Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Saturday 7 September 2019

UAE Emirates' Team Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia, left, celebrates
after winning the stage beside La Vuelta red shirt leaders, Jum-
bo -Visma's Team Primoz Roglic of Slovenia at the end of the In this Friday, May 3, 2019 file photo, South Africa's Caster Semenya, left, competes to win the gold
13th stage between Bilbao-Los Machucos Monumento Vaca in the women's 800-meter final during the Diamond League in Doha, Qatar.
Pasiega, 166,4 km kilometers (103,39miles), of the Spanish Vuel- Associated Press
ta cycling race that finishes Los Machucos, near to San Roque
de Riomera, northern Spain, Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. Quitting track? Semenya signs
Associated Press
Slovenians Pogacar for South African soccer team

and Roglic dominate By GERALD IMRAY 28-year-old Semenya said. Semenya lost her first legal
AP Sports Writer
"I am looking forward to this appeal at the Swiss-based
grueling Vuelta stage Tired, maybe, after 10 years new journey, and hopefully Court of Arbitration for Sport
of fighting track authori-
I can contribute as much earlier this year, prompting
ties, Caster Semenya has as I can to the club." her to go to Switzerland's
LOS MACHUCOS, Spain (AP) — Two Slovenian friends took signed up to play with a Semenya, who won her supreme court.
charge of the Spanish Vuelta on Friday, with youngster South African soccer team. first major track title at the The latest legal blow might
Tadej Pogacar wining the difficult 13th stage and Primoz Currently banned from world championships in have pushed her to quit.
Roglic crossing the line just behind him to increase his competing in her preferred Berlin a decade ago, didn't The Swiss Federal Tribunal
overall lead. event, the two-time Olym- directly say if she was retir- said Semenya's latest chal-
Pogacar and Roglic moved to the front during the gruel- pic 800-meter champion ing from track and field. But lenge "does not appear
ing final climb at Los Machucos, getting past breakaway might now be ready to she has hinted on numerous with high probability to be
leader Pierre Latour with less than two kilometers (one give up running in favor occasions on social media well founded," although
mile) to go and finishing 27 seconds ahead of their clos- of a sport where she isn't in recent months she would the court still hasn't given its
est chasers. forced to take hormone- be willing to give up if she final verdict.
"It was a great day for Slovenian cycling to have the two suppressing medication. isn't allowed to compete in In the hours after that pro-
of us at the front," Roglic said. "We gave our whole until Semenya wrote on Twit- her favorite event without visional decision to uphold
the finish. Tadej is of course a big talent with a big future. ter on Friday that she had being forced to take medi- the testosterone regula-
He is a good friend of mine, a nice guy, and a rival." joined Johannesburg- cation to lower her natural tions was announced, Se-
Pogacar passed Roglic with less than one kilometer (half based women's club JVW testosterone level. menya wrote on social me-
a mile) left and held on for his second stage win in this FC, posting a photo of her- Semenya is barred from dia: "First chapter of my life
Vuelta. The 20-year-old rider from UAE Team Emirates also self smiling and holding up defending her 800 title at done, looking forward to
won the ninth stage. a soccer shirt. She said in this month's world cham- my second chapter."
"I can't believe it's my second stage win in my first Grand a separate statement she pionships — and cannot Her social media pages
Tour. I'm extremely happy, so happy I can't even describe was looking forward to a currently compete in any have also been littered
it," Pogacar said. "When I heard on the radio nobody was "new journey." top-level races in distances lately with images of soccer
following me and Roglic, I realized it was a good opportu- The club, which is owned from 400 meters to one mile balls, uniforms and cleats.
nity. It's difficult to go against Roglic, he's really strong. So by South Africa national — after refusing to follow Unlike track, top-level soc-
I'm very happy with what I've done today." women's team captain new IAAF rules requiring her cer doesn't have any regu-
Roglic, a former ski jumper riding with team Jumbo-Vis- Janine van Wyk, said Se- to reduce her testosterone lations forcing female play-
ma, opened a gap of 2 minutes, 25 seconds to Spaniard menya began training with by taking daily contracep- ers to lower naturally high
Alejandro Valverde in the general classification. Pogacar the team this week but she tive pills or having surgery. testosterone levels.
moved to third place overall but was more than three won't be registered to play She is appealing against The women's soccer
minutes behind Roglic. league games until next those rules at the Swiss su- league in South Africa is
Valverde was fourth in the 166-kilometer (103-mile) stage, year. But that timing is sig- preme court — her second only semi-professional —
behind Latour and ahead of Movistar teammate Nairo nificant because the South legal challenge against the country's top players
Quintana. African women's soccer them — but faced a set- play overseas. But South
The stage started with the peloton going around the field season in 2020 will be in ac- back in July when the court Africa is bidding to host the
at Athletic Bilbao's San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao. Riders tion at the same time as provisionally upheld the next Women's World Cup in
then faced seven mountain passes. the Olympics in Tokyo. rules. That ended Seme- 2023.
They will get a relative break on Saturday in a 188-kilome- "I am grateful for this oppor- nya's ambitions to defend Usain Bolt played semi-pro-
ter (117-mile) flat stage that will finish in Oviedo. tunity and I appreciate the her title at the worlds in fessional soccer in Australia
Pogacar teammate Fabio Aru didn't race on Friday be- love and support I already Doha, Qatar. She last ran a after retiring from track —
cause of a muscle injury.q get from the team," the competitive race in June. with limited success.q