Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 sports
Friday 21 July 2017
As Bolt nears end, Van Niekerk is track’s great hope

MONACO (AP) — As Usain make me a great athlete.” world-best of 30.81 in the
Bolt races toward the end There was greatness on the seldom-raced 300 last
of a great career, Wayde Rio de Janeiro track last month in the Czech Re-
van Niekerk is considered August when Van Niekerk public. His best 200 time
to be track and field’s next eclipsed Michael Johnson’s of 19.84, in Jamaica last
big star. world mark of 43.18 some month, is second in the
“That’s a massive, massive thought was unbeatable. world this year.
responsibility,” Van Niekerk Now a regular question is For good measure, Van
said on Thursday. He set a where and when the first Niekerk also has a 9.94 in
stunning 400-meter world sub-43 time will be run — the 100 that is faster than
record in 43.03 seconds possibly at the world cham- any Bolt competitive time
while winning the Olympic pionships in London in two this season.
title last year. weeks. “I doubt it is the end of
He spoke in Monaco “I can definitely think of a where I can be,” Van
ahead of Herculis meeting 42,” Van Niekerk acknowl- Niekerk said of his times in
on Friday in the Diamond edged. “It’s bound to hap- the shorter sprints.
League series where he will In this file photo dated Saturday, June 10, 2017, Jamaica’s pen. I just need to have Still, he has only respect for
be a main attraction with Usain Bolt, center right, embraces South African sprinter Wayde the right race and the right eight-time Olympic cham-
Bolt, who will run one of his van Niekerk after winning the “Salute to a Legend” 100 meters conditions and the right pion Bolt, whose farewell
last competitive 100 races. during the Racers Grand Prix at the national stadium in Kingston, perfect moment.” season will leave a big gap
Jamaica.
“I find it extremely difficult Associated Press Van Niekerk seems in top the sport will struggle to fill.
to even come close to acter. tough for us to catch up shape. He ran a world- “We all thought, ‘Is this re-
what Usain has represent- “Usain has set the bar quite when it comes to personal- leading 43.62 this month at ally possible?’” Van Niekerk
ed in his charismatic way,” high both with his personal- ity because he (Bolt) natu- Lausanne, Switzerland, and said of growing up watch-
Van Niekerk said. ity and his performances,” rally has it. eased up near the end of ing the Jamaican great set
The softly spoken South Af- Van Niekerk said, adding “At the end of the day you his only 400 so far in the Eu- world records and winning
rican has talked with Bolt that he is “slowly but surely” really just need to be you. ropean summer season. Olympic and world titles.
“quite a few times” about coming out of his shell. “It’s It is the performances that He also took another John- “He has also inspired us so
revealing more of his char- son mark when setting a much.”q

The Alps behind him, Froome has one hand on Tour win No. 4

Continued from Page 17 ture in a crash in April and nal sprint to finish third at
And one of those is a time was struck by a car on a the top of the Izoard, plac-
trial race against the clock, training ride last year, frac- ing behind Barguil and
a discipline he excels in turing his wrist. Atapuma, Bardet clawed
— having provided him “I had a lot hard luck. Luck back four valuable bonus
with bronze medals at the is now on my side,” he said. seconds. That moved him
Olympics of 2012 and 2016. “I had big problems, but I up to second overall, rel-
With opportunities to de- never gave up.” egating Rigoberto Uran to
throne the three-time Froome’s lead, while far third.
champion quickly running smaller than at the same “I gave it all, I thought I
out, French rider Romain stage in the Tours he won in was going to suffocate as
Bardet and his AG2R team 2013, 2015 and 2016, is suf- I crossed the line,” Bardet
again put pedal to the ficient for him not to have said. “I have no regrets, I
metal and tried to make to take unnecessary risks did everything I could.”
Froome crack on the last on the twisting and techni- Uran lost a bit of ground
huge climb of this Tour, France’s Warren Barguil, wearing the best climber’s dotted jersey cal time-trial course in Mar- and a couple of seconds
piling on the pace up the celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the eighteenth seille on Saturday. His Team to Bardet and Froome in
punishing Col d’Izoard — stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 179.5 kilometers Sky should also be strong the Izoard’s final ramp and
(111.5 miles) with start in Briancon and finish on Izoard pass,
the culmination of Thurs- France, Thursday, July 20, 2017. enough to control the race now trails Froome by 29
day’s Stage 18 and one Associated Press on Friday’s stage out of the seconds. Bardet and Uran
of the toughest tests in a Alps through Provence, are the only riders within
three-week race that has enough for victory. riders ahead of him on the which isn’t tough enough a minute of Froome, af-
produced surprises aplen- “I wouldn’t say it’s quite hairpin bends and steep to provoke a big shake-up ter Italian Fabio Aru again
ty. won,” Froome said, before road — the last being in the standings. faded on that climb and
Froome was in no mood to confidently adding: “The John Darwin Atapuma of And Sunday’s ride into Paris continued his slide down
be at the receiving end of toughest part of the Tour is Colombia, with about 1.5 is traditionally a procession the overall rankings. Go-
another one. behind us.” kilometers (1 mile) left to before only the sprinters ing into the Alps, Aru was
Fending off Bardet’s at- French rider Warren Barguil the finish, at an altitude of contest victory at the end. second overall, breathing
tacks, and putting in a triumphed on the Izoard’s 2,360 meters (7,743 feet), In short, Froome is 95 per- down Froome’s neck. He
strong one of his own that barren slopes, winning his amid deserts of scree. cent of the way there. is now fifth and nearly two
initially rattled yet didn’t second stage of the tour He is now guaranteed to “I’m happy that I went minutes behind his rival.
shake off the sturdy French- after he attacked with six win the polka-dot jersey through the Alps without Despite the odds stacking
man, he preserved a cush- kilometers (four miles) left awarded for points col- any major problem,” the in Froome’s favor, Bardet
ion of 23 seconds overall to climb to the top. He also lected during the Tour on 32-year-old Froome said. “I isn’t ready to concede de-
that, unless disaster strikes won Stage 13 on Bastille climbs — an even more normally find the Alps more feat. “It’s still possible,” he
in the shape of a crash or Day. impressive feat considering difficult.” said. “I’ll try to finish in a
other misfortune, should be Barguil gradually reeled in he suffered a pelvis frac- By beating Froome in a fi- beautiful fashion.”q