Tag Archives: seals

Sports

Jonas Vingegaard seals 2022 Tour de France triumph on final stage in Paris – live! | Tour de France

Leave a comment

Wow! Philipsen’s second stage win of the race is sealed in Paris! Back down the road, Jumbo-Visma ride across the finish line in formation. Jonas Vingegaard safely negotiates the final stage and wins his first Tour de France.

“,”elementId”:”6950d54f-2a61-4bae-b1c6-d6c676157118″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement”,”media”:{“allImages”:[{“index”:0,”fields”:{“height”:”3000″,”width”:”5000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/5000.jpg”},{“index”:1,”fields”:{“isMaster”:”true”,”height”:”3000″,”width”:”5000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg”},{“index”:2,”fields”:{“height”:”1200″,”width”:”2000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/2000.jpg”},{“index”:3,”fields”:{“height”:”600″,”width”:”1000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/1000.jpg”},{“index”:4,”fields”:{“height”:”300″,”width”:”500″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/500.jpg”},{“index”:5,”fields”:{“height”:”84″,”width”:”140″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/140.jpg”}]},”data”:{“alt”:”Alpecin-Deceuninck team’s Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen celebrates winning the stage.”,”caption”:”Alpecin-Deceuninck team’s Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen celebrates winning the stage.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Images”},”displayCredit”:true,”role”:”inline”,”imageSources”:[{“weighting”:”inline”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e9814247d74b33c3bc5f42cbf7a0e615″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=5f311948d77106d2f47c0e34febeba44″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=9a0cbb837b70181a6dd4ec0c1efe2de0″,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=39c52c3c7bed92c9af6b0ad579529b51″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=21b2aba373596447affa29b9fd36f13a”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=b804e5fdcfafb70b9670fcd0ca21e4a5″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”thumbnail”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=acc6ccef06e352852e67a7344ed98ce0″,”width”:140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=960fac1fc5b32ab1fc9c156cf5f44a83″,”width”:280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=120&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=bfe387f942047e530f44194f9f5dc362″,”width”:120},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=120&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=d5006cb29c4d339cb1f7970415982a1d”,”width”:240}]},{“weighting”:”supporting”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=380&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d881fbab7a8e36198bf3b172ab556fa5″,”width”:380},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=380&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=f10b622a059880ff795af88474f9d6cc”,”width”:760},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=db8b1d1fb67a6585fafec2a647de717d”,”width”:300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=1799fca6c4db2fde1a07e202f4ccf8d3″,”width”:600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e9814247d74b33c3bc5f42cbf7a0e615″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=5f311948d77106d2f47c0e34febeba44″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=9a0cbb837b70181a6dd4ec0c1efe2de0″,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=39c52c3c7bed92c9af6b0ad579529b51″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=21b2aba373596447affa29b9fd36f13a”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=b804e5fdcfafb70b9670fcd0ca21e4a5″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”showcase”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=860&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=1b63307bf69a2d9d4a0b0847df8eaedb”,”width”:860},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=860&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=ff540eb317cc3de6268b1725c49b29b9″,”width”:1720},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=780&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=1c54b7ec77eaa5ab0260494cf2cba977″,”width”:780},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=780&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=e18e30ae243f80a50b6bcf715d7f062d”,”width”:1560},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e9814247d74b33c3bc5f42cbf7a0e615″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=5f311948d77106d2f47c0e34febeba44″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=9a0cbb837b70181a6dd4ec0c1efe2de0″,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=39c52c3c7bed92c9af6b0ad579529b51″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=21b2aba373596447affa29b9fd36f13a”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=b804e5fdcfafb70b9670fcd0ca21e4a5″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”halfwidth”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e9814247d74b33c3bc5f42cbf7a0e615″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=5f311948d77106d2f47c0e34febeba44″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=9a0cbb837b70181a6dd4ec0c1efe2de0″,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=39c52c3c7bed92c9af6b0ad579529b51″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=21b2aba373596447affa29b9fd36f13a”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=b804e5fdcfafb70b9670fcd0ca21e4a5″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”immersive”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=1900&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=f49f67f1434543f546e09c3ae5eddec8″,”width”:1900},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=1900&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=f822da6cba741862b8b2848aa1a295f7″,”width”:3800},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=1300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=1a4e37d8492ad6ddefb24fc269ec88fb”,”width”:1300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=1300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=49a84774c7bdf36914985650061e4d6a”,”width”:2600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=1140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=9a67a6db4adb4e05eff0c66dc5e769a3″,”width”:1140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=1140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=d660e17ff4791b4f29d7d2d4947e7e57″,”width”:2280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=980&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=8686a5b0ab7a9e31ef955ed655be5ebd”,”width”:980},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=980&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=d7689e0d7200789a42b75edb90ecb9b8″,”width”:1960},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=740&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d197ab0cbfe7cfec224515520dbbec79″,”width”:740},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=740&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=041c013dac532e9ec1ebc47e9bdc6ff9″,”width”:1480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=660&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=5a1426560f5d4df58a41ff41f7d6cfdf”,”width”:660},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=660&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=f3c10c2771975a7932d624a7f690eb8d”,”width”:1320},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=480&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=6789c442f8cc773b236cf2d0948e815a”,”width”:480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/666719aadbd714e756509f2ae444e728c409df3d/0_49_5000_3000/master/5000.jpg?width=480&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=094c9c022c64f8298e42a0d4913c2630″,”width”:960}]}],”elementId”:”2518f72d-7acc-4ce2-b974-7affbd13972c”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1658684706000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”18.45 BST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1658685316000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”18.55 BST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1658684741000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”18.45 BST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”18.45″,”title”:”Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck) wins Tour de France Stage 21!”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 24 Jul 2022 20.02 BST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 24 Jul 2022 15.05 BST”},{“id”:”62dbcdd18f08d0ef4fa8d75c”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Judging by the relentless nature of this Tour de France, it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see Tadej Pogacar massing UAE Team Emirates on the front of the peloton in Paris, rejecting tradition and attacking with all they’ve got to try and overhaul Jonas Vingegaard and Jumbo-Visma for the overall win.

“,”elementId”:”ced126a2-fb90-495e-b7cd-9080f68966bc”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

But it’s unlikely, of course: barring catastrophe the GC battle is done and dusted following Saturday’s stage 20 time trial when Vingegaard again showed himself to be the strongest of the overall contenders. He leads Pogacar in the GC by 3min 34sec. The Danish rider’s win on the Col du Granon on stage 11, when Jumbo-Visma threw everything (kitchen sink included) at Pogacar, turned out to be the decisive moment of the race, and the day that the Slovenian’s previous dominance evaporated. After Vingegaard’s man-marking job on Pogacar in the following stages, champagne flutes will be out for Jumbo-Visma on today’s largely ceremonial trip from Paris La Défense to the iconic Champs-Élysées.

