SPORTS

Favorites, French chances, record… the 2024 edition in ten questions

Published

1 week ago

June 28, 2024

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On the eve of the start of the 111th edition of the Grande Boucle in Florence, the sports editorial team of Le Figaro answers the various questions before the start.

Departure in Florence, arrival in Nice, the 2024 edition of the Tour de France is bound to be unique. With a 5-star field among the favorites, the 111th edition of the Grande Boucle raises expectations… as well as questions. Focus on ten of them before the Grand Départ from Florence, this Saturday June 29.

Will the Vingegaard-Pogacar duel keep all its promises?

We certainly hope so. Fierce, homeric at times, the duel between the two extraterrestrials of the global peloton should liven up the three weeks of the 111th edition. Two times, great battles in the mountains, where everyone can count on faithful traveling companions, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard should compete hard to determine who of the two will win their third Tour first. The only unknown is the state of form of the outgoing double winner, victim of a serious fall in April, and who will resume competition this Saturday in Florence.

Tour de France: the greatest rivalries in history

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Can an outsider prevail?

Two names immediately come to mind. That of Primoz Roglic first, eternally cursed on the Tour (beaten in an unreal time by Pogacar in 2020, abandoned the following two years) and now rid of the Vingegaard shadow at Visma. But the weight of years can count (34 years), even if the Slovenian reassured himself by winning the Critérium du Dauphiné by a whisker ahead of Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike). Seconded to Vingegaard, the American, successful in the ASO races this year (winner of Paris-Nice and 2nd in the Dauphiné) could also have a card to play in the event of failure of his Danish leader. But the other outsider is one of the attractions of this new edition: Remco Evenepoel. Third man announced, the Belgian comes forward as a serious outsider, but without much certainty. One thing is certain, if the Pogacar-Vingegaard duo sail at their altitudes, it will be almost impossible to pick them up.

Also read: Tour de France: Evenepoel, what ambition for the third man?

Which favorites for distinctive jerseys?

Alone in the world on the Giro d’Italia, Tadej Pogacar is tackling his 5th Tour de France as the huge favourite. But the Slovenian will no longer be able to play for the white jersey. The best young rider in the Dauphiné, Matteo Jorgenson is one of the favourites for the white jersey. On the flat, the green jersey will be a Belgian affair between the experience of Wout van Aert and Jasper Philipsen, without forgetting the youthful enthusiasm of the recent Belgian champion Arnaud de Lie. And in the absence of the sprinters, Romain Bardet, in form on the Giro, will be able to show his mettle on the climbs to secure a second polka dot jersey, for his last on the Tour.

Read alsoTour de France: Pogacar, Philipsen, Barguil… The favorites of the different distinctive jerseys

Which French people will play in the top 5?

The last Frenchman to have finished in the Top 5 of the Tour de France (2022), David Gaudu should not achieve this same performance. The leader of Groupama-FDJ will not play the general role according to the latest comments from his sports director, Marc Madiot. On paper, no tricolor will have the capacity to finish in the first five places overall during this 111th edition. Lucid.

Also read: Tour de France: Gaudu, Bardet, Coquard… the French to follow

Who has the biggest armada?

A real winning machine, the Visma-Lease a Bike is a (very) seized machine in 2024. The recent withdrawal of Sepp Kuss, Vingegaard’s elegant luxury lieutenant in the mountains – incidentally crowned in the 2023 Vuelta -, weakens the Dutch team a little, who will finally be able to count on Wout van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson as ambitious second knives. On the other side, UAE Emirates advances with an armada never seen before around Pogacar. Adam Yates, Joao Almeida, Juan Ayuso… all potential leaders, not to mention lieutenants Pavel Sivakov, Nils Pollitt and Tim Wellens… It remains to be seen whether or not a war of egos could disrupt the whole thing. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Read alsoTour de France: Décathlon-AG2R unstoppable, Groupama-FDJ in the unknown… the barometer of French teams before the Grand Départ

What profile for this 2024 edition?

This 111th edition will take a new route from the Grand Départ in Italy to pay tribute to the memory of the great transalpine champions with two hilly first stages. Then, the peloton will climb the Col du Galibier from the 4th stage. One of the 67 climbs of this Tour which will return to the Pyrenees in the third week. A month before the Paris Olympics, this Tour will be difficult for the sprinters who will have several opportunities to shine with nine flat stages. And to finish, the Tour will leave the Champs-Élysées, the place of arrival since 1975, to take the roads of Nice with a final 33 km time trial, the second of this edition, which could overturn a few surprises like Greg LeMond’s victory at the expense of Laurent Fignon in 1989.

Also read: Tour de France: endless climb, white paths and time trial in Nice… the five stages not to be missed

What is the queen stage?

