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sports Friday 11 September 2020
Tour de France rookie Hirschi wins longest stage

SARRAN, France (AP) — over any rivals who strug-
Tour de France rookie Marc gle.
Hirschi won the longest Roglic said he is bracing for
stage of this year's race "some fight and real rac-
with a bold solo break- ing."
away Thursday on a previ- "It's a hard stage," said the
ously unused sharp ascent, Slovenian former ski-jumper
making up for two previous who won last year's Spanish
near misses. Vuelta and placed fourth
The Swiss rider powered at the Tour of 2018.
away on the Suc au May Meanwhile, the Tour orga-
climb, new to the 117-year- nizer confirmed Thursday
old Tour. He extended his that four teams which had
lead by racing with hair- staff members test posi-
raising speed down the tive for COVID-19 this week
other side and held off won't automatically be
pursuers over the last 25 sent home if another staff
kilometers (15 miles) to win member is positive in the
Stage 12 by a comfortable next battery of tests.
margin in Sarran. Health rules for the race say
It was the 22-year-old Hirs- teams can be sent home if
chi's inaugural victory at they have two or more pos-
his inaugural Tour, after po- itive tests in a seven-day
dium finishes on Stages 2 Switzerland's Marc Hirschi celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the stage 12 of the Tour span.
and 9. On the ninth stage, de France cycling race over 218 kilometers from Chauvigny to Sarran, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. But race organizer ASO
Associated Press
he also launched an early confirmed that the day-
solo breakaway only to be French rider Pierre Rolland central France. climbs of note were a fore- counter will be reset to zero
caught by four riders near placed second, 47 sec- Poulidor's repeated failures taste of harder ascents that when teams are tested
the end and then lost a onds behind. Hirschi cov- to win the Tour conquered await on Friday. Stage 13 is again on the Tour's second
sprint when he was over- ered the distance in just un- French hearts and earned a start-to-finish roller-coast- and last rest day next Mon-
taken in the final meters. der 5 hours, 9 minutes. him the moniker "Eternal er of seven noted climbs. day.
"It's hard to finds words. It's Roglic kept the overall lead, Runner-up." The 191 kilometers (119 That clarification lifts a
my first pro victory," Hirschi still 21 seconds ahead of Poulidor finished a record miles) end with a short but weight off Cofidis, AG2R
said. "I would never have Egan Bernal, last year's win- eight times on the Tour furiously steep ascent of La Mondiale, Ineos Grena-
believed that I could win ner from Colombia. French podium from 1962 to 1976 the Puy Mary, the remains diers, and Mitchelton Scott,
here, a stage, at this age." rider Guillaume Martin re- but never won and never of a once-giant volcano the teams that each saw a
The Tour's top contend- mained third overall, 28 wore the yellow jersey. He that is liable to force top staff member test positive
ers, including yellow-jersey seconds behind Roglic. died at age 83. The stage contenders into battle. on the first rest day.
wearer Primoz Roglic, were The stage paid homage was rolling and largely flat The final kilometers to the Because they will all essen-
more than two minutes be- to France's all-time favor- for the first hour after the finish at 1,589 meters (5,213 tially be starting afresh in
hind when Hirschi finished ite cyclist, Raymond Pouli- start in Chauvigny but got feet) in altitude kick up- the next round of testing, a
the 218-kilometer (135-mile) dor, by whizzing through progressively harder as it ward at a gradient of 15%, single positive test on Mon-
stage into the Massif Cen- his hometown where he veered southeast into the plenty steep enough for day will not automatically
tral, one of five mountain died last November, Saint- lumpy Massif Central. the strongest riders to open trigger their exclusion, ASO
ranges scaled by this Tour. Leonard-de-Noblat in west- The four relatively modest consequential time gaps said.q

Forbes: Cowboys most valuable NFL team at $5.7 billion

By The Associated Press The teams with the biggest jumps
Forbes estimates the Dallas Cow- from last year include the Jets,
boys are the NFL's most valuable Eagles and Seahawks, all at 11%.
franchise at $5.7 billion, the 14th The bottom three teams are the
consecutive year they've held Detroit Lions ($2.1 billion) at No.
that distinction. 30, followed by the Buffalo Bills
According to the magazine, Jerry ($2.05 billion) and the Cincinnati
Jones' team is also the most valu- Bengals, who finished last in the
able franchise in the world. standings at 2-14 in 2019 and are
After the Cowboys, the six-time worth $2 billion.
Super Bowl champion New Eng- They are also the only franchise
land Patriots are second in the without any increase from last
league at $4.4 billion followed, year.
by the New York Giants at $4.3 On average, each team in the
billion, the Los Angeles Rams at NFL is worth $3.05 billion, an in-
$4 billion and the San Francisco crease of 7% from last year. And
49ers at $3.8 billion. four teams (Cowboys, Giants,
Rounding out the top 10 are the Patriots and Rams) are worth at
New York Jets ($3.55 billion), Chi- least $4 billion.
cago Bears ($3.52 billion), Wash- The Super Bowl champion Kansas
ington ($3.5 billion), Philadelphia City Chiefs are No. 23 at $2.5 bil- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) passes during an NFL training camp
football practice in Frisco, Texas, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020.
Eagles ($3.4 billion) and Houston lion, an increase of 9% from last Associated Press
Texans ($3.3 billion). year.q