“,”elementId”:”3f0325e4-7c66-4daa-a42e-8e6e632a53de”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Plenty to fight for, however: mainly a prestigious Paris sprint victory for the fast men who bravely battled through the mountains. Who will be on the top step of the podium for stage 21? We’re about to find out.

“,”elementId”:”da603975-37fa-467b-bc0d-6d3b7556ce97″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Stage start: 3.30pm UK time

“,”elementId”:”4330cb1e-deb7-485a-8668-d144e2bb7fed”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1658671547000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”15.05 BST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1658671717000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”15.08 BST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1658671547000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”15.05 BST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”15.05″,”title”:”Preamble”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 24 Jul 2022 20.02 BST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 24 Jul 2022 15.05 BST”}],”filterKeyEvents”:false,”format”:{“display”:0,”theme”:2,”design”:9},”id”:”key-events-carousel-mobile”}”>

Key events

On the podium.

Jumbo-Visma’s Jonas Vingegaard holds his daughter Frida on the podium. Photograph: Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images
The top three. Photograph: Thibault Camus/AP
Wout Van Aert with his son Georges. Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images

Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) has a chat and is asked about his stage 13 win: “It was definitely one of the last options for me in this Tour. I planned to go all in for the first week, but I was a little bit sick before, so to have this stage win is absolutely amazing …

“Cycling is the new national sport in Denmark. It’s absolutely crazy … of course with the start in Copenhagen it was really special for all of us. And to see all these people on the road, we didn’t expect that, not that many people. Of course with Jonas in the yellow jersey it makes cycling grow even more, and now we see half the Danish people here, so that’s pretty amazing.”

Vingegaard, the champion, speaks while holding his young daughter: “It’s just incredible. I mean, now I’ve finally won the Tour. Now nothing can go wrong anymore and I’m sitting with my daughter, and it’s just incredible.

“It’s just incredible, it’s the biggest cycling race of the year, and it’s the biggest one you can win, and now I’ve done it, and no one can take this away from me.

“I always had the feeling that at least I could fight for the win. But I think yeah, in the end, when I really started believing was after Hautacam. I mean, I always believed in it, but then I was really thinking: something has to go almost wrong before I don’t win, that was after Hautacam.”

He is asked about seeing all the Danish fans: “That was really incredible for me. So many Danes here, so many Danes arrived to see me ride in the yellow jersey. I appreciate it so much and I have to say thank you to every Dane who’s here and that has been cheering for me for three weeks now, it means everything to me.”

How will he celebrate? “Tuesday I have to go to Holland … Wednesday in Copenhagen, Thursday in the town I live in, and Friday I’ll be on the couch for one week.

“Of course I’m super happy about my victory now. Of course now I want to celebrate, relax, but then I also want more, yes.”

“Where’s my make-up,” asks south London’s Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorious) when he appears for a chat on Eurosport. “I’ve loved it. I loved it last year, but to be that percentage or so stronger, and be able do stuff in the races, it’s been so much fun … You get so wrapped up in it. It’s only when you look at your phone afterwards that you’re like: ‘Oh yeah, actually, this is the Tour de France’.

“You’re trying to get me a bit emotional again … it’s great, I’ve loved every minute of it. Even the mountains: it’s suffering, but it’s beautiful suffering. It’s been great – I’m happy.”

Peter Sagan speaks! He is asked about the final sprint on Eurosport. “Pretty messy … On the last turn my chain dropped … I started my sprint but Jakobsen was in the front. His chain dropped out … I came over, I gained some positions, but in the end it was not enough.”

There you go: Jaksobsen dropped his chain, says Sagan, which explains why he was nowhere in the end.

How was his Tour? “For me it was quite easy. A lot of years I was dealing with media every day, podium, I did it with green jersey … interview stuff, people around the hotel … just quite good. The average speed was high, every day full gas.”

And what about his performance? “It could be better, it could be worse, that’s life. No victory but I’m here, I finished. It’s quite special [in Paris].

“Wout van Aert is like some kind of new level. If you see his results in Tour de France, it’s very impressive. Sprint, time trial, climb … I don’t know why he doesn’t go for yellow jersey … it looks like easy, he can go [for yellow].”

The outgoing champion, Tadej Pogacar, speaks about his late attack on the final lap in Paris: “It was kind of funny. Thomas and Ganna on the right side, me on the left. Fuck, it was funny, because I said to Pippo [Ganna] two kilometres before, I said to him: “We go for an attack?” And we were sprinting against each other. And i think I was just dead by the Triomphe, on the roundabout, finished.”

Philippe Gilbert, after riding his final Tour stage, speaks to Eurosport: “Happy to be in Paris. It was a tough tour, really difficult, and I’m happy to have made it.”

What made it difficult? Wout van Aert? “Yeah. Pretty much him. No, the speed was crazy, out of control. We went with a plan every day, and it ended up with the opposite. Some days we thought it would be controllable, with a nice [breakaway] group like it used to be, but it would end up with a crazy strong group to chase, and finishing with almost 50 [km/h] average. It was dry every day, so it means fast. A lot of tailwind, so it was really fast, fast.

“It’s nice when you can decide yourself, when you stop. That’s my decision and I’m happy to take it. I enjoyed also today. It was nice, yeah.”

Bradley Wiggins remembers rooming with Gilbert 20 years ago when they rode for Française des Jeux. “I never imagined you’d go on to have the career you had. You’ve won everything there is to win in the sport.”

“The same for me about you,” Gilbert replies. “We achieved our goals, I won the one-day races and you won the stage races.

“My career is not over,” the legendary strong man Gilbert concludes. “I want to rest now, and finish on a good note, I hope to win one more race this year.”

Simon Geschke has a chat with Eurosport: “It was a really fun time in the mountains jersey … if I’d lost it after two days, I’d have been like: ‘That was fun’. But the longer you keep it, the longer you start believing that you can take it all the way to Paris. I thought I had a realistic chance, actually, but on the last mountain stage I made a few mistakes here and there probably. In the third week the energy levels reached their limits and that was it.”

“Too bad, but that’s part of the sport. The head wanted it more than the legs, but at least I got to wear it to Paris. Kind of a strange feeling, but still nice for the pictures, I guess. It’s a privilege to wear a jersey in the Tour de France. For sure I enjoyed it today also although I was only second in the mountains classification … it’s sort of a little achievement, as well.”

Simon Geschke (Cofidis) in polka-dots. Photograph: Tim de Waele/Getty Images

Surely you have to question why Groenewegen sprinted so early? It looked like a bit of panic. All he was likely to do was lead out Philipsen, or Ewan, or Sagan, or AN Other. As it happened, Philipsen was in the perfect position to benefit, right on Groenewegen’s wheel. And it was an utterly dominant win by Philipsen in the end. No doubt Mark Cavendish is sitting at home and thinking he could have won that. It was a bad day for both Quick-Step and Jakobsen, who didn’t feature at all.