Fireworks expected as usual… on July 14, between Loudenvielle and the Plateau de Bielle (stage 15). On the program, four first category passes will stand before the riders, including the legendary climb of Portet d’Aspet, for its 35th appearance on the Tour. The peloton will walk along its steepest side. 4.3 km at 9.6% average. A giant among giants. They will finally tackle the ascent of the Beille plateau (15.7 km at 7.8% average, and peaks at more than 12%). Victory will be fought at the summit on this national holiday.

The legendary climbs of the Tour de France

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Will the Tour already be played in Nice?

For the beauty of the Tour, it would be tempting to answer in the negative, but the reality will be quite different. The final time trial between Monaco and Nice (33.7 km) should have no impact on the winner of the 111th edition. Given the demands of the course, the difference will probably be made (well) before the arrival scheduled for July 21. Nevertheless, there could be changes for the places of honor and perhaps even at the gates of the Top 10.

Also read: Tour de France: Pogacar reveals he “had Covid” ten days ago but says he has “recovered”

Can Cavendish go for Merckx’s record?

At 39, the British sprinter has one last chance to beat Eddy Merckx’s record by raising his arms for the 35th time on the roads of the Tour. A feat within the reach of the “Cav”, winner of at least one stage on a Grand Tour since 2021. But the “Missile of Man” will have to create the feat against a very strong field of sprinters while he has only won two sprints this season. Having left on a retirement last year, he wants to end his story with the Tour in the best possible way.

Read alsoTour de France: Marc Cavendish aims for stage record with Astana

What progress has been made for runners’ safety?

Although safety has become one of the major issues with the accumulation of serious falls, there will be nothing new on the Tour… despite the introduction of new measures taken by the UCI in May last (yellow card, restriction on wearing a headset, etc.). These will come into force in January 2025. Before then, the peloton and the marshals will observe a testing period running from August 1 to December 31. The objective is to make adjustments to minimize risks.

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SPORTS

Italian Judokas Shine at European Cup Junior: Gaia Stella and Cristiano Mincinesi Lead the Way with Gold Medals

Published

11 mins ago

July 7, 2024

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It is tsunami-Italy in Prague that, on the second day of the European Cup Junior, won the gold medal with Cristiano Mincinesi in the 90 kg, Gaia Stella in the 52 kg, the silver medal with Rebecca Valeriani in the 48 kg, the bronze medal with Henry Owusu Asare Owusu in the 90 kg, Ilaria Finestrone in the 52 kg, Giulia Carna and Michela Terranova in the 57 kg.

The total of the day is seven medals, plus two from yesterday it gets to nine and for the medal table by nation it can go well like this: Italy is first with three golds, two silvers, four bronzes. Brazil has taken ten medals, but is behind because it has only two golds.

“I’m happy with this medal and satisfied with the race,” she said. Gaia Stella– It was a very challenging race and this result means a lot to me. I thank my family, my coaches and my gym mates.”

“After the gold at the absolute, I came here to win, like in every race. – she said Giulia Carnà– I don’t want to appeal to the referees’ interpretations, I only make mea culpa for my mistakes. A new four-year period and new goals begins. I thank the Fiamme Oro, my teachers Marco and Fabrizio Fantauzzo. Thanks to the entire Judo virtus Fantauzzo company and to my family who follows me from home”.

“Despite the lost match, I am very happy with my race for being able to get back up and win all the repechage matches, arriving at the medal. -he said Henry Owusu Asare Owusu– I would really like to thank my president Lucia Rubini, my teacher Luigi Crescini, my coach Luca Ravanetti who followed me today, the Federal technicians present, all my teammates of KSDK Parma for the support they gave me today by cheering from home and every day during training and, finally, my class 5B and Salvatore Robuschi who supports my path”.

“Even though today I wasn’t in top form,” he said instead Michela Terranova– I think I had a good race, bringing home a wealth of experience and motivation. With today’s bronze, I win my third medal in the junior world judo tour. I thank all the coaches of the national team for supporting me, but above all I thank the Carabinieri, my commander Luigi Guido and my coach Giovanni Carollo, who unfortunately is not here with me… but from afar he helped me a lot. Focus on the next ones”. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

“Superlative performance by our Azzurri who were the protagonists of the second day of competition. Above all, Mincinesi and Stella impressed with determination, tenacity and great judo, making the Mameli Anthem resound here in Prague. – this is the comment of the three Azzurri coaches, Vito Zocco, Salvatore Ferro, Luca Ravanetti– Valeriani’s performance was no less impressive, only stopped by the English athlete in the final at the end of a balanced and hard-fought match. Also of great value were the four bronze medals won by Finestrone, Carná, Terranova and Owusu who strongly wanted to reach the podium after having played convincing tests. There is a bitter taste in the mouth for the medal lost to Sciacovelli.

