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SPORTS Thursday 5 sepTember 2019
Close to home,

Iturria takes Vuelta

stage for 1st win

URDAX, Spain (AP) — Mikel mile) ride from Saint-Palais
Iturria couldn’t have asked to Urdax in Spain’s Basque
for a better setting for his Country.
first professional cycling Iturria, a 27-year-old rider
win. from team Euskadi-Murias,
Just a few kilometers (miles) finished six seconds ahead
from home and with his of the first group of chasers.
family watching, Iturria He had built a gap of near-
used a solo breakaway to ly 50 seconds with about 15
win the 11th stage of the kilometers (9 miles) to go.
Spanish Vuelta on Wednes- “I don’t have words for
day. this,” the Basque Country
“To win it the Vuelta, close rider said. “We’ll have to
to home and with my fam- toast with champagne to-
ily here, is a dream come night.”
true,” the Spaniard said. “It was a bit of a hard start
“Before the race I was but then it was a nice day United States’ Carli Lloyd scores a goal against Portugal during the first half of a friendly soccer
asked which stage I want- and my team did a great match Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019, in St. Paul, Minn.
ed to win, and I said this job,” said Roglic, a former Associated Press
had. I was going as fast as I who rides for team Jum- Lloyd scores 2, U.S. women beat
was the one. I gave all I ski jumper from Slovenia
I didn’t know I had, and this is a big team already. Portugal again on victory tour
could, finding strength that bo-Visma. “We’ve proven
was able to make it to the I don’t think tomorrow’s
end and win the stage.” stage is more dangerous ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Carli cently when she kicked a her fiancée, goalkeeper
Iturria held on for the victo- than the high mountains. Lloyd scored twice and the 55-yard field goal at the Ashlyn Harris, were not with
ry after making an impres- I don’t have any problem U.S. national team extend- Philadelphia Eagles’ train- the team because of a
sive solo run with about 25 with short climbs. We need ed its winning streak to 16 ing camp. family emergency.
kilometers (15 miles) to go to be focused on the mo- games with a 3-0 exhibition Lindsey Horan scored in North Carolina Courage
of the 180-kilometer (112- ment and do our best.”q victory over Portugal on 93rd minute on a header forward Kristen Hamilton
Tuesday night. off a corner kick from Chris- made her debut for the U.S.
It was Jill Ellis’ 105th victory ten Press, who has a team- in the 76th minute, coming
as the U.S. coach, tying best 11 assists this year. in as a sub for McDonald.
her with Tony DiCicco’s re- Alex Morgan and Rose A sellout crowd of 19,600
cord from 1994-1999. Ellis, Lavelle were both out be- watched the team’s first
now 105-7-18, plans to step cause of concussion pro- match at Allianz Field, the
down in October following tocol. Lloyd started up top home of Major League
the team’s final two victory for the United States for Soccer’s Minnesota Unit-
tour matches. the second straight game ed, which opened earlier
The match at Allianz Field while Jessica McDonald this year. The victory tour
was the third of a five-city took the place of Megan continues next month with
tour celebrating the U.S. Rapinoe, who has an Achil- games against South Ko-
team’s World Cup victory les injury. Kelley O’Hara was rea on Oct. 3 in Charlotte,
this summer in France. It sidelined by an ankle injury. North Carolina, and Oct. 6
was the team’s second Defender Ali Krieger and in Chicago.q
straight World Cup title and
fourth overall.
The Americans also de-
feated Portugal 4-0 last
Thursday at Philadelphia’s
Lincoln Financial Field be-
fore 49,504 fans, the larg-
est ever for a stand-alone
friendly game for the U.S.
women.
The Americans have won
all nine of their meetings
with Portugal and have
never allowed a goal.
Lloyd scored in the 22nd
minute and converted a
penalty kick some 10 min-
utes later. The 37-year-old
has 117 career goals and
Euskadi Basque Country Murias’ Team Mikel Iturria of Spain leads the team with 12 this
celebrates after winning the stage during the 11th stage year alone.
between Saint Palais and Urdarx Dantxarinea, 180 kilometers Lloyd, a two-time FIFA
(111,84miles), of the Spanish Vuelta cycling race that finishes World Player of the Year,
in Urdax Dantxarinea, northern Spain, Wednesday, Sept.4, 2019.
Associated Press grabbed headlines re-