Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Monday 17 SepteMber 2018

Grand Tour sweep for Britain as Yates wins Spanish Vuelta

By TALES AZZONI de France in July and Ke- the final sprint for his third
AP Sports Writer nyan-born British rider Chris stage win in this year's Vuel-
MADRID (AP) — Simon Yates Froome the Giro d'Italia in ta, with Peter Sagan close
won his first Grand Tour title May. behind him.
after a largely ceremonial Froome was the defending Yates, who rides for team
ride into Madrid in the final Vuelta champion and also Mitchelton-Scott, success-
stage of the Spanish Vuelta won the Tour de France last fully defended his lead of
on Sunday, giving British rid- year, meaning Britain has almost two minutes in Sat-
ers a sweep of the season's five straight Grand Tour vic- urday's demanding 20th
three biggest races. tories. stage, the last competitive
The 26-year-old Englishman "It's astonishing really," Yates one since the peloton took
was dominant throughout said. "Growing up I was so off from Malaga on Aug.
the three-week race across accustomed to seeing the 25. On Sunday, riders mostly
Spain, thriving on the French, Italian and Spanish paraded in a 100.9-kilome-
toughest climbs and the riders lead the way, so for ter (62.7-mile) route from
flattest routes to secure the myself, Chris and Geraint to the city of Alcorcon to the
victory after a last stage in all win a Grand Tour in the center of the Spanish capi-
which riders didn't attack same year just shows how tal.
the leaders under cycling far the sport has come in Yates held the leader's red
tradition. this country." jersey through stages 9-11,
Yates' Vuelta title means Thomas and Froome then won stage 14 in the
Britain has swept the three skipped the race in Spain northwestern Picos de Eu-
Grand Tours. Geraint Thom- this year. ropa mountains to take full
as of Wales won the Tour Italian rider Elia Viviani won control of the race until the
Mayer sets decathlon WR after

Kipchoge runs fastest marathon British rider Simon Yates of the Mitchelton-Scott team celebrates
on the podium after winning the La Vuelta cycling race in Ma-
drid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018.
Associated Press
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN "I lack words to describe
AP Sports Writer this day," Kipchoge said end. standings. Steven Kruijswijk
PARIS (AP) — On a spec- after becoming the first Spain's Enric Mas, from of Team Lotto NL-Jumbo
tacular day for track and person to finish a mara- team Quick-Step Floors, finished ahead of Valverde
field fans, Kevin Mayer thon in less than 2 hours won Saturday's difficult in fourth place.
of France set a decath- and 2 minutes. stage in Andorra and fin- Yates had already come
lon world record in front In the decathlon, Mayer ished second in the gen- close to a Grand Tour victo-
of a home crowd, just fell on his back in celebra- eral classification, 1 minute, ry in the Giro d'Italia in May,
hours after Eliud Kipchoge tion after he crossed the 46 seconds behind Yates. a race he led for 13 stages
smashed the marathon line of the 1,500 meters — Miguel Angel Lopez of Co- before losing the lead to
world record in Berlin. the last of 10 events — in 4 lombia, from thte Astana eventual winner Froome
Competing at the Deca- minutes, 36.11 seconds, a Pro Team, was third, more with two days left.
star event in southwestern time he knew would guar- than two minutes off the "It's still hard to believe that
France, world champion antee him the record. lead. I've won," Yates said. "I was
Mayer amassed a total Mayer came to Talence "It's been a great moment disappointed to not win the
of 9,126 points, improving on the back of a disap- to appear on the final po- Giro but I've made it up. I'm
on the previous record of pointing showing at last dium," Mas said. in shock. I got really ner-
9,045 set by American ath- month's European Cham- "It was my goal although I vous when I went on stage.
lete Ashton Eaton at the pionship, where he was Eliud Kipchoge runs to win kept it for myself coming My natural habitat is on the
2015 world championships eliminated after three fouls the 45th Berlin Marathon in into the race ... I hope for bike . I enjoyed the mo-
in Beijing. in the long jump. Berlin, Germany, Sunday, more moments like this in ment. It was a very special
Sept. 16, 2018. Eliud Kip-
Earlier, Kipchoge clocked Eaton congratulated May- choge set a new world re- the future, including on the one."
2:01:39 at the Berlin Mara- er for his performance in a cord in 2 hours 1 minute 39 top spot." Yates made his Grand Tour
thon. message posted on Twit- seconds. Veteran Spaniard Alejan- debut in the 2014 Tour de
The 33-year-old over- ter. Associated Press dro Valverde was in con- France. In last year's Tour,
turned the previous world "That was an incred- tention from the first day he won the young rider's
record set in Berlin by fel- ible display of ability!" he inspiring others to do the but failed to keep pace classification, finishing sev-
low Kenyan Dennis Kimet- wrote. "Important thing to same. The more 9k can with Yates on Saturday, enth overall. Movistar end-
to in 2014 by 1 minute, 18 me has always been to become commonplace dropping to fifth for Mo- ed first in the overall team
seconds. keep pushing the limit and the better."q vistar in the final overall classification.q