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A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 24 July 2018

Tour de France seeking more action from innovative stages

By ANDREW DAMPF and it’s 110 kilometers, anything
JOSEPH WILSON can happen, even for the
Associated Press writers GC contenders,” says Fran-
CARCASSONNE, France co Pellizotti, the Italian who
(AP) — Tired of watching at 40 is the oldest rider in
cycling races where noth- this Tour.
ing ever seems to happen? One of the downsides of
The Tour de France thinks shorter mountain stages
it has some solutions to liv- is that muscular sprinters
en up the action: Shorter have a tough time keeping
mountain stages, interme- up with the leaner climbers.
diate bonus sprints, and a Sprinting standouts Mark
Formula One-like grid start. Cavendish and Marcel Kit-
“Spectators are becoming tel each failed to make the
more and more demand- time cut in Stage 11 and
ing and they want to see were eliminated from the
real excitement,” says Luca Tour.
Guercilena, general man- But the Tour has tried to
ager of the Trek-Segafredo provide more opportunities
team. for sprinters, too, by adding
“Endurance is a big part of intermediate time bonuses
cycling. But if we’re able in the first nine stages of this
to mix the strain of longer race. Usually placed be-
stages with shorter legs that tween 15 and 30 kilometers
allow space for more at- before the finish, the inter-
tacks, a good mix could be mediate sprints award time
the winner.” Team Sky with Britain’s Geraint Thomas, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, and Britain’s bonuses of three, two and
While mountain stages in Chris Froome, to his right, sets the pace for the pack during the fifteenth stage of the Tour de France one seconds to the riders
the Tour are traditionally cycling race over 181.5 kilometers (112.8 miles) with start in Millau and finish in Carcassonne, who cross first, second and
more than 150 kilometers France, France, Sunday July 22, 2018. third, respectively.
(100 miles) or longer — Associated Press “So close to the (finish), it’s
sometimes beyond 200 kilo- du Portet in the Pyrenees On longer mountain stages, Tom Steels, the Quick-Step all about, ‘Do I go for it or
meters — this Tour features promises to be even more the top-placed riders usu- team sports director and a not?’ Maybe if they put it
two legs that are relative unpredictable at just 65 ki- ally wait until the final climb former rider who won nine earlier in the race it could
sprints by comparison. lometers over three gruel- to swing into action, saving Tour stages over his career. have been a bigger bat-
Stage 11 last week, a ing climbs, including an up- precious energy in the pre- “In stage races, the shorter tle,” Steels says. “There is
108.5-kilometer leg from hill finish. ceding hours for what they they are, the better it is.” some interest there.”
Albertville to the La Rosiere “It’s not really been done hope will be a decisive at- With Sky dominating the Another innovation, a grid
ski resort, saw elite riders before so it’s going to be tack with the finish line ap- Tour in recent years and start, will be tested in Stage
such as Alejandro Valverde tough. It’s basically up, proaching. easily chasing down any 17, the short mountain leg.
attack from far out, forc- down, up, down, up — 2 “What eventually you want attacks from far out, the The top 20 riders in the
ing Team Sky to increase 1/2 hours full gas racing,” to see is that the race goes shorter stages should lessen standings will start first, with
its pace far earlier than it says Geraint Thomas, the on and that the best case the British team’s ability to the yellow jersey wearer in
would have liked. Team Sky rider wearing the scenario is that the big boys maintain control. pole position, while lower-
Stage 17 on Wednesday yellow jersey. “I’m sure it will make the clash between “On a 200-kilometer stage, ranked riders will be forced
from Bagneres-De Luchon be good to watch, maybe each other. ... It is the fu- riders probably won’t at- to begin in four more
to Saint-Lary-Soulan Col not to race.” ture of cycling, I think,” says tack on the first climb. But if groups further behind.q

Formula 1 says no Miami race before 2020

MIAMI (AP) — Plans for a ownership group, Liberty ing off on a sub-optimal
new Formula One race in Media, wants to grow the race track, just to do a
Miami are on hold at least series in the U.S. F1 has three deal.”
until 2020. races in North America in The Florida race is support-
The racing series had Austin, Texas, Montreal and ed by Miami Mayor Francis
hoped to stage a Miami Mexico City. Suarez and Miami Dolphins
grand prix in 2019 but an- The Miami race has been owner Stephen Ross.
nounced Monday that ne- proposed as a street Formula One races in cities
gotiations have taken too course, which led to con- across the globe but left the
long to get it on next year’s cerns from some locals that U.S. from 2008-2012. It re-
racing calendar. it would disrupt neighbor- turned with the U.S. Grand
While calling negotiations hoods. Prix in Texas at the Circuit
“complicated,” F1 manag- “We have always said that of the Americas, a $300 mil-
ing director for commercial we wouldn’t compromise lion facility built specifically
operations Sean Bratches on delivering the best pos- for F1.
British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes AMG said the series is committed sible race,” Bratches said. A Miami street race would
GP crosses the finish line of the 2018 Formula One Grand Prix to keep trying to stage a “If that meant waiting un- be the first F1 street race
of Germany at the Hockenheimring in Hockenheim, Germany, Miami race in 2020. til 2020, then that was far in the U.S. since 1991 in
July 22, 2018. Formula One’s American more preferable than sign- Phoenix.q
Associated Press