TUESDAY, JULY 4, 2017 SPORTS

CYCLING Marcel Kittel coy over yellow jersey chances

LIEGE: Marcel Kittel admitted he doesn’t likely to finish in a bunch sprint. Kittel stressed, though, that the yellow cent, peaking at 11 percent in one sec- Classics specialists such as Australian feel confident about his yellow jersey He’s just six seconds off race leader jersey was not his priority, with tion. That should be enough to ensure Michael Matthews, Ireland’s Dan Martin chances ahead of yesterday’s lumpy third Geraint Thomas, with time bonuses of his Quick-Step team looking for stage that the pure sprinters have been and Belgium’s Philippe Gilbert. stage in the Tour de France from Verviers 10sec, 6sec and 4sec on the line for the victories and him personally having an dropped before the line, although the The overall contenders will also likely to Longwy. The big German moved up to top three finishers each day. But Kittel isn’t eye on claiming the green points jersey- bumpy nature of the course, with five cat- be keen to keep near the front as there is third in the overall standings with victory counting his chickens. although there is the not so small matter egorised climbs, might have shed some of a chance for small time gaps to appear by in Sunday’s second stage, thanks to the “I think this is going to be difficult... of trying to beat five-time winner and them long before the finale. the line. If Thomas struggles at the finish, 10-second time bonus he claimed on the because the finish is quite difficult,” said world champion Peter Sagan in that cate- It’s the kind of course that should have which is unlikely, the yellow jersey could line. If he manages to keep up with the the German. “It’s similar to the second gory. The course looks very much like one Sagan and Olympic champion Greg van come into play, although his Sky team- leaders yesterday’s uphill finish at the end stage last year (in which the pure sprinters of the Ardennes one-day classics, particu- Avermaet licking their lips. mate Michal Kwiatkowski of Poland or of the 212.5 kilometre third stage, he were dropped). “I will see, I don’t know. It’s larly with the short 1.4 km climb to the But plenty of others will also be eying a team leader Chris Froome are two of the would then have another flat stage today hard for me now here to say.” finish with an average gradient of 5.8 per- stage victory, not least the Ardennes best placed riders to capitalise. —AFP

RUGBY Coach Wane glad as Wigan end winless league run

LONDON: Wigan coach Shaun Wane said he In Sunday’s other game, Salford ended a was happy but frustrated after watching his run of three defeats in a row to climb up to Warriors side claim their first Super League second in the table. Salford secured a 36-20 victory since April. Former South Sydney victory over Huddersfield and kept the pres- Rabbitohs winger Joe Burgess scored two late sure on top-of-the-table Castleford. tries to seal a 28-12 win over Widnes on Rob Lui scored one try and helped set up Sunday. The Warriors went into a 16-0 lead another five for the hosts. Salford coach Ian before allowing Denis Betts’s men to cut that Watson said he was pleased to see his side advantage to just four points, until Burgess’s get their season back on track. double in the dying minutes. “After three losses, we did not want to say “I’m happy with the win, a bit frustrated,” we have had a good season up to that and said Wane. “There were too many errors, too that was it,” he said. “There have been a few many unforced errors. They got two tries from negative comments from people saying we poor defensive errors but, apart from that, we have run the race. But this group is not about defended really well. that. “We want to be really successful. A true “I think if we keep hold of the ball, we get team bounces back from defeat and we : of the Philippines reacts after his loss to Jeff Horn of rid of those unforced errors worked really hard to get that result.” , during their WBO World title fight in Brisbane, Australia, 10 penalties, eight unforced errors-we Defeat for Huddersfield-their first in five Sunday. —AP could have won by a bigger margin and that’s games-drops them down to eighth and what we need to do. “We need to be a bit leaves them flirting with danger. They are just Shaun Wane more ruthless and we weren’t that today- two points ahead of Catalans Dragons, and BOXING though I’m happy we won.” The win for the the Middle 8s mix, with three games of the The 40-36 win lifts them to ninth in the defending champions ended their eight- regular season left. table and the former England coach paid trib- match winless run in the Super League. But “We are going to need to win at least two ute to his players. “It’s a proud moment for me I’ll urge Pacquiao to despite Widnes threatening to come back into out of the next three games, that’s for sure,” to be here after a win,” said McNamara. “The