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SPORTS Monday 1 october 2018

Spain’s Alejandro Valverde sprints to road race world title

Associated Press first.
INNSBRUCK, Austria (AP) — Peter Sagan had his
For the seventh time in his three-year winning streak
career, Alejandro Valverde snapped when he quit the
stepped onto the podium race with 90 kilometers left.
after the men’s road race The Slovakian sprint special-
at the world champion- ist struggled on the 258-kilo-
ships on Sunday. meter course, which includ-
But for the first time he re- ed 4,681 meters of climb-
ceived the gold medal. ing and was regarded as
The Spanish rider sprinted one of the toughest world
to his first world title after championship courses in
a grueling, mountainous decades.
race of 6 hours, 46 minutes Many of the pre-race fa-
through the Austrian Alps, vorites had problems, while
including a final climb with Warren Barguil of France
a maximum gradient of 28 and Primoz Roglic of Slove-
percent. nia were among the con-
Valverde led a group of four tenders slowed by crashes.
in the final kilometer, and A group of 11 riders broke
he just remained ahead in away in the opening kilo-
the sprint, with Romain Bar- meters, and as there were
det of France taking the no title favorites among
silver. Michael Woods, the them, the peloton wasn’t
first Canadian in the top bothered about chasing
three since Steve Bauer in them for most of the race.
1984, won the bronze, while It left Kasper Asgreen of
Tom Dumoulin of the Neth- Denmark and Vegard
erlands placed fourth. Stake Laengen of Norway
“This is the greatest day of Spain’s Alejandro Valverde crosses the finish line to win the men’s road race at the Road Cycling as the two leaders, but they
my career. It means every- World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria, Sunday, Sept.30, 2018. were finally overtaken by
thing to me to take this vic- Associated Press the peloton with 20 kilome-
tory,” the 38-year-old Val- a doping suspension ear- “I’m so proud of wear- er with Bardet and Woods ters left to go. Several rid-
verde said. “It’s my biggest lier in his career, has won ing this jersey for the next for the final five kilometers. ers tried to attack, and As-
pro victory. One that I’ve stages in all Grand Tours 12 months,” he said. “I’ve While the trio built a lead green’s Danish teammate
fought hard to achieve for and was the overall winner been at other world cham- of a half-minute, Dumoulin Michael Valgren looked
all these years. Something of the Vuelta in 2009. Sun- pionships where a team- managed to catch up for successful for a while as he
I’ve been chasing for dur- day’s title came a year af- mate won and I enjoyed it, the last 1,500 meters. went 30 seconds ahead.
ing my entire career.” He ter he suffered a fractured but taking it yourself is just However, the Dutchman The French team, however,
became the first Spanish kneecap in a fall in the Tour special.” lacked the power to attack closed the gap in an at-
world champion since Os- de France, forcing him to Valverde positioned himself again, and Valverde held tempt to set up Bardet, but
car Freire won the title in end his 2017 season prema- for the win when he went off challenges by Bardet they also helped Valverde
2004. Valverde, who served turely. ahead of the pack togeth- and Woods to cross the line and Woods to the front.q

Hailie Deegan, 17, becomes 1st female winner in NASCAR K&N

Associated Press Brian Deegan. Deegan said her plan was
MERIDIAN, Idaho (AP) — Her victory came in her to nudge the leader just
Seventeen-year-old Hailie 18th start on the NASCAR enough to make the driver
Deegan used a bump- K&N circuit. wiggle and create room for
and-run on her teammate The teenager from Tem- the winning pass.
to become the first female ecula, California, led only Rouse also is seeking his first
winner of a NASCAR K&N one lap in Saturday night’s career victory.
West Series race. race, the last one. He complained Deegan
Her last-lap shove of Cole Deegan had two previous got into his car too hard for
Rouse at Meridian Speed- runner-up finishes in the se- the bump-and-run. In this file image taken Feb. 11, 2018 and provided by Connexions
way in Idaho gave her the ries and said after the race Deegan drives for Bill McA- Sports and Entertainment, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver
victory. she had imagined the win- nally Racing and is lead- Hailie Deegan stands in the pits at the New Smyrna Speedway in
Deegan is the daughter of ning move the night before ing the rookie-of-the-year New Smyrna Beach Fla.
X Games motocross rider while lying in bed. standings.q Associated Press