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A22 SPORTS
Saturday 1 July 2017
After doping age, Tour start in Germany is a ‘Grand Return’

By ANDREW DAMPF German cycling, the sport
AP Sports Writer quickly disintegrated in
DUESSELDORF, Germany the country following
(AP) — The Tour de France doping scandals involving
calls its start the “Grand prominent riders like Patrick
Depart.” This year it feels Sinkewitz and Stefan
more like the “Grand Schumacher. Even Erik
Return.” Zabel, the popular rider
Six years after German who still holds the record
TV stopped broadcasting of six green jerseys in the
cycling’s showpiece event Tour’s points classification,
because of a series of admitted to doping after
doping scandals and three he retired. These days, a
decades after it last rolled new generation of German
off in the country, the Tour riders led by Martin,
opens this weekend with sprinters Andre Greipel
two stages in Duesseldorf. and Marcel Kittel — who
The race starts Saturday with have won 11 and nine Tour
a mostly flat 14-kilometer stages, respectively — plus
(8.7-mile) individual time classics specialist John
trial in Duesseldorf that Degenkolb, have drawn
seems tailor made for four- local fans back to cycling.
time world champion Tony German TV station ARD
Martin to grab the yellow Germany’s Andre Greipel signs autographs during the team presentation of the Tour de France began broadcasting the
jersey in front of his home cycling race in Duesseldorf, Germany, Thursday, June 29, 2017. Tour again in 2015 and the
fans. Associated Press Tour of Germany is slated
Stage 2 on Sunday goes to return next year after it,
from Duesseldorf to Liege, too, was canceled in 2009.
Belgium. point when Jan Ullrich Ullrich also fell into disgrace program of Spanish doctor “A lot of people are looking
The last time the three- became the first and still and was suspended in Eufemiano Fuentes. forward to have the Tour de
week race started from only German rider to win 2006 in the fallout from the Ullrich did not contest the France back in Germany,
Germany was in 1987, the Tour. Operation Puerto blood- ruling by the sports court and we want to give fans
when the Grand Depart Ullrich also finished runner- doping scandal in Spain. and remains unwelcome in reasons to be proud of us,”
took place in West Berlin up five times in the Tour, He retired a year later, and cycling circles. He was not said Kittel, who is aiming
— when the city was still three times behind Lance the Court of Arbitration for invited to Duesseldorf by to win Stage 2. “Having
divided. Armstrong, who was Sport then banned him Tour organizers. the Grand Depart here is
A decade later, German eventually stripped of his for two years in 2012 for While Ullrich’s Tour victory an important step for the
cycling reached its high seven titles for doping. involvement in the doping set off a golden age of German community.”q

Eastbourne (7), 7-6 (4). Monfils finished ment, Caroline Wozniacki
final the match with strapping played through an abdom-
inal injury to beat Heather
on his left leg after appear-
Continued from Page 17 ing to twist his knee when Watson 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 and
Near the end of the match, he slipped just after serving advance to a final against
seagulls overheard were late in the second set. Karolina Pliskova, who got
making loud squawking He finally secured victory a walkover after Johanna
noises. Djokovic paused, with a strong serve that Konta pulled out of their
looked up and said: “We Gasquet returned long at semifinal match because
hear you,” drawing laugh- full stretch, improving to of a spine injury.
ter from the crowd as a 9-7 against Gasquet in their The seventh-ranked Konta
smile cracked over his career meetings. had a hard fall near the
face. “It was very tough mental- end of her win over top-
“I actually love seagulls,” ly. I twisted my knee a bit ranked Angelique Kerber in
Djokovic said after the and he saved some match the quarterfinals on Thurs-
match. points,” Monfils said, add- day. It jeopardizes Konta’s
He sealed victory on his ing that he still felt pain in participation at Wimble-
second match point, when his knee at the end. “Right don, where she is seeded
Medvedev could only re- Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki in action against Britain’s Heath- now it’s a little bit pain- No. 6 and was drawn to
turn his second serve into er Watson at the AEGON International at Devonshire Park, East- ful. Hopefully it will be bet- play Su-Wei Hsieh in the first
the net. bourne England Friday June 30, 2017. ter tomorrow, it’s tough to round on Monday.
In a well-contested first Associated Press say.” “We made the decision
set, the former No. 1 ex- It looked like Monfils may based on the fact I’m still
changed early breaks with sent a forehand return into only other final since was in have to quit after losing quite sore through my
the 21-year-old Medvedev the net. Rome, where he lost to Al- the tiebreaker but he con- thoracic spine,” the British
and clawed his way back Djokovic, who has relin- exander Zverev in straight tinued following a second player said.
from 0-40 to stay on serve quished all four of the sets in May. round of treatment. “I didn’t sleep too well but
at one point. Djokovic grand-slam titles that he Monfils squandered three Djokovic has won all 13 of I heard that’s normal. It just
made fewer errors in the owned after last year’s match points in the sec- his ATP matches against didn’t feel quite right. The
second set, which he took French Open, won the Qa- ond set before winning an Monfils, although they have most important thing is I rest
on his third match point tar Open in January in his all-French semifinal against never played on grass. well for the next 24 hours
when his Russian opponent first event of 2017 but his Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-7 In the women’s tourna- and then we’ll see.” q