The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Cycling: 2014 Tour to further boost British cycling
- Tennis: Kerber suffers Internet abuse after Wimbledon woe
- Golf: McIlroy fails again in Irish Open
| Cycling: 2014 Tour to further boost British cycling Posted: 28 Jun 2013 06:10 PM PDT PORTO-VECCHIO, France: With the 100th Tour de France about to get underway on the Mediterranean island of Corsica, the start of next year's race is not on the minds of many. However, the organisers behind the 2014 Grand Depart in Yorkshire, in northern England, are very much looking forward as they get ready to make their own bit of Tour history. The Tour has visited the British Isles three times before, most recently in 2007, when it set off from London. Now it is the turn of Yorkshire, which contains major cities like Leeds and Sheffield as well as the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales and the Pennines, "the backbone of England". "It is the biggest event that will ever have happened in Yorkshire," Welcome to Yorkshire Chief Executive Gary Verity told AFP. "The biggest annual sporting event in the world, not only the greatest, the longest, the hardest, the toughest cycle race in the world, but the biggest free-to-watch sporting event on the planet. For us, it will be a very proud moment." The 2014 Tour will begin with a flat stage from Leeds to Harrogate on July 5 before a ride from York to Sheffield through the hills of the Peak District. There will then be a third stage in England from the university city of Cambridge to London before the race returns to France. Verity agreed that the recent success of British cycling, from Bradley Wiggins' triumph on the 2012 Tour de France to the country's track triumphs at the London Olympics helped bring the race back to the UK and should help create a successful legacy for the region. "The tremendous success of British cycling has I think taken cycling to a new level in the UK which makes it more conceivable to put a successful bid together for a Grand Depart," he said. "Without that, it would have been very difficult for sure. Clearly, Bradley Wiggins' success last year was tremendous for us in terms of timing, and then obviously with the success of the Olympics it became clear that there was a sensible conversation to be had about the Tour coming to the UK quite quickly, which has now happened. "Yorkshire will continue to get a payback from this event for many, many, many years to come," he said of his hopes for a successful legacy in a country which has gone cycling mad in recent times. "How do you put a price on the inspiration this can give to children? The fact that you as a child could be stood on the side of the road in Yorkshire when the world's greatest sporting event comes right past where you are. It's huge." Verity is therefore keeping his fingers crossed that Chris Froome can follow in the footsteps of Wiggins and become the second consecutive Briton to win the famed yellow jersey. "Obviously, if Froome wins this year's Tour, to have two Brits winning it back-to-back would give us a huge fillip for our event next summer," he added. - AFP |
| Tennis: Kerber suffers Internet abuse after Wimbledon woe Posted: 28 Jun 2013 06:06 PM PDT LONDON: German seventh seed Angelique Kerber was the target of a torrent of abuse on social media after her Wimbledon exit on Friday. Kerber, who made the semi-finals in 2012, was knocked out by Estonia's Kaia Kanepi, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 in the second round despite leading by a set and 5/1 in the second-set tie-breaker. Her Facebook page received a string of abusive messages including a death threat as well as one wanting her to break her arms while another demanded the tie be investigated for match-fixing. "Fat cow, burn in hell," said one message with another screamed "I wish you broken hands". Another described her as a "fat, German cow". "Just embarrassing Angelique. Horrible horrible performance today. Very disappointed," one of the less abusive posts. Kerber did not address the abuse in her post-match press conference, but admitted she hadn't seized her chances to clinch the win. "I had my chances in the second set but I didn't take them. In the third she was playing unbelievable and I couldn't do anything. I mean, she won today. Well done to her," said the German. - AFP |
| Golf: McIlroy fails again in Irish Open Posted: 28 Jun 2013 06:01 PM PDT MAYNOOTH, Ireland: World number two Rory McIlroy's troubles with his driver continued as he failed to make the cut in the Irish Open at Carton House on Friday. McIlroy continues to struggle with the driver, revealing he will meet Nike technical staff again next week before the British Open at Muirfield. The 24-year posted a second round 72 for a two-over par tally to miss the cut by two shots in windy and overcast conditions. In 43 stroke-play rounds this year on either the European or PGA Tours, McIlroy has only managed to break 70 on 11 occasions. "I am spending more time with Nike's technical staff as this was a new driver I had in the bag this week but it still wasn't 100% what I want," he said. "So I am testing with them again next week. "I am still confident in my ability to hit the golf ball and hit good shots but then confidence comes from hitting good shots and seeing the ball go in the hole, and shooting good rounds and posting good results. "I guess in that way the results are not great but from being on the golf course and seeing some good shots today I am definitely more positive now than this time yesterday." And unlike earlier this year when McIlroy added the Valero Texas Open in the week prior to the Masters, McIlroy will not be tempted to add either next week's French Open or the following week's Scottish Open to his schedule. "No, I am not going to add a tournament as I am going to take the next two weeks off," he said. "I have a couple of commitments, including my cousin's wedding next weekend, and then I'm planning to play a first practice round at Muirfield next Monday week, and the start of the week before The Open week," he said. "If I didn't have these couple of things to then I would probably add a tournament but I just need to find a little consistency in my ball-striking. "I hit quite a few good shots out there but there are a few bad ones in there and it's those bad ones that are costing me, and I wasn't sharp enough around the greens. "I was confident when I played in San Antonio because I found something on the range on the Friday night and had a really good weekend that gave me a lot of confidence." Florida's Peter Uihlein (68) and England's Robert Rock (66) head the Euro 2m event on nine under par. Six players - Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal, Sweden's Oscar Floren, Holland's Joost Luiten, Portugal's Ricardo Santos and Ireland's Shane Lowry - share third place at seven under par. Scotland's Scott Henry recorded a new Carton House course record of an eight-under-par 64 and two shots fewer than the previous mark set by four players including Denmark's Thomas Bjorn on route to victory in 2006. - AFP |
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