Today’s stage winner Philipsen speaks: “I cannot believe [it], it’s a childhood dream coming true, this will take a while to realise. I’m just super-proud of the team, that we finished the Tour like this, it’s the cherry on the cake.

“I think it [the final kilometre] went ideal for me. I was in a great position. I think Dylan was forced to launch early and I could really stay in his wheel and do my final sprint when I wanted … I’m super happy and proud that I could win in this Champs-Elysees, the dream of any sprinter.

“It couldn’t be better. We had some disappointments earlier this Tour, things that went not the way we wanted. But to finish off in style like this, to win stage 15 and then again on 21, on the most beautiful stage for a sprinter, it’s just unbelievable.”

Top 10 on stage 21:

1) Philipsen 2hr 58min 32sec
2) Groenewegen
3) Kristoff
4) Stuyven
5) Sagan
6) Lecroq
7) Van Poppel
8) Ewan
9) Hofstetter
10) Wright

Kristoff (who finished third) sums up the final sprint: “Unfortunately there was a big movement maybe 300m to go, everybody had to stop pedalling a bit, and we lost a bit of momentum, otherwise I think we could have been closer to Jasper … anyway I’m happy with third place. Caleb was maybe a bit angry with me, but I felt I was fair, I made a straight line. I got the wheel of Groenwegen and Caleb was a bit boxed in because of that, but that’s not my fault.”

On the final straight, Luka Mezgec took up the leadout for BikeExchange on the left-hand side. trying to set up Groenewegen. Ewan looked pretty much in perfect position but was ultimately boxed in and didn’t even bother to sprint. Groenewegen was second, Kristoff third, Stuyven fourth and Sagan fifth!

Philipsen got on Groenewegen’s wheel – the BikeExchange–Jayco rider went early – and Philipsen timed it perfectly, completely dominating his rival in the final metres after springing out from behind him and heading for the clear road on the right. Ewan looked unhappy to be boxed in by Kristoff. A really bad Tour de France for the Australian and for Lotto Soudal.

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck) wins Tour de France Stage 21!

Wow! Philipsen’s second stage win of the race is sealed in Paris! Back down the road, Jumbo-Visma ride across the finish line in formation. Jonas Vingegaard safely negotiates the final stage and wins his first Tour de France.

Alpecin-Deceuninck team’s Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen celebrates winning the stage. Photograph: Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Images

1km to go: Thomas (Cofidis) attacks!

2.5km to go: Ewan is well placed for Lotto Soudal and has teammates around him. Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck) is right up there. Jakobsen is going to have a say, too …

3.5km to go: Politt leads for a while then pops and drops back. Simmons is there for Trek-Segafredo and Pedersen … The peloton speeds towards the famous tunnel for one final time.

5km to go: Around the Arc for the final time. Ineos are on the front with Ganna. Trek-Segafredo are massed near the front. Politt is up there for Bora. BikeExchange working for Groenewegen. It’s all happening.

6.3km to go: Thomas and Ganna attack on the left for Ineos! Pogacar attacks off the front on the other side of the road! Pogacar isn’t letting his Tour de France crown go without at least reminding us all that he still exists!

7.5km to go: The riders round the right-hand bend which leads up to the start-finish line for the penultimate time. The Arc de Triomphe is visible in the distance. As the bell sounds for the final lap, Schachmann and Rutsch are overwhelmed by the charging peloton. The crowd roars! We are all back together!

8.5km to go: And then there were two. Schachmann and Rutsch are up front together, the two Groupama-FDJ riders having fallen out of it.

9km to go: HUGE ride by Schachmann of Bora-Hansgrohe, on the front again and stamping on the pedals as hard as he can. He has clearly ridden himself into some very good form at this Tour.

11km to go: Schachmann does another turn, then flicks his elbow to ask Jonas Rutsch to have a go. The turns at the front are becoming shorter and shorter as the fatigue really sets in. Are the sprinters’ teams just holding off a touch? No – the gap is now six seconds.

12km to go: Cracking ride by the four up front, this is. They are holding the peloton at around 10sec as they round the Arc de Triomphe. Mind you, the four is now down to three: Le Gac’s tank is empty and he drops back to the bunch.

15km to go: The break’s advantage drops to under 10 seconds. They will be getting swallowed up before too long. Looking grim-faced, Schachmann puts in another desperate dig to try and keep away. These guys are basically sprinting now to try and keep their advantage … and it does creep back up to 11sec to mark the effort they are putting in.

18km to go: Doull has been dropped by the escape group so they are down to four. The gap is holding at 15sec. Le Gac and Duchesne, the Groupama-FDJ teammates, take it up at the tête de la course.

19km to go: The likes of Lotto Soudal are working desperately to set up a sprint. Their sports directors will be yelling down the team radios and no mistake. But will they simply be setting up the likes of Wout van Aert to win in Paris again? If as expected it’s a big bunch sprint, surely Jakobsen or Ewan will have the raw speed to win it …?

How about Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux), a man who has won in Paris before, and who tends to excel when everyone else is knackered?

Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, passes the Louvre Museum Photograph: Bertrand Guay/AP

20km to go: Here we go. Into the final 20km of a truly epic Tour de France. The advantage for this five-man break is 15sec.

The riders in the break are Schachmann, Duchesne, Rutsch, Le Gac and Doull.

21km to go: #LargelyCeremonial

You get a different perception of the Largely Ceremonial and Processional Paris stage when you’re actually there. It’s unbelievable how fast the riders go on the circuit, and it’s exhilarating to see. Plus, Paris is the greatest city in the world.

— Edward Pickering (@EdwardPickering) July 24, 2022

n”,”url”:”https://twitter.com/EdwardPickering/status/1551247269999042562″,”id”:”1551247269999042562″,”hasMedia”:false,”role”:”inline”,”isThirdPartyTracking”:false,”source”:”Twitter”,”elementId”:”de590741-30bb-4ed0-ad96-7699fb2223b6″}}”>

You get a different perception of the Largely Ceremonial and Processional Paris stage when you’re actually there. It’s unbelievable how fast the riders go on the circuit, and it’s exhilarating to see. Plus, Paris is the greatest city in the world.

— Edward Pickering (@EdwardPickering) July 24, 2022

22km to go: Boasson Hagen has a mechanical and grabs a replacement bike. That’ll be another lung-bursting effort to get back into the peloton, let alone do anything to try and lead out his teammate Peter Sagan.



Read original article here

Entertainment

Jim Seals, of soft-rock duo Seals and Crofts, dead at 80

Leave a comment

Seals, together with musical partner Darrell “Dash” Crofts, was best known for hits such as “Summer Breeze,” “Diamond Girl” and “Get Closer.”

Announcing his death on social media, Seals’ relative Brady Seals — himself a singer-songwriter — wrote: “I just learned that James ‘Jimmy’ Seals has passed. My heart just breaks for his wife Ruby and their children. Please keep them in your prayers. What an incredible legacy he leaves behind.”

