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sports Diamars 21 september 2021

Ellen van Dijk claims 2nd time trial title at cycling worlds

(AP) — Eight years after Dijk said. “When I saw she bridges. The German rider
her first world champion- lost seconds in the end then rolled off the starting ramp
ship title, Ellen van Dijk I could not quite believe it. 1 minute, 30 seconds before
got over the disappoint- It has been a dream for so Van Dijk.
ment of missing out on long.”
the Olympics by winning Olympic champion
a second gold medal in The Swiss athlete beat Van Annemiek van Vleuten, an-
the women’s time trial on Dijk to win the European other Dutch rider, was third,
Monday. championship. more than 24 seconds off the
pace.
Taking advantage of a flat “It was also a big dream of
course through the Flan- mine to win today,” Reusser She said the flat course did
ders region of Belgium, the said. “It was the biggest goal not suit her but was graceful
Dutch rider kept the pedals of my season, I have to say in defeat, saying the rainbow
of her bike churning in a per- I’m really disappointed.” jersey will look good on her
fectly paced cadence to beat teammate next year.
her closest rival Marlen Re- Van Dijk was so fast that she
usser of Switzerland by 10.29 ly after I could not ride the caught Lisa Klein with 9.5 Aged 46, two-time world
Olympics, which of course “In the last couple of weeks
seconds at the road cycling was a big disappointment,” she beat me in every time kilometers left before the fin- champion Amber Neben of
world championships. ish line in the historic center the United States finished
she said. “And also my Spring trial, so I knew it would be- of Brugge, the city known as fourth, just weeks after suf-
classics did not work out be- come super, super difficult
“For me, time trial is my fa- cause I got the coronavirus.” and I would have to ride the the Venice of the North for fering fractures in her pelvis
vorite discipline,” said Van best, best ever time trial,” Van its picturesque canals and during a training ride.
Dijk, who won her first time Van Dijk signaled her return
trial world title in 2013. “It’s to top form this month at the
something I love with all my European championships,
heart, and it just feels like where she won the road race
it’s my discipline. I knew it and finished runner-up in
was going to be a really good the time trial.
course for me, and I put
everything into this. It’s a While Van Dijk was able to
dream come true.“
keep a fast tempo over the
30.3-kilometer course, Re-
Van Dijk, who suffered seri- usser ran out of gas near the
ous injuries two years ago end and had to be content
including a broken arm and with a runner-up finish on
broken pelvis, was not se- the day she turned 30. She
lected for the Tokyo Games also claimed silver last year
this summer after she was and was runner-up at the To-
diagnosed with COVID-19 kyo Olympics.
earlier in the season.

Reusser led at both interme-
“This was always a big goal of diate checks but faded over
me, this time of the year, to the last 10 kilometers.
be super good here especial-

FIFA sets talks with soccer leaders on biennial World Cup

(AP) — FIFA will finally meeting with FIFA. diluting the World Cup’s ap-
start speaking to soccer A “new phase of consulta- peal, distorting the balance
clubs, leagues and play- tion” will start with organi- between domestic and in-
ers’ unions this month in zations representing players, ternational soccer and over-
the latest steps announced clubs, leagues and the six loading players in a crowded
Monday in its push to or- continental governing bod- schedule. The prestige of
ganize a men’s World Cup ies, FIFA said Monday in a UEFA’s European Champi-
every two years. statement. onship and CONMEBOL’s
Copa America also risk being
All 211 member federations European soccer body UEFA hit by playing more World
have also been invited to on- has warned it could boycott if Cups.
line talks on Sept. 30 as part the World Cup moves from
of consulting on the future of its historic four-year cycle, The World Cup debate has
national team soccer, includ- and South American coun- overshadowed an ongoing
ing a biennial men’s World terpart CONMEBOL is also review of the FIFA-managed
Cup. opposed. Their members International Match Calen-
dominate World Cups on the dars which mandate when FIFA has proposed stream- crowded out by clashes
FIFA first sought approval field but combine for fewer clubs must release players to lining the calendar with forced by having more men’s
this month from retired play- than one-third of the 211 national teams. smaller tournament qualify- World Cups, the German
ers, including World Cup federations who vote. ing groups, potentially play- soccer federation said last
winners who went to Qatar The men’s calendar expires ing all matches in a single week.
for a two-day conference, FIFA argues biennial World in 2024 and there is broad block in October. FIFA’s proposed changes are
and commissioned surveys of Cups will give more play- agreement the current sys- being led by Arsène Wenger,
fans in selected countries. ers and teams the chance tem is outdated. It requires The women’s calendar ex- the former Arsenal coach
to compete in meaningful players to travel for matches pires in 2023, when their next who is now global develop-
That process was criticized games, improve talent glob- in separate windows at least World Cup will be hosted by ment director for world soc-
as flawed by FIFPRO, the ally and raise more money to four times during each do- Australia and New Zealand. cer. He has suggested deci-
global union for active play- fuel development programs. mestic season. sions could be made by De-
ers, which is now set to get a Opposition has focused on Women’s soccer could be cember.