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26 Established 1961 Sports Thursday, May 16, 2019 Dumoulin toughs out Giro d’Italia despite knee injury UCI suspends four for potential anti-doping breach FRASCATI: Former Giro d’Italia winner Tom and Croatian Kristijan Durasek of UAE Team Emirates Dumoulin confirmed yesterday he will continue this as well as former riders Alessandro Petacchi and Borut year’s race despite an knee injury picked up in a fall Bozic have been notified of potential Anti-Doping on the fourth stage. Rules Violations (ADRV) as part of the ‘Operation “Knee still hurts but we hope it will get better Aderlass’ investigation. through the day. Will give everything I have to make it. Koren is competing at the Giro d’Italia and will not Fingers crossed,” the Dutch rider, winner of the three- be allowed to start yesterday’s stage according to the week race around Italy in 2017, wrote on Twitter. regulations. Italian Pettachi, 45, retired in 2015, while The fifth stage, a short 140km run from Frascati, just 38-year-old Slovenian Bozic ended his cycling career south of Rome, to Terracina, will be mostly raced under last year and is now Assistant Sports Director at Team the rain, with a 1.5km home straight which should set Bahrain Merida. the scene for a spectacular sprint finish. The four are under investigation for employing pro- “He (Dumoulin) has been cleared to race by the hibited doping methods between 2012 and 2017. “The team’s medical staff, but is still suffering with his knee,” UCI and the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF)... his Sunweb team said. “He will give it his best shot and have been in close contact with the sport and state see what the day brings.” authorities involved in the Aderlass investigation, in Dumoulin came second at both the Giro d’Italia particular with the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Tour de France in 2018, as well as winning the (WADA) and the Austrian law enforcement authorities,” 2017 Giro and the 2017 world championships time- UCI said in a statement. trial, making him a chief contender in all major tours Operation Aderlass is looking into blood doping, a and races. process where athletes have blood transfusions to “For sure, the overall ranking is over for me,” increase their stamina and performance-a method pro- Dumoulin said on Tuesday. The 28-year-old is now in hibited under WADA regulations. 56th position 4min 30sec behind race leader Primoz The provisional suspension begins on the day of the Roglic of Slovenia. “There is no fracture, which is good notice and a UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal will be estab- FRASCATI: Team Sunweb rider Netherlands’ Tom Dumoulin rides during stage five of the 102nd Giro d’Italia - Tour news, but my knee is very swollen,” he added. lished to hear the anti-doping rules violations. UAE of Italy - cycle race, 140kms from Frascati to Terracina. — AFP Meanwhile, four European cyclists, including two Team Emirates have suspended 31-year-old Durasek. retired riders, have been provisionally suspended for “The Team hopes that Durasek can prove he was not potential doping violations following information from involved in the affair. Should it be proven otherwise, he “The team strictly advocates zero-tolerance doping relate to the 2012 and/or 2013 seasons. The team the Austrian law enforcement authorities, the will be terminated immediately,” they said in a state- policy and has therefore provisionally suspended both always carries out thorough medical checks (including International Cycling Union (UCI) said yesterday. ment. Team Bahrain Merida have also provisionally sus- members concerned,” the Bahrain-based team said in a biological passport checks) of any new signed rider.” Slovenia’s Kristijan Koren of Team Bahrain Merida pended 32-year-old Koren and Bozic. statement. “We would like to stress that both cases — Agencies have been rotating their side during the Kohli defends Morgan banned Pakistan series as they look at options before naming a final 15-man squad for a home World Cup starting later this leaving out Pant from fourth month. for World Cup Pakistan ODI for BUTTLER OPTION England may well have rested Morgan for at least one game during NEW DELHI: India picked veteran Dinesh slow over-rate the five-match Pakistan series in order Karthik over rising talent Rishabh Pant for the to give vice-captain Jos Buttler more World Cup because of his composure under leadership experience. As it is, star BRISTOL: England will have to find a pressure, captain Virat Kohli said in an inter- batsman Buttler, rested at Bristol, could new captain for the fourth one-day view released yesterday. now return as captain for Friday’s match international against Pakistan on Friday The selection of the 