The musical duo — who met in their native Texas in their teens — got together in the late 1960s, according to the UK’s PA Media news agency. They ranked among a wave of soft-rock groups of the era, including Hall & Oates, America and Bread, as well as England Dan & John Ford Coley.

The pair split in 1980 but reunited in 1991 and then again in 2004, when they released their final album, “Traces.”

Coley also took to social media to pay tribute to Seals, whose younger brother Dan was his musical partner. In a lengthy piece posted to Facebook on Tuesday, he wrote: “Jimmy Seals passed away today. I spent a large portion of my musical life with this man. We toured together, he and Dash invited us to sing on Seals and Crofts records, and we played with him for years.”

Describing Seals as a “dyed in the wool musical genius,” Coley added: “He belonged to a group that was one of a kind. I am very sad over this but I have some of the best memories of all of us together.”

Steve Miller of the Steve Miller Band tweeted: “RIP Jim Seals So long pal, thanks for all the beautiful music. – Steve.”



Read original article here

Entertainment

Jim Seals, Half of a Popular 1970s Soft-Rock Duo, Dies at 79

Leave a comment

Jim Seals, half of Seals & Crofts, a soft-rock duo who had a string of hits in the 1970s, including the Top 10 singles “Summer Breeze” and “Diamond Girl,” died on Monday at his home in Nashville. He was 79.

His wife, Ruby Jean Seals, said the cause was an unspecified “chronic ongoing illness.”

Mr. Seals and his musical partner, Dash Crofts, were still teenagers when they were asked to join an instrumental group, the Champs, which had a No. 1 hit in 1958 with “Tequila.” By the mid-1960s they had tired of the band and of the loud, sometimes angry strains that were infusing the hard rock of the time.

Adherents of the Baha’i faith, they sought to make a calmer brand of music, mixing folk, bluegrass, country and jazz influences and delivering their lyrics in close harmony.

“Jim Seals plays acoustic guitar and fiddle,” Don Heckman wrote in The New York Times in 1970 in a brief review of their second album, “Down Home,” “and Dash Crofts plays electric mandolin and piano; together they sing coolly intertwined, and quite colorful, vocal harmony.”

With the lilting, nostalgia-seeped single “Summer Breeze,” released in 1972, the two found international stardom. They had developed a modest following, but that song changed everything, as they found out when they arrived in Ohio to play a show.

“There were kids waiting for us at the airport,” Mr. Seals told Texas Monthly in 2020. “That night we had a record crowd, maybe 40,000 people. And I remember people throwing their hats and coats in the air as far as you could see, against the moon.”

The song, written jointly by the two men, featured the kind of chorus that sticks in the brain:

“Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, / Blowing through the jasmine in my mind.”

The single reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and a follow-up, “Hummingbird,” made the Top 20. “Diamond Girl” in 1973 reached No. 6. “Get Closer” in 1976 also reached No. 6.

But the duo’s run of success basically ended when the decade did, and they called it quits for a time.

“Around 1980, we were still drawing 10,000 to 12,000 people at concerts,” Mr. Seals told The Los Angeles Times in 1991, when the two revived the act. “But we could see, with this change coming where everybody wanted dance music, that those days were numbered.”

Six years earlier, though, the pair had begun to fall out of favor with some listeners and critics because of their sixth album, “Unborn Child,” which was released in 1974 not long after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision on abortion rights. The title track urged women who were considering an abortion to “stop, turn around, go back, think it over.”

Mr. Seals, in a 1978 interview with The Miami Herald, acknowledged that the record damaged the duo’s career.

“It completely killed it for a while,” he said. Radio stations refused to play the record. Some Seals & Crofts concerts were picketed, although there were also hundreds of letters of support. In the 1991 Los Angeles Times interview, Mr. Seals said the pair had never intended the song to be a lightning rod.

“It was our ignorance that we didn’t know that kind of thing was seething and boiling as a social issue,” he said. “On one hand we had people sending us thousands of roses, but on the other people were literally throwing rocks at us.

“If we’d known it was going to cause such disunity,” he continued, “we might have thought twice about doing it. At the time it overshadowed all the other things we were trying to say in our music.”

James Eugene Seals was born on Oct. 17, 1942, in Sidney, Texas, to Wayland and Susan Seals. His father worked in the oil fields, and Jim spent much of his childhood in Iraan, a boomtown in southwest Texas.

“There were oil rigs as far as you could see,” Mr. Seals told Texas Monthly. “And the stench was so bad, you couldn’t breathe.”

His father played a little guitar, and his mother played the dobro, so informal jam sessions were a common way to pass the time in the household. When a fiddler came by one evening, young Jim was taken with the instrument, and his father ordered him one from a Sears catalog.

Jim later took up the saxophone, which led to an invitation to join a rockabilly band called the Crew Cats, which played at dances and in local clubs. The band’s drummer quit right before a show at a junior college, and the drummer from another band on the bill sat in — Darrell Crofts, known as Dash.

The two became friends and played with the Champs for several years out of Los Angeles. Both mastered other instruments, including the guitar. Once they hit it big as a duo, they knew the image they wanted to project and tried to stay true to it. In 1973, when they were about to tour England, Mr. Seals told a reporter that they had pulled out of a previous European engagement.

“We were going to tour there earlier, but we had a last-minute change of mind when we found out that we’d be playing with Black Sabbath,” he said. “I’m sure they’re a fine band, but I’m not sure that the audience would be quite right for us.”

In addition to his wife, Mr. Seals is survived by their two sons, Joshua and Sutherland; a daughter, Juliet Crossley; and three grandchildren. A sister, Renee Staley, and a half brother, Eddie Ray Seals, also survive him. His brother, Dan Seals, a singer who had success in the late 1970s as a member of another soft-rock duo, England Dan & John Ford Coley, died in 2009. The two brothers toured together for several years before Dan Seals’s death, with Jim Seals’s two sons sometimes playing with them.

Maia Coleman contributed reporting.

Read original article here

Entertainment

Jim Seals, of soft rock duo Seals and Crofts, dies aged 80 | Music

Leave a comment

Jim Seals, of music duo Seals and Crofts, has died at the age of 80.

The lead vocalist of the pair, known for hits such as Summer Breeze and Diamond Girl, died on Monday. The cause of death is unknown.

“This is a hard one on so many levels as this is a musical era passing for me,” said musician and colleague John Ford Coley on Facebook. “And it will never pass this way again, as his song said. He belonged to a group that was one of a kind. I am very sad over this but I have some of the best memories of all of us together. Rest In Peace Jimmy.”

Together with Dash Crofts, Seals helped define soft rock in the 1970s. Their first major hit was Summer Breeze in 1972, selling over a million copies. The next year saw the release of Diamond Girl which was also a hit, making it to No 4 in the US.

