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A22 SPORTS
Thursday 6 July 2017

Aru beats Froome in first mountain stage of Tour

In this June 2, 2016, file photo, television announcer Jeff Van
Gundy speaks before Game 1 of basketball’s NBA Finals
between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers,
in Oakland, Calif.
Associated Press

Jeff Van Gundy to

coach U.S. basketball

in qualifying games

Italy’s Fabio Aru celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the fifth stage of the Tour de France By BRIAN MAHONEY coach of Jeff’s caliber to
cycling race over 160.5 kilometers (99.7 miles) with start in Vittel and finish in La Planche des Belles AP Basketball Writer lead these USA teams,”
Filles, France, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Former NBA coach Jeff USA Basketball managing
Associated Press Van Gundy will lead the director Jerry Colangelo
U.S. men’s basketball team said in a statement.
By JOHN LEICESTER and making a rookie’s mistake Despite the effort of his through the early stages Van Gundy went 430-318
ANDREW DAMPF by not reacting quickly sudden acceleration with of qualifying for the 2019 as coach of the New York
AP Sports Writer enough when the 26-year- more than 2 kilometers (1 Basketball World Cup, USA Knicks and Houston Rock-
CHAMPAGNEY, France old Sardinian slammed on 1/2 miles) left to climb, he Basketball announced ets, leading the Knicks to
(AP) — After losing two of its his pedals. was lucid enough when Wednesday. the 1999 NBA Finals. He is
biggest stars in one horror Along the steep crowd- powering away to yell at He will guide a team made now an analyst for ESPN
crash, the Tour de France lined hairpin bends through a roadside spectator who up of mostly NBA G League and has called the last 11
needed a pick-me-up. dense pines, Aru rose from got too close to him and to players in this summer’s Finals, a record for a TV
Italy’s Fabio Aru answered his saddle and rocked toss a water bottle at the FIBA AmeriCup 2017 tour- analyst.
the call. powerfully from side to feet of another. He still had nament and in qualifying The FIBA AmeriCup, for-
On the first mountain climb side as he gobbled up the energy to spare at the top games between Novem- merly the FIBA Americas
of this 104th Tour, after the mountain in his Italian na- to finish with a sprint. ber and September 2018. tournament, will run from
lower altitudes where Mark tional champion’s jersey of When Froome finally re- San Antonio’s Gregg Popo- Aug. 25-Sept. 3. The Ameri-
Cavendish and Peter Sa- green, white and red. acted, upping his tempo, vich will coach the Ameri- cans will play their prelimi-
gan were forced out of the Froome got the message, it was already too late: Aru cans in the World Cup and nary-round games in the
race — the first with a bro- loud and clear. was gone. the 2020 Olympics, should 12-team tournament in
ken shoulder, the second “This is going to be the “When he left, I stayed with they qualify. But neither he Montevideo, Uruguay, and
disqualified — Aru showed hardest-fought battle I’ve my team and waited for nor NBA players can take final-round action will be in
Wednesday he could be had,” he said. “We defi- the attack from the oth- part throughout the qualify- Cordoba, Argentina.
the man to beat by leaving nitely cannot give Fabio ers,” Froome said. “But no ing stages, because some Veteran international
three-time champion Chris that kind of space again.” one moved. I thought, ‘OK, will fall during the NBA sea- coach Mo McHone and
Froome in his wake. Wednesday’s 160.5-kilome- I have to go, what can I son under FIBA’s new com- NBA G League coach Ty
Making up for the bitter- ter (100-mile) ride started do?’” petition schedule. Ellis will assist Van Gundy in
ness in May of missing his in the spa town of Vittel “There’s a flat before the The World Cup in China will that tournament.
home grand tour, the Giro which, like Froome, has last climb and perhaps we then serve as the qualifier The Americans will play
d’Italia, Aru zoomed away seen better days — with waited too long there.” for the Tokyo Olympics. home-and-away games
from Froome and other top shuttered hotels fallen into A consolation: Froome “Qualifying for the 2019 against Puerto Rico, Mex-
riders yearning to ride into disrepair. took the race leader’s yel- FIBA World Cup is the first ico and Cuba in the first
Paris in the yellow jersey on At the foot of the 5.9-ki- low jersey off the shoulders step in our attempt to re- stage of World Cup qualify-
July 23. The punishing climb lometer (3.1-mile) finish- of his teammate Geraint peat as gold medalist, ing. The assistant coaches
to the Planches des Belles ing climb to an altitude of Thomas, who couldn’t stay and we’re delighted that for those games will be
Filles ski station in eastern 1,035 meters (3,395 feet), with the leaders on the we were able to secure a named at a later date.q
France’s Vosges mountains everything seemed to be climb made doubly punish-
was made to look like a going to plan for Froome. ing by searing summer tem-
mere speed bump. His Sky teammates were peratures.
Froome played down Aru’s powering up the ascent Irish rider Dan Martin of the
show of strength in winning ahead of him, leading their Quickstep team was sec-
Stage 5, noting there are champion up at a fierce ond to the top, surprising
still 16 more days of racing pace aimed at dissuading Froome with his own burst
to go. But 32-year-old vet- other riders from attacking. of speed on a very steep
eran also acknowledged Aru hadn’t read the script. section near the finish. q