33-year-old Karthik in at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge. after skipper Eoin Morgan was banned the 15-member squad was sharply criticised Buttler has captained England in five from the match by the International by some former cricketers who felt the 21- ODIs and four Twenty20 matches, while year-old Pant should have been given a Cricket Council for a slow over-rate Test skipper Joe Root is also a mainstay chance. Since making his debut in 2018, Pant offence. of England’s one-day team. Morgan’s has impressed with his batting, including a Morgan was sanctioned after World cumulative punishment will not roll over maiden Test century in England. Virat Kohli Cup hosts and favourites England took He scored 488 runs from 16 matches in the into the World Cup, with an ICC around four hours to bowl their 50 spokeswoman telling AFP that all play- just-finished Indian Premier League, while overs in a six-wicket win over Pakistan Karthik made 253 runs from 14 games. Both immensely valuable behind the wickets. As a ered about the constant attention he gets as a ers taking part would start the tourna- in the third ODI at Bristol on Tuesday. ment with a “clean slate”. players are vying for the reserve wicketkeep- finisher, he’s done well. batsman and captain. “I don’t want to be the He was also fined 40 percent of his er slot behind former skipper Mahendra “So, it was the overall exposure to a tour- centre of everything. Nobody wants that. But Jonny Bairstow also found himself match fee and his players 20 percent of censured by former West Indies captain Singh Dhoni. nament of this magnitude that was taken into when your intent is to make the team win, theirs after match referee Richie primary consideration,” said Kohli. After eventually you end up doing things which are Richardson as a result of events in “In pressure situations, he (Karthik) has Richardson ruled England were two shown composure. It was something that making his debut in 2004, Karthik has played always going to be seen,” said Kohli, the Bristol. The England wicket-keeper was overs short after time allowances were everybody on board was convinced about. He 91 one-day internationals while Pant has five world’s number one Test and one-day player. reprimanded for breaching level one of has the experience,” Kohli told the Times of to his name. “I would always put my body on the line for taken into consideration. the ICC’s code of conduct relating to India newspaper. “If, god forbid, something Kohli, who will be leading India for the first the team.” India are chasing their third World As Morgan had previously been “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, happens to MS (Dhoni), Karthik can be time at the World Cup, said he was not both- Cup after wins in 1983 and 2011. — AFP found guilty of a minor over-rate ground equipment or fixtures and fit- offence during the Barbados ODI tings” when smashing his stumps in against the West Indies on February 22, frustration after he was bowled for a this latest incident constituted his sec- match-winning 128. Bairstow century ond minor over-rate offence within a In addition, one demerit point has 12-month period and so led to a one- been added to his disciplinary game ban. record. England are 2-0 up against sees England “The suspension means Morgan will Pakistan, with games in Nottingham miss the fourth ODI against Pakistan in and Leeds to come, after rain forced overpower Nottingham on Friday,” said an ICC the abandonment of last week’s statement issued yesterday. England opener at The Oval. — AFP Pakistan BRISTOL: Jonny Bairstow’s commanding English cricket chiefs hundred was the centrepiece of World Cup hosts England’s six-wicket win over Pakistan admit Hundred ‘mistakes’ in the third one-day international at Bristol on Tuesday. England generally prefer batting first but captain Eoin Morgan decided to give as draft announced them experience of chasing just weeks away LONDON: English cricket bosses have insisted The Hundred is essential in from the World Cup by opting to field first accepted they made mistakes in pro- attracting the next generation of crick- after winning the toss. moting “The Hundred”, their controver- et supporters. Bairstow’s 128 in a score of 359 for four- sial new short-form tournament that is According to their research, just five England’s second highest winning total bat- due to start next year. The England and percent of British children aged six to 15 ting second in an ODI-helped put the home BRISTOL: England’s Jonny Bairstow plays a shot during the third One Day International (ODI) Wales Cricket Board faced huge public list cricket in their top two favourite side 2-0 up with two to play in a five-match cricket match between England and Pakistan at The Bristol County Ground in Bristol.