the game, Wane said he was always confident said Huddersfield coach Rick Stone. attitude and behaviour of the players on the quit, says trainer Roach of the victory. Elsewhere, new Dragons coach Steve field tonight was one that pleased me. McNamara was delighted to win his first “They gave everything tonight, never gave up and were rewarded at the end of the game BRISBANE: Manny Pacquiao’s trainer tion into the scoring of American judge SALFORD BACK ON TRACK game in charge of the French side. Julian “I wasn’t nervous,” he said. “I was confident Bousquet’s last-minute try for the Dragons with picking up the two points,” he added. “It’s advised the Filipino legend to quit boxing Waleska Roldan. She had the bout 117-111 a result that has the ability to give us confi- yesterday after his sensational defeat to to Horn, giving Pacquiao only three of the we’d get the game and we’ve made some was enough to snatch victory from Leigh on dence in the coming weeks.” —AFP unheralded Australian Jeff Horn. 12 rounds , despite Horn finishing the fight massive improvements.” Saturday. While controversy raged over the scor- badly bruised and with a shut right eye. ing of Sunday’s World Boxing Organization welterweight title bout in Brisbane, after all HORN ‘OUT ON HIS FEET’ three judges awarded it to unbeaten Horn, According to CompuBox statistics, there were doubts whether 38-year-old Pacquiao landed almost twice as many Pacquiao would return for a possible punches as Horn - 182 to 92. Judges rematch. Hall of Fame trainer Freddie American Chris Flores and Argentine Roach said he would consider advising Ramon Cerdan both thought it was closer, Pacquiao to retire after a glittering 22-year but Horn had edged the fight 115-113. professional career in which he won world “I respect the judges’ decision,” Pacquiao titles at an unprecedented eight weight said. “He was much tougher than I expect- divisions. “I’m going to talk to Manny about ed. Much, much tougher.” Pacquiao told maybe calling it a day, maybe this is it,” Philippines television: “We thought that we Roach said. won this fight.” Given no chance by most observers, the However, veteran supremo 29-year-old Horn’s ultra-aggressive style , who was ringside, felt the win rocked Pacquiao, with the three judges was fair. “It could have gone either way,” he scoring the fight 117-111, 115-113 and said. “A couple of close rounds, but you 115-113 to before 51,000 can’t argue with the result. I scored a lot of fans at Suncorp Stadium. the early rounds for Jeff. Then I had Manny Pacquiao, (59-7-2) who insisted on a coming back in the middle. Brisbane rematch as a clause in his contract “The 12th round, Jeff really won. If you for the fight, declared however that he give Manny the 11th, you have it a draw. would “absolutely” return for a rematch. You give Jeff the 11th, it’s 7-5.” “We have a clause for a rematch. No Horn’s father, Jeff Snr, revealed after the problem,” Pacquiao said in the ring after the fight that he had been ready to throw in judges’ decision. But Australian boxing the towel after the brutal ninth round. great and three-time world champion Jeff His son had been battered by Pacquiao Fenech also called for Pacquiao, who and blood was streaming from a nasty cut retired briefly last year, to hang up his over Horn’s right eye. As American referee gloves for good this time. “If they let Manny Mark Nelson made his way to Horn’s corner fight again, that’s stupid,” Fenech said. to ask them whether they wanted to stop “He should go relax and enjoy the mon- the fight, Jeff Snr feared the worst. “He was ey he has made. He’s got nothing to prove. dead in the water in round nine, he was Retire. “Jeff fought the right fight and took gone,” Jeff Snr said. “I was very worried. If I Manny to places he’d not been before ... he had a towel I may have thrown it myself in made it a bit dirty.” the ninth. I looked at his eyes and I thought A sense of Pacquiao’s declining powers he was out on his feet. I really thought he is that the Philippines senator hasn’t was in danger of getting hurt in round stopped an opponent in eight years. nine. “I didn’t expect him to come back like Roach however called for an investiga- he did in round 10.” —AFP Lions have ‘poked the bear’, says Gatland WELLINGTON: Lions second rower Alun Wyn Jones runs at New Zealand second row forward Sam Whitelock during the second rugby test WELLINGTON: Warren Gatland says his using anything they can to motivate them- between the British and Irish Lions and the All Blacks in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday.