Qatar bid to host Tour de France July 25, 2011 QATAR has launched an audacious bid to host the opening stage of the Tour de France in 2016. The Grand Depart is often held in a neighbouring country, with London kicking off the 2007 Tour, but moving to the Middle East would be a major change in policy. The Gulf kingdom is becoming an increasingly [...]
Wasps hire Turner as coach July 25, 2011 RUGBY UNION: Wasps boss Dai Young has recruited former Newport-Gwent Dragons head coach Paul Turner as an attack and skills coach. Turner, 51, left Dragons in February after criticising the Welsh Rugby Union’s treatment of the club’s players.
Albert ball for London 2012 July 25, 2011 OLYMPICS: The football used in the London 2012 Games will be called ‘The Albert’, the Cockney rhyming slang for ball, manufacturers Adidas said yesterday. The name – a shortened version of Albert Hall – was chosen following a nationwide competition.
Mixed pool fortunes for Brits July 25, 2011 SWIMMING: Britain’s Gemma Spofforth has failed to defend her 100m backstroke title at the Fina World Championships. Spofforth, hampered by illness, did not even make the semi-finals, but Lizzie Simmonds qualified for the final in Shanghai.
Prior century sets England on course for winning start July 24, 2011 WICKETKEEPER Matt Prior expects England to take a 1-0 series lead against India today after his heroic century laid the foundations for the hosts to clinch the first Test at Lord’s. Prior and Stuart Broad rescued an innings that had been ravaged by seamer Ishant Sharma with unbeaten scores of 103 and 74 respectively before [...]
Brit Cavendish eyes reign of sprint dominance after making history with green jersey triumph July 24, 2011 MANXMAN Mark Cavendish is targeting an era of dominance after becoming the first British rider to win the Tour de France’s green jersey, awarded to the best sprinter. Cavendish clinched the prize he has chased for the past four years by winning the famous race’s final stage on the Champs-Elysees for the third year in [...]
Bold approach reaps reward for Hamilton July 24, 2011 BRITAIN’S Lewis Hamilton delighted in answering critics of his aggressive driving style with a virtuoso performance to triumph at the German Grand Prix yesterday. Hamilton, who has been accused of recklessness in his attempts to wring the most out of his McLaren this season, saw off the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber [...]
Villas-Boas homes in on Argentinian £40m star July 24, 2011 CHELSEA are closing in on the signing of Palermo playmaker Javier Pastore, one of the most sought-after talents in the world, the Italian club said yesterday. The Sicilian side’s vice-president Guglielmo Micciche declared it was “very probable” that Stamford Bridge would be the 22-year-old’s destination. Pastore, who is valued at around £40m, is also thought [...]
Khan eyes Mayweather after despatching Judah July 24, 2011 AMBITIOUS Amir Khan has set his sights on challenging pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather within a year following his emphatic WBA light-welterweight title defence. Khan knocked out American veteran Zab Judah in five rounds in their unification fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night, a performance that added to the Bolton 24-year-old’s burgeoning reputation. His next [...]
Silver for Adlington at Worlds July 24, 2011 Britain’s Rebecca Adlington claimed silver in the 400m freestyle at the Fina World Championships but her fellow London 2012 hopeful, teenage diver Tom Daley, failed to defend his 10m individual platform title. Double Olympic champion Adlington overcame an unfavourable outside lane to take second behind Italian Federica Pellegrini in Shanghai. Daley, 17, finished fifth, with [...]