Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Friday 25 May 2018
Yates' Giro lead cut in half, Schachmann wins 18th stage

Associated Press with Froome a further 39
PRATO NEVOSO, Italy (AP) seconds behind.
— Simon Yates remained in Froome arrived at the Giro
the lead of the Giro d'Italia bidding to become the
but the British rider's ad- third person to win three
vantage over closest rival Grand Tours in a row but the
Tom Dumoulin was slashed four-time Tour de France
in half after the tough 18th champion crashed in train-
stage on Thursday. ing before the opening
Yates was dropped by his time trial, lost time in a split
rivals on the steep Catego- on stage four, and injured
ry 1 climb to Prato Nevoso himself again in a second
and he finished 28 seconds crash four days later.
behind defending champi- "It was quite a good day
on Dumoulin, who crossed today," Froome said in Ital-
the line with Domenico Poz- ian. "This is the first of three
zovivo and Chris Froome. consecutive stages which
"I was just tired, that's it. Still will be very hard. We saw
a few days to go. I can for the first time Simon not
bounce back, no worries," at 100 percent. That sur-
Yates said. prised me as until now he
Maximilian Schachmann has been fantastic. I think
of Germany won from a now we're all thinking of at-
breakaway to claim his first Germany's Maximilian Schachmann approaches the finish line to win the 18th stage of the Giro tacking him.
victory in a Grand Tour. d'Italia cycling race, from Abbiategrasso to Prato Nevoso, Italy, Thursday, May 24, 24, 2018. "After the fall at the start I
Schachmann attacked Associated Press didn't feel 100 percent but
heading into the final sec- each day I felt better and
tion of the climb, finishing really, really hard," said attacking, as he had done final three days of the Giro, now I'm quite good."
10 seconds ahead of Ru- Schachmann, who rides for previously in the race and which includes two brutal There are four mountain
ben Plaza and 16 ahead of Quick-Step Floors. "I knew I the Mitchelton-Scott cyclist days in the Alps before the passes on the 189-kilome-
Mattia Cattaneo. had a good chance from stuck to his script. He fol- procession to Rome. ter route from Venaria Re-
The rest of the breakaway, the breakaway. I tried to lowed Dumoulin when the "I always said if I have the ale up to Bardonecchia on
which escaped 16 kilo- play it safe, to not attack Dutch rider made a move legs then I will keep on try- Friday, followed by Satur-
meters into the mainly flat too early. It was really hard, but had no response when ing," Dumoulin said. "I had day's "queen stage" up to
196-kilometer (122-mile) we are already on stage Froome powered away the legs today and I tried Cervinia.
route from Abbiategrasso 18 so no one has fresh legs shortly after, with two kilo- and it worked. Finally, after "I'm not worried," Yates said.
finished more than a min- anymore." meters remaining. two and a half weeks." "I'm still in front.
ute off the pace. Yates had talked about de- Yates' lead was cut to 28 Pozzovivo remained third "Tomorrow is much better
"The final kilometers were fending his lead rather than seconds heading into the but was 2:43 behind Yates, for me than today. q
Serena could face Sharapova in 4th round at French Open

Kristyna Pliskova of the penko and losing a three- terfinals this month against
Czech Republic. setter to top-ranked Simo- Dominic Thiem.
This will be Williams' first na Halep "Having enjoyed the suc-
Grand Slam event since Halep will open against Ali- cess I had over the last
giving birth to her daughter son Riske, and Ostapenko couple of weeks helps to
in September. She hasn't will take on Kateryna Ko- be here with a bit more
played at a Grand Slam zlova of Ukraine. confidence," Nadal said at
since winning the Austra- The hard-hitting Ostapen- the draw.
lian Open in January 2017 ko, who last year became Nadal is trying to become
while pregnant. the first unseeded player to only the second player,
Ranked No. 453, Williams win the women's title since male or female, in tennis
entered Roland Garros un- 1933, was handed a tricky history to win 11 singles titles
der the WTA's protected draw as she could face at any Grand Slam event
ranking rule but has not former No. 1 Victoria Aza- after Margaret Court, who
been granted a seed by renka in the second round. won the Australian Open 11
In this March 21, 2018, file photo, Serena Williams makes a return
against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, during the Miami Open tennis organizers. Without a seed- The tournament starts on times. The seventh-seeded
tournament in Key Biscayne, Fla. ing, Williams was drawn Sunday. Thiem, who ended Nadal's
Associated Press in the same quarter as In the men's draw, 10-time streaks on clay of 21 wins
Sharapova, who was seed- champion and overwhelm- and 50 sets won, will face
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN three-time champion Wil- ed 28th. ing favorite Rafael Nadal a qualifier in the first round.
Associated Press liams and two-time cham- While nobody really knows will open against Alexandr He is in second-seeded
PARIS (AP) — Serena Wil- pion Sharapova is far from what to expect from Wil- Dolgopolov. Alexander Zverev's quar-
liams and Maria Sharapo- guaranteed. liams, Sharapova had a Nadal is arriving in Paris on ter and can't meet Nadal
va could meet in the fourth Williams resumes her come- chance to fine-tune her the back of another im- before the final. Former
round of the French Open back after maternity leave clay-court game last week pressive clay-court season. champion Novak Djokovic
thanks to the draw on following two consecutive in Rome and made it to the He is 19-1 on his favorite sur- was drawn in the same half
Thursday. losses in March. She will semifinals beating reigning face, having lost just one as Thiem and Zverev. He will
Yet a matchup between open against 70th-ranked French Open Jelena Osta- match in the Madrid quar- open against a qualifier.q