—AP British and Irish Lions “poked the bear” with selves,” he said. their second Test win over the All Blacks He believed there was room for the and warned against riling up the world Lions to improve as they chase a first series Jones warns of All Blacks backlash champions ahead of this weekend’s series win in New Zealand since 1971, particularly decider. the 13 penalties conceded in Wellington. WELLINGTON: Alun Wyn Jones is bracing for obsession and that’s not good. You have to complete pack,” he said. “For the large part But despite advising his players to mind “I’m happy we got ourselves out of a their tongues, the coach could not resist his hole and showed some real character and a furious All Blacks backlash when the British realise where you are and what you’re doing.” there was a lot of that, particularly in the first own dig at the world champions’ lack of courage and I’m happy with our physicality and Irish Lions arrive in for But he warned his teammates needed to half. “We have showed our physicality in running rugby in the first two Tests. but we’ve got to make sure we don’t give Saturday’s third Test series decider. be back at their best against the wounded All spurts. Against the Crusaders I think we “Ironically, this is the best team in the away stupid and soft penalties,” he said. But first the Wales lock is allowing himself Blacks at Eden Park, where the hosts have not showed what we could do as a pack. We world and, for two Test matches, they really “Key players were guilty of that.” a moment to savour the Lions’ 24-21 win over lost since 1994. answered some questions again (in haven’t stressed us,” he told British media. Gatland was relaxed about the Lions a 14-man New Zealand in Wellington. Jones “It’s still a level series and that’s all it is at Wellington). “They have squeezed us and made us give spending a few days in a South Island was at the heart of an impressive display by the moment. We stepped up from the first “On the whole, the performance wasn’t away penalties but we haven’t seen the tourist spot to relax ahead of the Eden the Lions pack at Westpac Stadium, more Test and there’s no doubt that they’ll do that complete, but we’ll patch those areas up expansive rugby that the All Blacks are Park match. Queenstown was the scene of than justifying his selection after a lacklustre this week. We need to build on this and be because we’re going to be facing an All known for. “We’ve coped with that and, if the infamous dwarf-tossing bar-room performance in the opening Test had critics ready,” he said. “We’re 1-1 and we’ve got a big Blacks team that’s chomping at the bit next we can continue to improve in other areas, antics that derailed England’s 2011 World calling for his head. week ahead. We need to switch off and recov- week.” Jones has previous experience of a then we are going to see, hopefully, a great Cup campaign but Gatland said he did not The 31-year-old said the tourists needed er, but then we’ll look at those penalties and Lions decider after captaining the side to a Test match.” He expected a strong response envisage similar incidents involving the to rest and regroup before a clash with the certain areas where we can probably play a convincing 41-16 third Test win over Australia from the All Blacks to the Lions’ 24-21 win Lions. “These players are true profession- back-to-back world champions in Auckland little bit wider.” in Sydney in 2013 to seal the series 2-1. over a 14-man New Zealand in Wellington. als. They’ll have a couple of quiet beers,” that will see them chase the first Lions series He said that experience taught him that “Yes, we have poked the bear but hope- he said. victory in New Zealand since 1971. ‘CHOMPING AT THE BIT’ the Lions did not need to change their prepa- fully the wounded Lion from last week is “On the last two tours we’ve gone away “We’ve got to make sure we enjoy this win Jones was heartened that the Lions for- ration radically for this weekend’s high-stakes still recovering as well,” he said. somewhere, freshened them up and had a because I’ve had similar occasions in the past wards finally combined to show what they game but they must maintain their focus. “We Gatland said his players should watch couple of light sessions later in the week. and not enjoyed them,” he told reporters were capable of as a unit in Wellington after know what’s at stake and the intensity in the what they say about their opponents in That’s worked really well for us.” before the squad headed to the South Island performing only in fits and starts for much of game will go up again, as it did four years the build up to the third Test in Auckland The scope for the Lions to get into trou- on Saturday. “Hopefully we don’t give ble may be limited anyway as Altitude, the resort town of Queenstown for a break. the tour. ago,” he said. them any ammunition this week and con- bar where the England players came “We’ll get the best out of everyone if we “Individual people make packs and when “Very little will change from our point of centrate on ourselves because they will be unstuck, closed in 2013. — AFP do enjoy it. Work sometimes becomes an you do your individual role in that you get a view. I don’t see why we can’t improve. —AFP