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A16 SPORTS
Thursday 10 sepTember 2020
Ewan wins Tour’s Stage 11, Sagan relegated, Roglic in yellow

POITIERS, France (AP) — stage started on France's for the Tour's green jersey, now seeing Bennett get seconds ahead of third-
Australian sprinter Caleb Atlantic coast. awarded to riders who away from him, 68 points placed French rider Guil-
Ewan secured his second Ewan skirted Bennett in collect the most points in clear with few other oppor- laume Martin.
stage victory at this year's the last meters (yards) and sprints along the route and tunities for sprinters to shine On Thursday, the remain-
Tour de France in a chaotic ing 161 riders will tackle the
dash to the finish Wednes- longest stage of this year's
day that saw Peter Sagan route, a hilly 218-kilometer
penalized for barging a ri- (135-mile) trek from Chauvi-
val. gny to Sarran. That will be
Sagan, squeezed up followed Friday by an even
against barriers on the tougher stage with a sharp
right-hand side of the finish- mountain-top finish that
ing straight, made room for could prompt battles be-
himself by leaning his left tween the top contenders.
shoulder into Belgian rider Given the challenges
Wout Van Aert. ahead, the pack largely
The irregular move cost Sa- took it easy Wednesday
gan his second place be- before the final approach
hind Ewan. The Slovakian to Poitiers.
was dropped back to 85th Matthieu Ladagnous, a
place. 35-year-old French rider,
Irish rider Sam Bennett was punched on his pedals just
bumped up to second and moments after the stage
Van Aert to third. start, immediately racing
Afterward, Van Aert and into the front.
Sagan had a sharp ex- But no one joined him in the
change of words. breakaway, leaving him to
"There wasn't a gap and ride alone for more than
if you use your elbows to three hours and over 120
open it up, I think it's com- Australia's Caleb Ewan celebrates after crossing the finish line to win stage 11 of the Tour de France kilometers (75 miles) before
pletely against the rules," cycling race over 167.5 kilometers from Chatelaillon-Plage to Poitiers Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. he was then swallowed up
said Van Aert, a two-time Associated Press. by the pack with 43 kilome-
stage winner this year. ters (27 miles) to go to the
"It's already dangerous finish.q
enough and I was really threw his front wheel across at finishes. Losing second before the final dash on the
surprised and shocked the line. place cost Sagan 30 points Champs-Elysees in Paris on
at the moment that I felt "It was very, very hectic," and awarded them instead Sept. 20.
something," he said. "Really said Ewan. "Quite crazy." to Bennett. The last week and a half
scared." The 25-year-old Ewan, rac- Bennett and Sagan have of the Tour will see riders
In the race for the overall ing for the Lotto Soudal been locked in a tight duel who are chasing the over-
win, Primoz Roglic stayed team, also won Stage 3 for that prize, repeatedly all title fighting to dislodge
safe on the rolling ride to and three stages at his in- taking the jersey off each Roglic. He has a lead of
Poitiers to keep the race augural Tour last year. other. Sagan has a record 21 seconds over second-
leader's yellow jersey. The Sagan's relegation also seven green jersey titles placed Egan Bernal, last
167-kilometer (104-mile) cost him dearly in his hunt from previous Tours but is year's champion, and is 28

Steelers LB Ryan Shazier announces retirement

By WILL GRAVES and the NFL, it made me a few days after the injury as a de facto scout and " Shazier said. "To lose the
AP Sports Writer money and gave me a life that brought his career to assistant coach each of game in a way I never
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pitts- most people could only a halt. He vowed that his the last two seasons, serv- envisioned has not been
burgh Steelers linebacker dream about." career was not over, and ing as a mentor of sorts to easy. For you to play the
Ryan Shazier announced Shazier was a budding his comeback became 2019 first-round pick Devin game of football the way
his retirement on Wednes- star when he hit Cincinnati a point of inspiration that Bush — considered Shazi- I did, you convince your-
day, nearly three years wide receiver Josh Malone reached far outside the er's heir — and others. self you're Superman. That
after a severe spinal injury in a road game against world of the NFL. The Steelers placed him nothing can stop you —
forced the two-time Pro the Bengals on Dec. 4, He used the phrase #Sha- on the physically unable but then the moment I got
Bowler to put his career on 2017. The crown of Shazi- lieve during his recovery, to perform list for both the hurt I stopped being Su-
hold. er's helmet struck Malone which included him walk- 2018 and 2019 seasons be- perman, and that was dif-
The 28-year-old said in in the back at the end of ing on stage at the 2018 fore moving him to the re- ficult to make sense of.
a social media post that a seemingly routine play. NFL draft to announce the serve/retired list in March. "But the way I look at it,
while he still loves the Shazier grabbed his lower team's first-round selec- It was considered a paper God put us all here for a
game, it is time to get on back in pain immediately tion. He continued to work move at the time as Shazi- purpose. For 20 years, he
to the next chapter in his after the impact and his out regularly at the club's er remained committed to let me play football, and
life. legs were motionless as practice facility and the pressing forward. now it's time for me to do
"Football gave me every- medical personnel tended social media posts chroni- It's something he still plans what he wants me to do."
thing I wanted and more," to him on the field. cling his comeback often on doing, just not in the Shazier scheduled a news
Shazier said. "It taught me Shazer spent time in the went viral. same direction. conference for later
about hard work, dedica- hospital and underwent Shazier remained close to "It's been over 1,000 days Wednesday afternoon to
tion. Took me to college spine stabilization surgery his teammates and served since I got hurt on the field further detail his decision.q