There was controversy in 1974 with the release of the album Unborn Child, which included an anti-abortion song that was written shortly after Roe v Wade. It was banned by many radio stations, and concerts were picketed although the duo insisted it was not as political as many claimed, just that it asked people “don’t take life too lightly” before considering an abortion.

“It was our ignorance that we didn’t know that kind of thing was seething and boiling as a social issue,” Seals said years later. “On one hand we had people sending us thousands of roses, but on the other people were literally throwing rocks at us. If we’d known it was going to cause such disunity, we might have thought twice about doing it.”

The band continued with hits like Get Closer and I’ll Play For You before they took a hiatus in 1980 after being dropped by Warner Bros after their 11th studio album, The Longest Road.

There were two reunions, in 1991 and then in 2004 with the final album, Traces. Seals suffered a stroke in 2017.

“I just learned that James ‘Jimmy’ Seals has passed,” said his cousin Brady Seals, member of country band Little Texas. “My heart just breaks for his wife Ruby and their children. Please keep them in your prayers. What an incredible legacy he leaves behind.”

Seals is survived by his wife Ruby Jean and three children, Joshua, Juliette and Sutherland.



Read original article here

Sports

Roma end 60-year wait as Zaniolo seals Europa Conference League crown | Europa Conference League

Leave a comment

Nicolò Zaniolo’s goal earned Roma a first major European title in more than 60 years after a 1-0 win over Feyenoord in the Europa Conference League final in Albania, completing a unique European trophy haul for José Mourinho.

The Roma coach, who has also won the Champions League, Europa League and the Uefa Cup, can now add the third-tier European title – the Italian club’s first trophy in 14 years – to his medal tally.

The 22-year-old Zaniolo earned Roma victory with an expert finish in the 32nd minute, as he became the first Italian to score in a European final since Filippo Inzaghi against Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League.

Roma, whose only previous continental title was the Fairs Cup in 1961, held off a spirited comeback from their Dutch opponents, who were twice denied by the woodwork in the second half, and ensured that Mourinho became the first manager to win a European trophy with four different clubs.

“Winning is very difficult. You need many ingredients,” Mourinho said in the post-match press conference. “Our team has played 55 games. We reached the final being tired, but we worked on it, kept it hidden. This is a fantastic group of players, that makes me emotional. We struggled in the second half, our opponents played well and they forced us to make defensive changes. Congratulations to Feyenoord.”

The Roma captain, Lorenzo ­Pellegrini, told Sky Sport Italia: “We are a real team, we proved that. Now we have to celebrate and then start again, which is always ­difficult after a great victory, but a real team wins, celebrates and starts again.

“I said yesterday that I never would’ve imagined at the age of 25 to achieve this with the Roma jersey and the captain’s armband. It is a wonderful moment.”

Given both Roma and Feyenoord came into the contest having already secured Europa League football for next season through their domestic league positions, it was all about the glory in Tirana.

Early on it looked like there was only going to be one winner, as Roma dominated, without troubling Feyenoord goalkeeper Justin Bijlow, playing his first match since 10 March

One chance was all they needed to hold the lead at the interval, with Zaniolo brilliantly bringing the ball down on his chest before slotting in his first goal in all competitions since a hat-trick in the quarter-final against Bodo/Glimt.

Zaniolo also became the youngest Italian to score in a major European final since Alessandro Del Piero against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in May 1997.

Nicolò Zaniolo (left) celebrates with Gianluca Mancini after scoring the opening goal for Roma against Feyenoord. Photograph: Fabio Rossi/AS Roma/Getty Images

Feyenoord, aiming to be the first Dutch club to win a European competition in 20 years, since their 2002 Uefa Cup triumph, failed to really test Rui Patrício in the Roma goal in the first half.

Yet they started the second half brightly, with Roma’s Gianluca Mancini diverting an early Feyenoord corner on to his own post.

The Dutch side kept coming and hit the woodwork again as Tyrell Malacia’s superb strike from nearly 30 yards was tipped on to the post by Patrício.

Further chances came and went, but some last-ditch blocks and wasteful finishing ensured Roma’s long wait for a European trophy would end in Mourinho’s first season in the Italian capital.

The former Manchester United centre-back Chris Smalling told BT Sport: “We knew how much it was going to mean to everybody in Rome, and you can see how together we are, everybody fought until the end.

“We had to do that on a few occasions this year, we dropped a bit deeper than we maybe wanted to but we knew we had to do everything. You could see, strikers running back, everybody defending and we knew we had to win.”

Tammy Abraham, the former Chelsea forward, said Roma “deserved” their victory. “One thing I said when I came here was I was going to help the team get to the final and one day I want to win a trophy. In my first season I have achieved that,” he told BT Sport.

“Credit to my teammates, excellent performances. We deserve it. We have worked hard all year. I love them [the fans]. From day one I came here it has been the best. We are champions, I am happy to be a part of the team, now it is time to celebrate and enjoy.”

There were violent clashes in Tirana between fans of both clubs ahead of the final, and dozens were deported back to Italy.

“,”caption”:”The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.”,”isTracking”:false,”isMainMedia”:false,”source”:”The Guardian”,”sourceDomain”:”theguardian.com”}”>

The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.

Two separate groups of Dutch and Italian fans clashed with police in the city, injuring 19 officers and five Albanian civilians. One police officer was injured in a knife attack, authorities said. Three Italian fans and two Dutch supporters were also injured.

Inside the stadium, flares were thrown on to the field and stewards removed some fans before kick off after an apparent fight on the side where Dutch fans were sitting.

Read original article here

Sports

Saka seals comfortable victory over Brentford for assured Arsenal | Premier League

Leave a comment

Mikel Arteta might not always think so, but everything seems to be going Arsenal’s way. This was another exceptional day for their top-four prospects and, while they had enjoyed the luxury of watching rivals stumble in recent weeks, here they asserted those credentials all by themselves. Brentford were flattered by Christian Nørgaard’s added-time goal and the tone could hardly have been more different from the opening weekend of the season, when Arsenal were pummelled by the same opponents and appeared a hopeless case.

On this occasion it was one-way traffic in the direction of Brentford’s penalty area. Arsenal would have enjoyed seeing West Ham drop points against Newcastle at lunchtime and were patently hungry to capitalise, barely letting up from the first whistle. A completely dominant first half did not yield enough in terms of clear chances, and much less where goals were concerned, but they re-emerged with the same tempo and deserved their reward.

It arrived three minutes after half-time through a sublime finish from Emile Smith Rowe. Arsenal’s lack of depth is little secret, Arteta emphasising afterwards that their Champions League hopes may hinge on staying injury-free, but their left flank is the one obvious exception. The suspension of Gabriel Martinelli, whose red card at Wolves caused a disproportionate amount of angst given the significance of the win in which it arrived, meant a start for the England international and he had oozed menace from the beginning.

