Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Monday 28 May 2018

Froome wins Giro for 3rd straight Grand Tour victory

By ANDREW DAMPF Irish rider Sam Bennett won about treacherous road hind Froome. rider rode a special pink-
AP Sports Writer the final stage, a 115-kilo- conditions due to the un- Thibaut Pinot withdrew colored bike for the final
ROME (AP) — Chris Froome meter (71-mile) leg of 10 even cobblestones, the before the stage, having stage, while his Team Sky
won the Giro d’Italia on teammates had pink han-
Sunday to join cycling dlebars.
greats Eddy Merckx and Froome finished more than
Bernard Hinault with his 15 minutes behind Bennett,
third consecutive Grand crossing the line arm in arm
Tour victory. with six teammates.
The four-time Tour de Froome arrived at the Giro
France champion had no with big hopes but was
trouble in maintaining his not a threat early on after
46-second lead over de- crashing in training before
fending champion Tom the opening time trial, los-
Dumoulin in the mostly cer- ing time in a split on stage
emonial final stage through four, and injuring himself
historic Rome. again in a second crash
“It’s great to soak up the four days later.
atmosphere here in Rome,” But he started to climb
Froome said. back up the standings
“I was surely not disap- by winning Stage 14 up
pointed by the crowd and Monte Zoncolan — one of
the monuments. I need a the toughest climbs in Eu-
bit of time to reflect but this rope — then cemented his
race has been incredible. place in cycling lore with
For any cyclist, it’s a dream an 80-kilometer breakaway
to have all three Grand on the race’s most arduous
Tour leader’s jerseys. mountain leg in Stage 19 to
I’m still pinching myself. I erase more than a three-
can’t believe I’m here in minute deficit and take the
the Maglia Rosa (pink jer- pink jersey.
sey).” Britain’s Chris Froome kisses the trophy of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, in Rome, Sunday, May 27, However, Froome is rac-
Froome has now won the 2018. Associated Press ing under the cloud of a
Tour de France, Spanish potential ban after a urine
Vuelta and Giro in succes- laps around a circuit over stage was neutralized after cracked in Saturday’s final sample he provided at the
sion, becoming only the the capital’s cobblestones, three laps, meaning the fi- mountain leg and lost his Spanish Vuelta in Septem-
third cyclist to hold all three in a mass sprint alongside nal overall times were re- podium spot. ber showed a concentra-
Grand Tour titles at the the Roman Forum. corded after a third of the The French rider spent the tion of the asthma drug sal-
same time and the first to It was Bennett’s third victory way through the stage. night in a hospital with a butamol that was twice the
achieve the feat since the in this year’s race. Elia Vivi- The route took cyclists past lung problem. permitted level.
Vuelta was moved to the ani, who crossed second, the Colosseum, Spanish It’s Froome’s sixth Grand It remains unclear when the
end of the season in 1995. lost the lead after running Steps, Circus Maximus and Tour win overall and he be- International Cycling Union
Merckx won four straight into problems with tire grip Baths of Caracalla. comes the seventh rider to will rule on the case.
between 1972 and 1973 on the slippery cobble- Miguel Angel Lopez, a Co- win all three Grand Tours Still, Froome is intent on
and Hinault took three in a stones. lombian with Astana, fin- over their careers. matching another record
row in 1982 and 1983. With riders concerned ished third overall, 4:57 be- The Kenyan-born British with a fifth Tour title in July.q

Toliver, bench lead Mystics to comeback win over Lynx, 90-78

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kristi To- rebounds, and fellow reserves lead before Toliver hit her first 3 the Mystics a 74-73 lead with six
liver had 19 points, including Natasha Cloud and Ariel Atkins late in the first quarter that ignited minutes to go and found Atkins for
five 3-pointers, and Washington’ scored 14 points apiece for the Washington, which scored 35 sec- 3 that pushed the lead into dou-
backups scored 58 points to help Mystics (4-0). Shatori Walker-Kim- ond-quarter points take a 46-39 ble figures with 2:15 remaining.
the Mystics overcome an 18-point brough added nine points, on lead into the break. Maya Moore Fowles had 17 points, on 8-of-8
deficit and beat the Minnesota 4-of-4 shooting, in five minutes off scored 10 of 18 points in the third shooting, and eight rebounds for
Lynx 90-78 on Sunday. the bench. quarter and Minnesota led 68-66 the defending champion Lynx.
Rookie Myisha Hines-Allen had Back-to-back baskets by Sylvia going into the fourth. Minnesota swept the Mystics last
season highs of 15 points and 13 Fowles gave the Lynx (2-2) a 24-6 Toliver hit back-to-back 3s to give year in the league semifinals.q