want."
After many of his competi- a lot about (Greipel) today. On a warm day in southern
tors were unable to get It's not in my mindset or my France, Stage 18 took rid-
through the mountains, De- philosophy to (cheat). I ers through the vineyards
mare took advantage by worked hard in the moun- France's Arnaud Demare, left, celebrates as he crosses the finish of Madiran to the city of
dominating a mass sprint in tains before the Tour line to win the eighteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling Pau, the birthplace of 16th-
race over 171 kilometers (106.3 miles) with start in Trie-sur-
Stage 18. and, as a result, I made it Baise and finish in Pau, France, Thursday, July 26, 2018. France's century King Henri IV. It was
It marked the first victory through mountain stages Christophe Laporte finished second. the 70th time that the Tour
by a French team, Group- when most of the sprinters Associated Press passed through Pau, which
ama-FDJ, in this year's race. did not." first hosted the race in 1930.
Sprinters Fernando Gaviria Demare, who failed to four-time champion Chris the whole race, so hopeful- Five riders — Guillaume Van
of Colombia and Dylan make the cut on a climb in Froome third, 2:31 behind. ly we can keep that going Keirsbulck (Wanty-Groupe
Groenewegen — who had the Alps last year, had time Only two challenging stag- for one more day." Gobert), Mathew Hayman
each won two stages in to celebrate as he crossed es remain — a lengthy leg After Froome cracked on (Mitchelton-Scott), Luke
this Tour — called it quits the line with his arms wide through the Pyrenees on the Col du Portet, all of Durbridge (Mitchelton-
during Stage 12 to Alpe open ahead of fellow Friday including three ma- Sky's strategy is aimed at Scott), Niki Terpstra (Quick-
d'Huez. That came a day Frenchman Christophe La- jor climbs, then a technical getting Thomas to Paris in Step Floors) and Thomas
after Mark Cavendish and porte. individual time trial on Sat- yellow — meaning Froome Boudat (Direct Energie) —
Marcel Kittel, who have a Alexander Kristoff of Nor- urday — before the mostly may have to help. were involved in an early
combined 44 Tour stage way crossed third in the ceremonial finish on the "Hopefully we won't have breakaway. The sprinters'
wins between them, failed same time. Champs-Elysees in Paris on to use Froomey. Hopefully teams never let them get
to make the time cut on After two grueling days in Sunday. we'll have strength in num- much more than two min-
another mountain leg. the Pyrenees, Thomas was Stage 19 starts in the pil- bers and he'll be able to utes ahead, and they were
Demare said he was mo- able to enjoy his seventh grimage town of Lourdes just follow as well," Thomas caught with 16.5 kilometers
tivated by an accusation day in the yellow jersey and takes the peloton over said. "But obviously having to go.
on social media from An- during the less challenging legendary climbs like the Froomey at my disposal, so Otherwise, it was a very
dre Greipel, a top Ger- 171-kilometer (106-mile) leg Col du Tourmalet and Col to speak, is just phenom- calm stage except for a
man sprinter, who alleged from Trie-Sur-Baise to Pau, d'Aubisque. enal." minor crash involving Stage
that Demare held on to his which featured only two "We're expecting the worst, Perhaps a bigger worry for 17 winner Nairo Quintana
team car on the way up minor climbs and a flat fin- hoping for the best. ... It's Thomas and Froome con- and British rider Adam
the grueling Col du Portet ish. the last mountain stage cerns the unruly fans who Yates midway through the
in Stage 17. Thomas remained 1 minute, and I think guys will try to have consistently affected route. Both riders got back
Demare finished Wednes- 59 seconds ahead of Tom take every opportunity this Tour by spitting at riders on their bikes and con-
day's stage second to last Dumoulin with the Welsh- they can," Thomas said. "But — or even reaching out to tinued without apparent
but managed to avoid the man's Sky teammate and we've been riding real well grab them. problems.q
Ledecky cruises to easy win in 800 free at U.S. Nationals

By BETH HARRIS Ledecky earned the 14th bey Weitzeil was fourth to
IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Ka- national title of her career grab spots on the Pan Pacs
tie Ledecky cruised to a and a spot in the event at team.
nearly 11-second victory next month's Pan Pacific "I think there's room for im-
in the 800-meter freestyle championships in Tokyo, provement," said Manuel,
Wednesday on the open- site of the 2020 Olympics. newly signed to a suit en-
ing night of the U.S. nation- "It didn't feel super sharp, dorsement deal with Tyr.
al championships. but it always takes me a "I've been doing pretty
Ledecky was under her little time to get into these good things in practice
own world-record pace meets," Ledecky said. "I that I haven't been doing
through the first 300 meters know people are chasing before."
before dropping off and me and that's motivating." Five-time Olympic cham-
finishing in 8 minutes, 11.98 Defending world and pion Missy Franklin was
seconds on Wednesday Olympic champion Sim- relegated to the C final
night. She failed to crack one Manuel won the 100 of the 100 free, which she
the top 10 performances in freestyle in 52.54 seconds, won in her first major meet
the event, which all belong setting a U.S. Open record. since the 2016 Rio de Ja-
to her. Mallory Comerford, fourth niero Games. She is coming Katie Ledecky checks her time after winning the women's
Leah Smith chased in last year's world meet, back from two major shoul- 800-meter freestyle during the U.S. national championships
Ledecky all the way and took second in 53.09. Mar- der surgeries and a struggle swimming meet Wednesday, July 25, 2018, in Irvine, Calif.
touched second in 8:22.79. go Geer was third and Ab- with depression.q Associated Press