Then he took Alexandre Lacazette’s sprayed pass and, from midway inside Brentford’s half, made for the box. Sergi Canós and Kristoffer Ajer both looked fearful of conceding a penalty and Smith Rowe wriggled between them, snaking a precise curler into the far corner via David Raya’s fingertips.

It was Smith Rowe’s 10th goal of the season in all competitions and he has become a matchwinner when afforded the chance. Exactly the same can be said of Bukayo Saka, who wrapped things up with a vaguely similar effort. Brentford had begun to threaten in something approaching a concerted fashion but, straight after Yoane Wissa had squandered a promising position, Arsenal broke. Sections of the crowd felt Thomas Partey had delayed his pass left to Saka, who had run 70 yards to receive it, for too long; in fact his decision making was perfect, Saka taking it in his stride before raking a sweet drive inside the same upright.

Emile Smith Rowe tucks home Arsenal’s first. Photograph: David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

Saka and Smith Rowe are the subjects of a terrace anthem to the tune of Status Quo’s “Rockin’ All over the World”, which received a hearty airing after full-time. “The supporters love that song and everybody loves that song because they are players that have been raised in our system,” Arteta said. “I am really happy that we have players that take the responsibility and manage to win games for us. It is really impressive at that age.”

Equally eyecatching is the fact that Arsenal, callow though they might appear, operate with such control. Nørgaard’s scrambled effort with the last action, awarded by VAR, did not reflect their level of control and the extent to which they put the squeeze on Brentford. To that point, it should be said that Thomas Frank’s players held out manfully for long periods. The otherwise outstanding Martin Ødegaard should have settled the game before Saka but, beyond that, Arsenal were limited to half-chances even if there was always the sense Brentford were on the stretch. This Arsenal side plays so intensely that, in most opponents, something eventually has to give.

“,”caption”:”The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.”,”isTracking”:false,”isMainMedia”:false,”source”:”The Guardian”,”sourceDomain”:”theguardian.com”}”>

The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.

“We defended fantastically in the first half,” said Frank, although the fact Brentford, without the injured Ivan Toney, could barely exit their own territory by the interval boded ill. A stream of corners, blocked shots, handball appeals and teasing crosses was not sustainable to resist for 90 minutes. Frank felt Brentford were better in possession during the second half but they did little with it and next Saturday’s meeting with Newcastle, which could see a debut for Christian Eriksen, now assumes huge proportions.As do most of Arsenal’s assignments from here. A point off Manchester United with two games in hand, fourth place may be theirs to lose. “We are a little bit closer today because we won our game,” Arteta said before adding a cautious kicker. “We cannot look too far. Things change very quickly.”

Read original article here

Sports

Los Angeles Rams 23-20 Cincinnati Bengals: Cooper Kupp TD seals comeback win in Super Bowl LVI

Leave a comment

The Rams gave Los Angeles a story that will be remembered around these parts for some time.

Their 23-20 victory in Super Bowl LVI came thanks to a cast including Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald and Sean McVay, who at 36 becomes the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl.

Kupp finished one of the greatest individual seasons in fairytale style. He led the NFL in catches, yards and touchdowns, setting an NFL record for receiving yards and won Super Bowl MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

The Los Angeles Rams celebrate their Super Bowl triumph after a late comeback to win 23-30 against Cincinnati Bengals

LA Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp caught the match-winning touchdown as they came from behind to win Super Bowl LVI 

Rams pass-rusher Aaron Donald celebrates after taking down Joe Burrow to seal the victory in Los Angeles in the last minute

Star Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow shakes the hand of Rams counterpart Matthew Stafford after full-time 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gives the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Rams owner Stan Kroenke in the $5bn arena he funded

Rams QB Stafford celebrates at full-time after a late match-winning drive to earn his first Super Bowl title at the age of 34 

‘I don’t feel deserving of this… I don’t know what to say,’ Kupp told NBC’s Mike Tirico on the podium after receiving the gong.

Over 21 games he produced 178 catches, 2,425 yards and 22 touchdowns. The last two came here, where his eight receptions yielded 92 yards.

His second score, a one-yard reception with 1min 25 sec remaining gave the Rams a lead they would not relinquish.

‘Odell went down and Coop made some unbelievable plays on that last drive,’ Stafford said. ‘On that last play, I was so happy they were playing man [coverage], I was going to throw the ball to my man and he made a great play.’

There were redemption stories too with McVay and Kupp exorcising the demons of Atlanta three years ago. Kupp was injured and didn’t play, while McVay still blames himself for the defeat by the New England Patriots. 

Stafford found Odell Beckham Jnr early on in the first quarter for the game’s opening touchdown in a sold-out SoFi Stadium

Star receiver Beckham only moved to the Rams franchise earlier this season but was the star of the show in the early stages 

Yet Beckham Jnr was forced off in the second quarter – and did not return – after injuring his knee in a huge blow to the Rams 

‘I can’t say enough about the resilience of this team. Guys stepping up when they had to and it’s going to sound like a broken record, but that’s what makes this team great. That’s why they’re world champs. Our best players stepped up in the most crucial and critical moments,’ McVay said.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford capped his first four playoff wins with a title thanks to the 35th come-from-behind fourth quarter victory of his career. He was intercepted three times but came up big when it counted, leading the Rams to victory with a little help from some penalty flags. 

But it wasn’t pretty. For every failed run by the Rams – and there were plenty – Joe Burrow was sacked. Neither team had a first down beyond the third quarter, with a run of seven consecutive punts ended by Donald, who forced the ball out of Burrow’s hand as the Bengals turned the ball over on downs.

Bengals safety Jessie Bates intercepted a pass in the end-zone, which swung the momentum in favour of Cincinnati 

Joe Burrow, in just his second season in the NFL, then found his rhythm towards the end of the second quarter in Los Angeles 

From struggling early on, the Bengals came back from a heavy deficit to lead in the second-half, but could not move clear 

Tee Higgins ran in for his second touchdown in the first play of the second-half despite clutching Jalen Ramsey’s facemask 

The likes of Stafford, Beckham, Donald, veteran offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth and Von Miller celebrated while blue and yellow ticker tape covered the field of SoFi Stadium, where the Rams became the second straight team to win the Super Bowl in their patch.

They overcame adversity in the shape of a knee injury to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jnr – who scored the opening touchdown of the game – but there is uncertainty over some of their key actors, among them McVay.

Veteran offensive tackle offensive Andrew Whitworth is also talking retirement, while Van Jefferson’s wife went into labour during the game.

And despite struggling on the ground all game, it means redemption for head coach McVay after the heartbreak in Atlanta three years ago.

It means the end of a remarkable season for Cincinnati, led by the transformative figure of quarterback Burrow. 

Burrow also went down clutching his knee at one point in the second half – and he was unable to extend Cincinnati’s lead 

Yet without Beckham to call on, Rams head coach Sean McVay was struggling to get his offence to tick as the game crept on

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, who used to work under McVay, was matching his former boss stride for stride

‘We’re a young team,’ Burrow added. ‘You like to think that we’ll be back in this situation multiple times over the course of the next few years. We’ll take this and let it fuel you for the rest of our careers.’

With Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase causing havoc through the air – Higgins had 100 yards and two touchdowns; Chase 89 yards – the Bengals were firmly in position to win. But their name will be added to those unfortunate teams who failed to kill off an opponent.

Not to mention an inability to protect their quarterback, with Burrow sacked seven times.

‘We just did the things that we thought we needed to do to win the game,’ Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said.

Of his quarterback, he said: ‘He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve ever met. So much respect for Joe it’s so unfortunate we couldn’t finish it off as a team.’

This was the Rams 11th home game at SoFi Stadium with supporters, most played in front of more away fans than their own.

It looked to be following the trend early on this morning, with orange and black the more noticeable among the 70,048 spectators.

With Cam Akers struggling from the off – the Rams running back rushed for a meagre 21 yards off 13 carries – Stafford took matters into his own hands, scrambling for seven yards. It was the Rams’ joint-longest of the game. 

Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg opened up a blistering half-time show at Super Bowl LVI as day turned to night in Los Angeles 

Eminem was also among the star performers captivating the 70,000 in attendance and millions watching on worldwide 

It was a stunning spectacle to witness, with hundreds of performers adding to the show on the pitch during the interval 

Cincinnati’s defense struggled to adjust to Kupp in motion, Stafford tossed a beauty into the endzone and Odell Beckham Jnr did the rest. Plucking the ball out of the air, he shrugged off Mike Hilton’s tight coverage to score his seventh touchdown in 12 games as a Ram.

A key to the game would be how Jalen Ramsey handled Chase and the Rams’ prized cornerback began in ungainly fashion as he flapped and trailed in Chase’s wake.

But despite a 46-yard gain Cincinnati had to settle for a field goal, dispatched by the ever-reliable Evan McPherson.

The Rams powered ahead on their next possession. First Beckham danced through the secondary for 35 yards, then Darrell Henderson bulldozed for 25.

Losing track of Kupp in the endzone was not the best tactic and Cincinnati were duly punished. Stafford casually rolled to his right and floated a pass to Kupp, for arguably the easiest touchdown of the season. 

Their trick play two-point conversion was a bodge, kicker Jonny Hekker’s pass intercepted by Germaine Pratt. Cincinatti failed with some impromptu rugby and the Bengals were down 13-3.

The game needed a big drive and Burrow, Mixon and Higgins delivered.

Combining for 12-play, 75-yard drive, it was ended by a trick play – this time a successful one. Mixon’s pass to an equally wide open Higgins put the Bengals right back in it.

Yet with his final drive of the match, Stafford led the team down the field as he linked up consistently with Kupp 

Beckham, by this point, was watching and praying on the sideline as he was unable to return due to his first-half injury 

After numerous late penalties on both sides, Stafford found Kupp in the end-zone to give the Rams a three-point lead 

Just when it was looking like a shootout, with the next play Beckham landed awkwardly, a non-contact injury to his left knee. He did not play another snap.

Minus one of his top targets, Stafford looked long. Was there a window to find Van Jefferson? If there was, Jessie Bates closed it, and his interception sparked wild celebrations on the Bengals benches.

While Burrow suffered the 13th sack of the postseason, Leonard Floyd forcing a punt, the Rams couldn’t do any damage and an intriguing first ended with the Rams 13-10 up.

After a blistering half-time show the game continued in a similar vein.

A 75-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to Higgins was greeted by an almighty roar. Ramsey slipped, Higgins snaffled and sprinted away. ‘Who dey! Who dey!’

Sensing something, Bengals fans upped the noise as the play clock ticked down. But it was nothing compared to the din of the following few seconds as Stafford’s pass deflected off Ben Skowronek’s left hand and into those of cornerback Chidobe Awuzie.

But Donald – who has anchored the Rams defense since 2014 – stalled the drive. After sacking Burrow twice, McPherson converted and Cincinnati led by seven.

Yet Burrow and the Bengals did have time to tie the game with a field goal, but Aaron Donald tackled Burrow on fourth down

It gave the Rams a famous victory, following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year in winning a Super Bowl in their home arena

For Burrow, who had guided the Bengals to an unlikely Super Bowl appearance, it was a case of so close and yet so far 

With the Rams deep in Bengals territory, McVay attempted to emulate the Philly Special on third and five. But Kupp overshot Stafford for his only mistake of the night and LA had to settle for three and trailed 20-16.

Suddenly, just when it looked like a shootout, defenses took over with a flurry of sacks against two porous offensive lines. Seven straight punts ensued.

But just when it mattered, Stafford clicked into gear. At the two-minute warning Los Angeles were perched on Cincinnati’s eight-yard line.

The flags flew to increase the tension, with Stafford finding Kupp to seal the final, go-ahead score and give the Rams what many are calling a Hollywood ending.

RE-LIVE ALL THE ACTION WITH SPORTSMAIL’S KIERAN JACKSON:  

Read original article here

Business

Qatar seals Boeing freighter deal with surprise 737 order

Leave a comment

WASHINGTON/SEATTLE, Jan 31 (Reuters) – Qatar Airways handed Boeing Co (BA.N) a record launch order for 34 new 777X freighters and added at least 25 Boeing 737 MAX jets on Monday in a $30 billion-plus package during a Washington diplomatic visit, deepening U.S. economic links to the Gulf.

The deal is a boost for Boeing at a time when the U.S. planemaker is battling industrial and financial constraints, and reflects upheaval in the jet market after Qatar Airways engaged in a contractual and safety dispute with Europe’s Airbus SE (AIR.PA).

Boeing shares rose almost 5% after the freighter order was unexpectedly topped up by an order for the Boeing 737 MAX. The deal was timed to coincide with a visit to Washington by Qatar’s emir in which the United States hailed the Gulf state as a major ally. read more

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Register

That followed days of frantic negotiations after Airbus revoked an order for 50 competing A321neo aircraft as part of a heated dispute with Qatar Airways over flaws in a larger jet.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said negotiators had “lost a lot of sleep” in the intervening two weeks and took a swipe at Airbus.

“We like to build long-term relationships with trusted partners where both parties work together towards a common purpose,” he told a White House signing ceremony attended by leaders from Boeing and engine maker General Electric Co .

Airbus declined comment.

The provisional order for up to 50 of the 737-10, the largest member of the MAX family, makes Monday’s deal a potential 100-plane package including options for later add-ons. Reuters reported the 737 MAX deal earlier on Monday. read more

The cargo part of the deal represents the first order for a freighter version of the world’s largest twin-engine passenger plane, the 777X, whose entry to service has been pushed back by more than three years to late 2023 or beyond.

Boeing is banking on sales of the huge freighter to shore up its leadership of the cargo market and head off a recent challenge from Airbus, with a freighter version of its A350.

