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A22 SPORTS
Thursday 13 July 2017
Kittel wins crash-marred Tour stage 11, Froome stays safe

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN and few hundred meters, there
JOHN LEICESTER could be some really signif-
AP Sports Writers icant time gaps,” the Team
PAU, France (AP) — Ahead Sky leader said. “One of
of two grueling days filled the really key stages of this
with some truly punishing year’s race.”
ascents, the main con- Froome also expects Con-
tenders on the Tour de tador to try and wreak hav-
France were all hoping oc during Friday’s shorter
that Wednesday would be stage to Foix. Contador
a nice, relaxed day on the has already lost 5:15 over-
bike. all, but could still ruin the
It didn’t happen. Team Sky masterplan with
Instead of what riders call some relentless attacks on
a “transition” day, with a his favorite ground.
comfortable run to the “He’s never shy to at-
gateway to the Pyrenees tack from far out. We’d
mountains, Stage 11 be ready for that,” said
proved to be a brutal ex- Froome, adding that his
perience for some of the team is “not going to al-
top riders after a series of low anyone to come back
crashes left them nursing on GC (General Classifica-
cuts and bruises. tion).”
When crosswinds started A sprint specialist, Kittel
making the bunch ner- Germany’s Marcel Kittel, wearing the best sprinter’s green jersey, left, crosses the finish line ahead has now won 14 Tour de
vous toward the end of the of second placed Dylan Groenewegen of the Netherlands, right, to win the eleventh stage of the France stages in five ap-
Tour de France cycling race over 203.5 kilometers (126.5 miles) with start in Eymet and finish in
203.5-kilometer (126-mile) Pau, France, Wednesday, July 12, 2017. pearances at cycling’s
stage from Eymet to Pau, showcase event, a record
the stress became pal- I was caught in a crash,” expected to play a key role over Aru, with Bardet 51 for a German rider.
pable and led to several said Bardet, who is trying alongside Aru in the moun- seconds off the pace. Kittel’s power in the
crashes at the back of the to become the first French- tains, was caught in the Trailing 55 seconds behind bunch sprint could not be
peloton. man to win the Tour since same crash. Froome in the general clas- matched on Wednesday
German sprinter Marcel Kit- Bernard Hinault last man- Though he was able to sification, Rigoberto Uran and the Quick-Step Floors
tel steered clear of trouble aged the feat in 1985. reach the finish, Astana lat- remains in contention and rider easily beat Dylan
and claimed the stage in a “It’s never enjoyable to fall. er said in a statement that Fuglsang is still within reach Groenewegen and Edvald
sprint finish, taking his tally I just have to soak it up and Fuglsang had suffered two of the podium, 1:37 behind Boasson Hagen by half a
to five stage wins since the to wait for better days.” minor fractures in his left the yellow jersey. bike’s length, easing up
race started. Two-time champion Alber- wrist and left elbow. How- Thursday’s stage will be well before the line as he
But Frenchman Romain to Contador went down ever, they will not prevent extremely difficult, with six extended his lead in the
Bardet, who is third overall twice, while second-place him from starting Thursday’s categorized climbs — three points classification.
behind race leader Chris Fabio Aru lost one of his stage. of them either rated Cate- Kittel has lost only one
Froome, was not so fortu- Astana teammates when “It was a nervous day,” gory 1 or “hors categorie” sprint since the Tour started
nate. He hit the deck and Dario Cataldo was forced Froome said of the crashes. — beyond categorizing. It and has been in a class of
slightly hurt his knee, but to retire with a broken wrist “Everything was good on features a short, but steep his own since sprint rivals
the AG2R La Mondiale rid- after a crash in the feed our side.” uphill finish at an altitude of Mark Cavendish and Arn-
er was able to continue af- zone midway through the Froome kept his overall 1,580 meters (5,200 feet). aud Demare left the race.
ter changing bikes and did stage. lead intact ahead of the Froome described the finish “It was a nervy day,” Kittel
not lose any time. Fifth-place Jakob Fugl- big battle in the Pyrenees. as “quite savage.” said. “It could have been
“It was a nervous day and sang, another Astana rider He has an 18 second-lead “If someone blows in those worse with all the wind.”q
Suspension over, swimmer Ryan

Lochte returns to competition

Janeiro Olympics ended. U.S. nationals, which kept sanctioned by USA Swim-
The 32-year-old new father him from qualifying for the ming. He won multiple
will compete at the L.A. world championships be- events at the short-course
Invitational, which begins ginning July 23 in Hungary. meet in Riverside, Califor-
Thursday on the Southern His suspension ended June nia.
California campus where 30. Lochte was suspended last
he trains and now repre- After returning from Rio, summer after he and three
sents Trojan Swim Club. Lochte moved his training other swimmers vandalized
The six-time Olympic gold base from North Carolina a gas station during the
medalist is entered in the to Los Angeles, where he Rio Games and then said
50- and 100-meter free- appeared on “Dancing they had been robbed at
In this Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, file photo, United States’ Ryan
Lochte checks his time in a men’s 4x200-meter freestyle heat at styles and 200 individual With the Stars. gunpoint. The scandal in
the 2016 Summer Olympics, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. medley. His times of 48.16 ” He became a first-time Rio overshadowed the fi-
Associated Press seconds in the 100 free and father last month when son nal days of the games and
1 minute, 54.00 seconds in Caiden was born. the ever-changing ver-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ryan week for the first time since the IM are top-seeded. Lochte’s first meet since Rio sions of events that Lochte
Lochte is returning to USA his 10-month suspension for Lochte was ineligible to was in a Masters competi- provided cost him major
Swimming competition this his behavior at the Rio de compete at the recent tion in April, which wasn’t sponsors.q