With today’s seven medals, net of some very questionable refereeing decisions, the young Azzurri have projected our national team to the top of the medal table and give us hope for future commitments”.

>>> SECOND DAY RESULTS

2024-07-07 17:10:00
#medals #Prague #Gold #Stella #Mincinesi #Italy #U21 #tsunami

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SPORTS

Scaloni’s dilemmas: Messi’s return, Di Maria’s chance, and the semi-final against Canada

Published

29 mins ago

July 7, 2024

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07/07/2024 14:49hs.

The match with Ecuador is now behind us and the semi-final against Canada is on the horizon. next Tuesday at 9pm at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. And Lionel Scaloni is already preparing the team and is considering making some changes to the line-up. And that will be put to the test this afternoon/evening, when Scaloneta trains at the Red Bull Training Center.

One thing is clear: Lionel Messi is much better from his right adductor problemObviously he won’t be in top form, he’s not 100 percent, but he will be more relaxed, he will have more ease in his movements. He spent the last training sessions with less pain and was able to work alongside his teammates. So, with the number 10 as a flag bearer and confirmed – with Ecuador it was in doubt until 24 hours before the match – the National Team now has one less focus of attention and also the peace of mind that the captain will be back in charge of the team, as in every match since the 2006 World Cup.

Scaloni has some footballing issues to resolve. And perhaps the one that steals the spotlight is what will happen with Ángel Di María. Fideo did not play a single minute in the quarter-finals against Ecuador, he watched the penalties from the bench and, luckily, the team went through and the Rosario native will have two more games with the National Team jersey. “Ángel was always warming up and could be an option. Who doesn’t like to see him? I’m the first, but…,” said Lio DT in the press conference.

Now Di Maria has a chance to start against Canada on Tuesday. In his debut he started as a right-wing midfielder in a 4-4-2 and had some good moments. The other match in which he started was against Peru, the day that Scaloni decided to rotate the team, while against Chile he came on in the second half. Angelito has already announced that he will retire after the Copa América, that he is leaving the National Team…. Given the characteristics of the rival, Scaloni is considering Fideo playing instead of Nico González. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

With eight players confirmed (Dibu, Molina, Cuti, Lisandro, Tagliafico, De Paul, Alexis and Messi), The coach will have to finish defining the 11 with the three positions that were always in doubt in this Copa América: the left-wing midfielder, the centre-forward and the third striker. The third midfielder is something that is being reviewed: although the position is Enzo Fernandez (he won it at the World Cup), he didn’t have good matches since he returned from the inguinal hernia operation and that’s why Leandro Paredes and Gio Lo Celso They are also fighting for that position. Scaloni is between confirming the World Cup midfield or dealing with the current situation.

The centre forward position is always in the spotlight due to the excellent levels of Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez. So far they have started two games each: the first two for Manchester City and the last two for Inter. Julián scored one goal and Lautaro scored four. The uncertainty will continue until the day of the match, but the coach is considering putting in an attack similar to that of the debut against Canada, with Messi, Julián and Di María…

The probable formation

The 11 against Canada and the three doubts: Drawn by Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cuti Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez or Paredes/Lo Celso; Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez or Julian Alvarez, Nicolas Gonzalez or Angel Di Maria.

2024-07-07 17:49:56
#probable #formation #National #Team #Canada #Messi #Olé

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SPORTS

LeBron James Set to Make History with Third Olympic Appearance

Published

48 mins ago

July 7, 2024

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He competed in his first Olympics at age 19. He returned twice in his 20s. Now, just months shy of his 40th birthday, he’s about to get another taste.

LeBron James has nothing left to prove. If he lines up with the Americans once again, it’s simply because he wants to.

James is set to become the first U.S. men’s basketball player to compete in the Olympics in three decades.

The United States camp is in motion in Nevada, the starting point where they are ultimately looking for a fifth gold medal in a row.

“I’m still playing at a high level,” said James, who has two gold medals and a bronze to his name. “I still enjoy playing basketball and I have a great relationship with Team USA. It was important for me to join the guys this summer.”

James can notably reconnect with two of his former coaches, Erik Spoelstra and Tyronn Lue. He won an NBA title with each of them at the helm.

“It’s amazing how intense he is in practice,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said. “I asked Ty and ‘Spo’ if that’s normal, and they said he’s like that every drill, every day.” READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

James won bronze in 2004 in Athens and also in 2006 at the World Championship (now the World Cup) in Japan.

Since then, the Americans have always won gold when he has donned their jersey, with a record of 36-0.

“Our only goal is to win gold,” James said.

The Americans will face Canada in a pre-season match on Wednesday.

2024-07-07 14:22:00
#Basketball #LeBron #James #motivated #eve #fourth #appearance #Olympic #Games

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