Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 sports
Thursday 25 July 2019

Alaphilippe, Thomas

bracing for a

mouthwatering

Tour showdown

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN ready for a final battle.
AP Sports Writer “I can take punches in the
GAP, France (AP) — Picture mountains,” Alaphilippe
the final showdown in “High said on Wednesday after
Noon.” But at more than a Matteo Trentin won Stage
mile above sea level. 17, making the most of a
With an Alpine trilogy of long breakaway that Tour
stages including six climbs favorites were happy to let
in rarefied air, forecasts of go. “I’m looking forward to
stormy weather and only the Alps.”
39 seconds separating five Alaphilippe was not even
riders determined to topple born when Bernard Hinault
yellow jersey holder Julian won the last of his five Tour
Alaphilippe, the next three de France titles back in
days at cycling’s marquee 1985. Thursday will mark the Emanuel Buchmann. Thursday, with teams pos- that really mattered is now
race have all the ingredi- 13th day he will be wearing Both Thomas and Kruijswi- sibly riding hard to make behind them. And the Ital-
ents for an explosive and the yellow jersey, making jk, who are respectively him crack. Stage 18 to Val- ian rider made the most
suspenseful conclusion. him the first Frenchman to second and third overall, loire features two punishing of it to post a third career
In the role of former mar- reach that tally at a single were handed a blow on and famed climbs, the Col stage win at the Tour.
shal Will Kane, Alaphilippe. Tour since Hinault’s final Wednesday, losing one d’Izoard and the Col du With the peloton happy to
With his good looks and win. teammate each on dis- Galibier. the let an early breakaway
heart-on-the-sleeve style “One extra day in yellow, ciplinary grounds. Race “He wasn’t great a couple develop at the start of the
of racing, he has become this is wonderful,” Ala- organizers said Thomas’ of days ago and he’s been hilly, 200-kilometer trek to
France’s national hero over philippe said. “I will fight un- teammate Luke Rowe and racing really well all race, Gap, Trentin rode at the
the past two weeks, raising til the end. I’m gonna give Tony Martin, who rides in so you’d think he’d be front for most of the stage
hopes that the host country it all.” support of Kruijswijk, were starting to get tired now,” and moved clear of the
will finally get its Tour cham- If Alaphilippe fails to de- kicked out following an al- Thomas said. “So, yeah, I leading group about 14 ki-
pion after a 34-year wait. fend his 1 minute, 35-sec- tercation. Despite the set- guess teams will be thinking lometers from the finish at
After claiming the race ond lead, another French- back, the Ineos team has to try and make it hard all the bottom of the Col de
lead by storm with a cou- man is ready to take over in a double card to play with day.” la Sentinelle. He was first at
ple of well-time attacks fol- the person of Thibaut Pinot. Bernal and Thomas. On paper, Stages 19 and the summit and went all out
lowed up with a shock vic- The FDJ-Groupama leader Bernal is a pure climber 20 look even more difficult, in the downhill leading to
tory in the race’s individual has demonstrated in the from Colombia used to with the Iseran mountain Gap. Kasper Asgreen was
time trial, Alaphilippe sur- Pyrenees that he was the riding above 2,000 meters and two consecutive sum- second, 37 seconds be-
prisingly hung onto the cov- best climber, taking time (6,560 feet), while Thomas mit finishes. At 2,770 meters hind, with Olympic cham-
eted tunic in the Pyrenees on all his rivals to make up is the most experienced of (9,090 feet), the Iseran is a pion Greg Van Avermaet
last week. for the time he lost in cross- all contenders. He knows Tour de France giant and completing the podium.
But the odds are firmly winds earlier in the race. how to win a three-week one of the highest road Already thinking about the
stacked against the Quick Pinot is among the five rid- race, and despite the mi- passes in Europe where thin Alps, Alaphilippe and his ri-
Step-Deceuninck rider in ers who can believe they nor crash he suffered on air makes things harder. vals crossed more than 20
the Alps, a terrain with very have a chance to win the Tuesday, his morale is high. “Every day is going to be minutes behind.
long climbs that do not Tour on Sunday on the “Looking forward to it now. important,” Thomas said. “Everybody is exhausted, it
suit his punchy style. But Champs-Elysees, along- Big three days and a big For Trentin and other al- was the final day for saving
like Marshal Kane, “Ala- side defending champion test,” Thomas said. ready exhausted riders with strength,” Alaphilippe said.
Panache” — the nickname Geraint Thomas, Steven He added that Alaphilippe no ambition in the general “The trilogy in the Alps will
he earned this summer — is Kruijswijk, Egan Bernal and might be in for a tough time classification, the last stage decide the winner.”q
Josh Wolff to be 1st head coach of

Austin FC

By JIM VERTUNO does have big plans for the through November.
AP Sports Writer future. “I know what Anthony ex-
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Aus- The 42-year-old Wolff is tak- pects. I’m proud to be on
tin FC is turning to a familiar ing his career to the next board with that,” Wolff
face in U.S. soccer to lead level as a coach. While said.
the new franchise into its in- rumored to be a candi- “Our stated ambition is to
augural MLS season in 2021. date for several jobs, Aus- establish ourselves quickly
Josh Wolff, former U.S. tin will be his first as a head within MLS as a vibrant,
men’s national team striker coach after seven years attacking side and we
and current assistant, was as an assistant, the last six want to reflect the diverse,
named Austin head coach with Gregg Berhalter at the competitive, and passion-
From left, Anthony Precourt, Josh Wolff and Andy Loughnane on Tuesday, taking over a Columbus Crew and the ate makeup of our club’s
pose for a photo during a news conference in Austin on Tuesday,
July 23, 2019. club that doesn’t yet have U.S. national team. He will home, both on and off the
Associated Press a roster or a stadium but stay with the national team field.”q