Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Tuesday 11 July 2017
Only a handful of riders can challenge Froome for Tour title

By ANDREW DAMPF on the Mur de Peguere.
AP Sports Writer After some milder climb-
CHAMBERY, France (AP) ing in the Massif Central
— Chris Froome probably the Tour returns to the Alps
hoped he had a bigger for the so-called “Queen
lead than his 18-second stage” — an unprecedent-
advantage over Fabio Aru ed mountain-top finish at
on the Tour de France’s first the Col d’Izoard.
rest day. The hostile terrain of sun-
At least he’s still in one and snow-scorched rocks
piece, though. and the thinning mountain
Richie Porte, Froome’s most air on the long climb to an
feared opponent, and altitude of 2,360 meters
Geraint Thomas, Froome’s (7,742 feet) could make
most loyal support rider at the Izoard, at the end of
Team Sky, both crashed stage 18, the scene of the
out of the race on Sunday. last major contest between
With Colombian climbing the remaining favorites.
specialist Nairo Quintana Aiming to secure his fourth
and seven-time Grand Tour title in five years, Froome
winner Alberto Contador likely needs only the slim-
dropping out of conten- mest of margins — or even
tion, it seems there’s only a small deficit — entering
a handful of riders remain- the 22.5-kilometer (14-mile)
ing who can still challenge time trial in the Mediterra-
Froome for the title in Paris A spectator holds a flare as stage winner Colombia’s Rigoberto Uran, Britain’s Chris Froome, wear- nean port city of Marseille
on July 23. Aru, the Italian ing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, France’s Romain Bardet, Colombia’s Nairo Quintana, Italy’s on the penultimate stage
champion and 2015 Span- Fabio Aru, and Australia’s Richie Porte, from left to right, climb during the ninth stage of the Tour 20. A superb time trialer,
ish Vuelta winner, leads de France cycling race over 181.5 kilometers (112.8 miles) with start in Nantua and finish in Cham- Froome should be able to
bery, France, Sunday, July 9, 2017.
the list followed closely by Associated Press take time on all of his ri-
last year’s runner-up Ro- vals in the race against the
main Bardet, the French- fifth at 1:37. The only other blown up and looking at it, race resumes with two flat clock — just like he did in
man who is third overall, 51 rider within two minutes of it has,” Froome said. “It’s a stages suited for sprinters. Stage 1.
seconds back. Rigoberto Froome is Dan Martin, the lot more spread out now.” The overall battle probably Whoever wears yellow at
Uran, the Colombian who Irish cyclist who excels on Froome and the other 181 won’t see any changes un- the end of the day in Mar-
was a two-time runner-up the shorter, steeper climbs riders still in the three-week til the race enters the Pyr- seille will cruise around
in the Giro d’Italia, is fourth that are so prevalent in this race flew across the coun- enees Thursday and Friday the Champs-Elysees in the
at 55 seconds and Aru’s year’s race. “I said (Satur- try late Sunday to south- with 16-percent slopes to mostly ceremonial final leg
Astana teammate, Jakob day) that I expected the western France, where af- the Peyragudes ski station a day later and pick up the
Fuglsang of Denmark, is general classification to be ter Monday’s rest day the and 18-percent stretches trophy.q
Russia aims to hit dopers in the pocket

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH, In a push to restore Rus- government grants from letes often get lavish re- one Russian athlete, the
AP Sports Writer sia’s sporting reputation athletes who are found to wards from the state, and former Olympic race-walk-
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia after numerous doping be cheating. many keep them even if ing champion Olga Kani-
wants to hit dopers where scandals, the government Several Russian athletes banned as drug cheats. skina, was liable to repay
it hurts — in their bank ac- has approved a plan to have been able to hold Gold medalists from the Rio $135,000 in prize money
counts. reclaim prize money and onto large sums, despite de Janeiro Olympics, for from events where she was
being caught doping. example, received 4 mil- later disqualified.
In a package of anti-dop- lion rubles ($70,000) from Foreign athletes who have
ing measures signed Mon- a public-private fund, plus been upgraded to track
day, Prime Minister Dmi- a white BMW SUV in a cer- and field titles as a result of
try Medvedev ordered the emony at the Kremlin. Re- doping disqualifications for
Russian Sports Ministry and gional governments also Russians have complained
national sports federations handed out apartments, of having to wait years for
to develop a scheme for cars and, in one case, even their prize money.
“confiscating income and a horse. International track and
property from athletes, Organizers of many inter- field events typically insist
coaches, doctors and oth- national sports events re- dopers must pay back the
er specialists” involved in quire athletes to pay back prize money in full before
doping cases. prize money if they’re later anything is paid to the new
It wasn’t specified how this disqualified over a failed medalists.
would be achieved. The drug test. However, enforc- The package of measures
Sports Ministry has previous- ing these rules is difficult. signed Monday also in-
ly faced allegations from The threat of further sport- cludes plans to stop those
World Anti-Doping Agency ing sanctions is meaning- who commit doping of-
This is a Tuesday, May 24, 2016 file photo of employees Natalya investigators that its own less for an athlete who has fenses from taking jobs as
Bochkaryova, left, and Ilya Podolsky work at the Russian Anti
Doping Agency RUSADA drug-testing laboratory in Moscow, staff covered up doping. retired or is banned for life. coaches or state sports of-
Russia. Besides prize money from An Associated Press inves- ficials, a common occur-
Associated Press competitions, Russian ath- tigation last year found rence in Russia.q