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SPORTS Saturday 14 July 2018
A ‘transfer’ stage: Time to

relax on longest leg of Tour

By ANDREW DAMPF said. “I had no legs to beat on the Champs-Elysees in
AP Sports Writer the first two guys.” Paris.
CHARTRES, France (AP) — Dutch rider Dylan Groe- “The first days were not
Peter Sagan thrust his arm newegen won the stage good enough, the legs
and fist forward like Super- ahead of Fernando Ga- were not good. Today
man. viria, who like Sagan has the legs were good and
Chris Froome calmly also won two stages in this everything was OK,” said
dropped back to his team year’s Tour. Groenewegen, who rides Netherlands’ Dylan Groenewegen celebrates as he crosses
car to get his seat adjusted Four-time champion for Team Lotto NL-Jumbo. the finish line ahead of Colombia’s Fernando Gaviria, left, to
by a mechanic. Froome and the other fa- “With 200 meters (yards) to win the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over
Other riders chatted as vorites finished safely in go I saw the gap and I was 231 kilometers (143.5 miles) with start in Fougeres and finish in
they admired the rolling the main pack on Stage going to the finish line.” Chartres, France, France, Friday, July 13, 2018.
countryside. 7, which — unlike earlier After crossing the line, Associated Press
With nearly six hours in the sprinting legs — was with- Groenewegen placed his France in this case, as the biggest breakaway lead
saddle and hardly any ac- out serious crashes. finger to his lips in a gesture race winds toward Sun- in this year’s Tour — before
tion until the finale, there Greg Van Avermaet held of silence. day’s highly awaited cob- being caught by the pack
was plenty of time to relax on to the yellow jersey he “People said I was not blestoned leg to Roubaix with 90 kilometers to go.
and fool around during the grabbed on Stage 3 and good enough after the first near the Belgian border.”It Laurent Pichon, another
longest stage of the Tour doubled his lead over Ger- sprints but that’s not true,” was quite long — 230k. You French rider with Fortuneo-
de France on Friday. aint Thomas to six seconds he said. can ask the question, is this Samsic, then also got away
“Boring stage,” said Sagan, by winning an intermediate The 231-kilometer (143.5- really necessary in a Grand alone for a spell. But, in the
the three-time reigning bonus sprint. mile) trek from Fougeres, Tour?” Van Avermaet said. end, it came down to a
world champion. “You’re Froome is 14th, 1:05 behind home to the best-pre- “But everyone kind of en- bunch sprint as expected.
happy it was a sunny day, Van Avermaet. served and largest medi- joyed it — the first day we Stage 8 on Saturday covers
no wind, without stress. But Gaviria and Sagan were eval fortress in Europe, con- could really relax.” a slightly more challenging
it was boring. marking each other when cluded in Chartres, site of a After a few early attacks terrain over 181 kilometers
“I talked to everyone,” Sa- Groenewegen surprised vast cathedral known for its failed, Yoann Offredo from Dreux to Amiens but
gan said when asked how both and surged ahead on stained-glass windows. launched a solo effort 35 ki- again should set up well for
he passed the time after the final straight. Days like these are referred lometers in. The French rid- sprinters.
finishing third in the mass It was the second victory in to as “transfer” stages, for er with the Wanty-Groupe The overall favorites should
sprint which, with its uphill the race for Groenewegen, moving the Tour from one Gobert team established be tested again in Roubaix,
finish, suited him. who also won a sprint in last area to the next — from an advantage of more before heading down to
“I’m happy with that,” he year’s concluding stage Brittany to north-central than eight minutes — the the Alps next week.q

Nets clear point guard logjam, trade Jeremy Lin to Hawks

By BRIAN MAHONEY point guard Dennis Schro-
AP Basketball Writer der was the Hawks’ lead-
NEW YORK (AP) — Jeremy ing scorer last season. The
Lin’s injury-plagued stint in Hawks then acquired the
Brooklyn is over. rights to high-scoring for-
The Nets have agreed to mer Oklahoma star Trae
trade Lin to Atlanta, the Young in the draft.
Hawks announced Friday. The Hawks will be the sev-
The move helps clear up enth team for Lin, the un-
the Nets’ logjam at point drafted former Harvard star
guard and sends Lin to an- who memorably broke out
other team that is also pret- with the Knicks during his
ty crowded at the position. run of Linsanity in February
ESPN first reported the deal. 2012. The NBA’s first Ameri-
The Hawks announced can-born player of Chinese
they also acquired a 2025 or Taiwanese descent has
second-round pick and the also played for Golden
right to swap second-round State, Houston, the Lakers
picks in 2023 with the Nets, and Charlotte.q
who acquired the draft
rights to shooting guard
Isaia Cordinier and a pro- In this Oct. 11, 2017, file photo, Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin (7) passes the ball as Philadelphia
tected 2020 second-round 76ers guards Ben Simmons, right, and JJ Redick (17) defend during the third quarter of a preseason
NBA basketball game in Uniondale, N.Y.
pick. Associated Press
Cordinier was a second-
round pick by Atlanta in ago. He made it through at Indiana. D’Angelo Russell, the No. 2
2016. The 21-year-old is cur- just 37 games with the Nets Spencer Dinwiddie pick in the 2015 draft, at the
rently playing in France. and only one last season, stepped in while Lin was point after acquiring him
Lin has a year and $12.5 as he ruptured the patella out and became one of from the Lakers.
million left on the contract tendon in his right knee dur- the NBA’s most improved Now, Lin will have to find
he signed two summers ing a season-opening loss players. Brooklyn also has room in Atlanta, where