Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Wednesday 24 July 2019

Thomas crashes again as heat wave engulfs Tour de France

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN more than the Pyrenees,
AP Sports Writer where both Ineos leaders
NIMES, France (AP) — conceded time to Pinot.
Crashing is becoming a “He crashed but with no
bad habit for defending consequence and I don’t
Tour de France champion think he’ll suffer from it in
Geraint Thomas. the coming days,” Bernal
After hitting the ground said. “We’re approaching
twice over the past two the Alps. The climbs there
weeks, the Welshman fell are longer and steeper.
off his bike one more time They’re more of the Colom-
on Tuesday as a heat wave bian style of climbing. I’m
engulfed the race ahead ready and I feel good.”
of grueling days in the Alps Ewan said he suffered
when the Tour will reach its from the heat throughout
climax. the stage — temperatures
Once again, Thomas was soared as high as 40 de-
lucky enough to escape grees Celsius (40 F) — but
with bruises and scratches, it did not slow him down
but the timing of his crash in the finale. The Australian
in the rural hinterland of Tour debutant edged Elia
the antique Roman city Viviani and Dylan Groe-
of Nimes was unfortunate. Australia’s Caleb Ewan, left, celebrates as crosses the finish line with Slovakia’s Peter Sagan to win newegen to post his sec-
Although Thomas quickly the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 117 kilometers (73 miles) with start and ond stage win following his
got back on his bike and finish in Nimes, France, Tuesday, July 23, 2019. maiden success in Toulouse
did not lose time, crashes Associated Press last week. Earlier, riders
always have a lingering ef- jumped and jammed and I has always been prone to cade — will be decided tried to cool down with bot-
fect on riders’ bodies. It’s got thrown off my bike on crashing. Just last month, before Sunday’s ceremo- tles of cold water against
generally after 48 hours a corner,” he said. “I knew his preparation for the Tour nial ride to Paris. the backs of their necks as
that the soreness reaches the race wasn’t on so I just was cut short by a spill dur- Sixteen stages out of 21 they pedaled on the Pont
its peak, and that’s when got back into the group. It’s ing a race in Switzerland. have been completed, du Gard, an ancient Ro-
he will be fighting in high just frustrating. It was such a But he has also shown in the but the suspense remains man aqueduct bridge set
altitude with rivals trying to freak thing.” past that he can soldier on intact, with six riders sepa- against a dramatic land-
take him off his perch. Danish rider Jakob Fugl- in pain. Six years ago when rated by little more than scape of rocks, trees and
Lagging 1 minute, 35 sec- sang, who stood ninth over- riding the Tour as Froome’s 2 minutes. Behind Ala- water. Alexis Gougeard,
onds behind race leader all, was not as lucky and loyal teammate, Thomas philippe and Thomas, Ste- Lukasz Wisniowski, Stepha-
Julian Alaphilippe with the was forced to abandon fell off his bike on a Corsi- ven Kruijswijk remained ne Rossetto, Paul Ourselin
race now going into its five the Tour with a left hand in- can road in the opening third, 1:47 off the pace and and Lars Bak organized the
last stages, Thomas was jury after falling late in the stage and broke his pelvis. 3 seconds ahead of Thibaut day’s breakaway and had
caught off guard under a stage as the peloton ped- But he kept racing for 3,000 Pinot. Thomas’ Ineos team- a maximum lead of 2 min-
scorching sun about 40 kilo- aled past the picturesque kilometers to reach the fin- mate Egan Bernal lags 2:02 utes. After the group was
meters into the stage won town of Uzes. ish. He will need to be at the behind and Emmanuel Bu- caught two kilometers from
by Australian sprinter Ca- Thomas, a former track spe- top of his form on Thursday chmann has a 2:14 deficit. the finish, Viviani was set
leb Ewan. The peloton was cialist who transformed into for the start of an Alpine tril- Bernal, a Colombian and up by his teammates and
not riding at full speed, but a Tour de France contend- ogy of stages including six one of the best pure climb- launched the sprint about
Thomas was surprised. er after years spent work- climbs over 2,000 meters. ers in the Tour, played down 200 meters from the line
“I just had one hand on ing in support of four-time This is when the race — the Thomas’ crash and said the but could not resist Ewan’s
the bars, and the gears champion Chris Froome, most exciting in the last de- race in the Alps will suit him comeback.q

Shaun White pushes forward

on Olympic skateboarding track

NBC’s “Today” show that side, White focused on the last month “the question
he will compete at world Winter Games. we always get is the Shaun
championships in Septem- He announced last summer White question.”
ber “and see what hap- that skateboarding was in “The answer is, if anyone
pens” before deciding his plans but only compet- can do it, it’s Shaun, but
whether to try to earn a ed in one contest last year. he has a long, hard road
spot on the U.S. team for Street and park skate- in front of him,” Friedberg
skateboarding’s Olympic boarding are on the 2020 said. White, 32, has ac-
debut next summer in To- Olympics program, nei- knowledged as much, and
kyo. ther of which is considered stopped short of saying
The three-time Olympic White’s specialty. Tuesday that he’s all-in for
snowboarding champion He is expected to focus on a run at the Olympics.
In this Feb. 14, 2018, file photo, gold medal winner Shaun White has won five of his 23 X the park version, which mix- “I thought, why don’t I
celebrates after the men’s halfpipe finals at the 2018 Winter Games medals on the sum- es vertical jumps like those test the waters, compete
Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. mer side in skateboarding. seen on the halfpipe with a little and see what hap-
Associated Press But when snowboarding street features like rails and pens,” he said. “After that
NEW YORK (AP) — Shaun Summer Olympics in skate- became an Olympic sport, stairs. I’ll probably make the big
White is pressing forward boarding. and with no similar option Josh Friedberg, the CEO of announcement of what I’m
with plans to shoot for the White said Tuesday on on the Summer Games USA Skateboarding, said going to do.”q