“(The 777X) will be an absolute world-beater,” Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun said at Monday’s signing ceremony.

ORDER CONVERSIONS

Boeing agreed to convert a third of Qatar’s existing order for 60 777X passenger planes, for which there is currently less demand, to freighters in order to win the order.

Speaking on the sidelines of high-level meetings on energy security amid the Ukraine crisis, Al Baker trumpeted support for the U.S. economy from Qatar Airways, which has faced trade complaints from U.S. carriers over alleged subsidies.

“I am especially pleased that the aircraft order will further emphasise Qatar Airways’ support for the U.S. economy and U.S. jobs,” he said.

For Boeing, the deal marks a respite from a recent safety crisis over the MAX and delays with the 777X passenger jet and 787 Dreamliner, and a chance to win points for its own economic contribution after intense regulatory and political scrutiny.

Boeing said the freighter order would sustain more than 35,000 U.S. jobs with an annual economic impact of $2.6 billion.

Boeing has dominated air freight for years through its 767, 777 and 747 cargo jets, though it will be urgently pressing for more orders for the new freighter flagship.

About half of global cargo by value travels by air, and in turn half of that usually goes in the belly of passenger planes.

During the pandemic, many airlines have been forced to park unused passenger jets, driving up demand for cargo space on dedicated freighters at a time when e-commerce has been a lifeline for many during COVID-19 lockdowns.

But economists warn the trends could start to unravel as the pandemic eases.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Register

Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington
Additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris and Alexander Cornwell in Dubai
Writing by Tim Hepher, Eric M. Johnson
Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Matthew Lewis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Read original article here

Entertainment

Alia Bhatt and bestie Akansha Ranjan Kapoor rock the stage at Anushka Ranjan and Aditya Seal’s sangeet – Watch Videos | Hindi Movie News

Leave a comment

Bollywood star Alia Bhatt played the perfect bridesmaid at Anushka Ranjan and Aditya Seal’s sangeet ceremony last evening.

The actress, who stunned in a bright yellow backless lehenga, hit the stage with her friends to woo the guests with their upbeat dance performance. The videos from the grand ceremony have since gone viral online.

The clips see Alia pairing up with Akansha and getting groovy on stage to a well-choreographed fusion number. The girls also brought on some swag as they put on sunnies and danced away to some desi beats. Alia made sure to end the performance in filmy style by striking a cool pose once the music stopped. Previously, it was reported that Alia will be performing with her beau Ranbir Kapoor at the sangeet but the actor was nowhere to be seen.

Also seen having a gala time on-stage were the bride-to-be and her groom. While Anushka and her friends got together for a mesmerising performance to ‘Lamborghini’, her hubby-to-be, Aditya had his guests hooting as he hit the stage with a performance of his own to the song ‘Tu Mere Agal Bagal Hai’.

Check out the inside videos from Anushka and Aditya’s sangeet:

The Sangeet was a starry affair with Alia and sister Shaheen Bhatt in attendance along with Masaba Gupta, Raveena Tandon, Ramesh Taurani and many others in attendance.

Aditya and Anushka are set to tie the knot today, November 21.



Read original article here

Science

Baby seals change their voices to be understood, study finds

Leave a comment

A person or animal using this trait is being what’s called “vocally plastic,” or adjusting their vocal signals in response to environmental changes that overlap or cover up their voices, according to the study published Monday in the journal Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B. Being able to clearly and accurately communicate is important for mating opportunities, escaping from predators and social learning, the authors wrote.
The researchers had a number of reasons for wanting to test the vocal chops of baby harbor seals. The rare ability to imitate new sounds — vocal learning — had been seen previously among adult harbor seals and a few other mammal species, according to the authors. And very few mammals have the capacity to change their vocal pitch to sound higher or lower, which is critical for human communication.
“By looking at one of the few other mammals who may be capable of learning sounds, we can better understand how we, humans, acquire speech, and ultimately why we are such chatty animals,” said Andrea Ravignani, the study’s senior investigator and a research group leader in the comparative bioacoustics department at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, in a statement.

Pinnipeds — animals such as seals and walruses that belong to the order Pinnipedia — are great models for vocal learning since they’re closer than other species to humans in terms of evolutionary development and diversification, the authors wrote.

After recording wind sounds and other ambient noises on a sandbank in the Wadden Sea — located among Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands — the researchers used computer software to filter the recorded audio to a frequency that would overlap with the formant range of seal pups’ mother attraction calls. “Formant” is a characteristic component of the quality of a speech sound.

The authors then tested eight wild-born, healthy and unrelated harbor seals that were between 1 and 3 weeks old and from the Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre in the Netherlands. This center ultimately releases seals back into the wild.

As the seals heard a speaker play a 45-minute recording consisting of high noise, low noise or no playback over several days, they spontaneously called out. When the pups heard louder sea noises, they lowered their vocal pitch. During more intense noise levels, the pups used a steadier pitch — and one seal raised its voice. This behavior, called the Lombard effect, is typical for human speech when people talk louder to be more understandable, the authors said.

The seals might have lowered their pitch since lower-frequency sounds travel farther in windy environments like the one projected by the recorded audio, said Caroline Casey, a research scientist and adjunct professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz’s Institute of Marine Sciences and ocean sciences department. Casey independently peer-reviewed the study but wasn’t involved in the research.

“Or (the lower pitch) could help retain the pups’ identities since the fundamental frequency is a characteristic that’s strongly related to the identity and size of that pup,” she added. In this context, fundamental frequency describes an animal’s vocal frequency range dependent on the speed, size and use of its vocal cords.

The findings showed that “seal pups have a more advanced control over their vocalisations than assumed up until now,” Ravignani said in a statement. “This control seems to be already present at only (a) few weeks of age. This is astonishing, as few other mammals seem capable of that.”

Previously, humans were thought to be the only mammals with direct neural connections between the cortex — the outer layer of the brain — and the larynx, which we use to produce vocal tone, he added. “These results show that seals may be the most promising species to find these direct connections, and unravel the mystery of speech.”

In studying which neural networks or social conditions need to be in place for language to evolve, birds have been the best animals to compare ourselves to, Casey said. That’s because during studies on environment and vocal learning or plasticity, birds — unlike most mammals — can be raised in captivity and naturally mature faster due to their short lifespans.

“However, there’s a lot of differences, especially with respect to sociology and life history between humans and birds,” she added. “We’re always looking for mammals that would be good models for the study of vocal learning.”

There haven’t been many studies on how plastic young animals’ calls can be. With “most studies, especially in the wild, you don’t actually know the age or sex sometimes of the animals that you’re recording, so it’s very difficult to get high-quality recordings of animals from different age classes,” Casey added. “Being able to look at that in this really young age group is very unique.”

Future research, the authors wrote, could further explore what other factors might be important for harbor seals’ vocal plasticity.

Read original article here