15 SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2019 sports

West Ham’s Wilshere opens up on ‘devastating’ Alaphilippe extends Tour lead injury-hit season AFP | Shanghai, China Julian Alaphilippe stuns• in est Ham United If he carries on like Wmidfielder Jack Wil- Tour time-trial to extend shere said yesterday that his yellow jersey lead this he’ll win the missing most of last sea - Tour. He’s going son with yet another inju- Alaphilippe extends incredibly well and ry was “devastating” -- but • is certainly the he hopes a better year is to lead over Thomas to favourite or the come. 1min 26sec on stage 13 one to watch at the The 27-year-old is wide- moment. But there ly mentioned as one of the AFP | Pau, France most gifted England play- is a long way to go ers of his generation but he and a lot of hard has been plagued by injury ulian Alapahilippe extend- stages to come throughout his career. ed his overall lead at the GERAINT THOMAS He left his boyhood club JTour de France yesterday Arsenal last summer for a winning the 27.2km individual fresh start at Manuel Pel- time-trial at Pau on stage 13 to aphilippe’s barnstorming ride legrini’s West Ham. keep the yellow jersey and send had taken him by surprise. But after a promising his home fans wild. “He’s going incredibly well start, the former England Defending champion Geraint and is certainly the favourite midfielder suffered a seri- Thomas was second while his or the one to watch at the mo- ous ankle injury and made Ineos co-captain ment,” he added. France’s Julian Alaphilippe, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey rides during the thirteenth stage of just eight Premier dropped down the overall stand- “But there is a long way to go League appearances. ings and lost his best young rid- and a lot of hard stages to come.” keeping pace on the narrow hill looking happy and relaxed. at the fearsome classic Tour de Wilshere, who has er’s white jersey finishing way “I just wanted to keep the jer- roads outside the town. It was also a good day for top France destination the Tour- 34 caps for England, off the pace. sey, but to win the stage, on this As Alaphilippe made the 18 five pretenders , malet, which some translate said: “I want to Thomas dropped 14 seconds form, is just totally amazing,” percent slope ahead of the home Steven Kruijswijk and Rigoberto as ‘bad trip’ and which is the play a big part on the French overall leader said Alaphilippe, the 27-year-old straight the noise was deefaning Uran. highest mountain pass in the this season to slip to 1min 26sec adrift in former soldier who is sending as the victory over time-trial There were gasps and cries Pyrenees. and play as the general classification after France wild with belief they can specialist Thomas unexpectedly of horror when Belgian rookie Pinot and his FDJ manager many games the baking hot race-against- win a first Tour since 1985. materialised. Wout van Aert fell in the home Marc Madiot have vowed to as I can the-clock around the Pyrenean After the 80kph descent out- Bernal finished 1min 26sec straight after getting caught up gain revenge there for getting and help town. side Pau with the sun making off the pace to drop down the in the barriers and twisted his left behind in the crosswind the “If he carries on like this he’ll a strobe like flash effect as it rankings and lose his white jer- leg before being taken away in at Albi. team win the Tour,” the 33-year-old flickered through the trees onto sey to Alaphilippe’s teammate an ambulance. “There’s a rage in him, and finish Thomas said at the finish line. the blacktop, the packed holiday Enric Mas. Today’s stage 14 is a short when the rage is on him he’s as high The Welshman then told weekend crowds went wild as France’s Thibaut Pinot was 117km run over two Category 1 good, Saturday we roll,” Madiot as we British broadcaster ITV that Al- they realised Alaphilippe was just behind these riders at 49sec, mountains with a summit finish said this week. can.” Jack Wilshere Dennis says quitting Tour was ‘right decision’ Emery talks up leadership AFP | Pau, France given my current feeling it was role for Holding amid the right decision to withdraw ustralian Rohan Dennis earlier today. Koscielny doubt Asaid his abrupt withdrawal “I wish my teammates the from the Tour de France was the very best for the remainder of Reuters | Charlotte, North one English player in these ‘right decision’ ahead of yester- the race and would like to thank Carolina five captains,” Emery told a day’s time-trial, the discipline all the Tour de France fans who media conference in Los Ange- at which he is world champion. cheered for me, at home and on rsenal manager Unai Em- les ahead of the International Dennis won the 2018 world the roadside, since Brussels.” Aery said on Thursday that Champions Cup match against time trial road race at Innsbruck “I will hopefully be back com- he was planning for the po - Fiorentina on Saturday. in November, beating Dutch peting in this great race again tential departure of club cap- “Last year (Granit) Xhaka, ace and world over the coming seasons.” tain Laurent Koscielny while Mesut (Ozil) and Nacho (Mon- one-hour track record holder Gorazd Stangelj, the Bahrain mulling a leadership role for real) were working as captains. Belgian Victor Campenaerts in Merida team’s sports director, young defender Rob But after Aaron Ramsey and third. stopped his car during the race Holding. Petr Cech left - and possi- The 29-year-old from Ade- on Thursday and ran backwards Koscielny refused to bly Laurent Koscielny - I laide also won the time-trial in to where Dennis had pulled up join the Premier League will want more. June’s Tour de Suisse, finishing Rohan Dennis of and Team Bahrain-Merida rides during Stage 11 of to try and persuade his rider to club on their U.S. tour “An English player the race second overall behind Tour de France continue. amid British media re- who grew up in our Colombia’s Egan Bernal. Dennis released a statement “I am very disappointed to “He’s the kind of guy who ports linking the academy can un- The Bahrain Merida rider overnight Thursday in which leave the race at this point,” said wants to have everything 100 33-year-old French derstand the threw in the towel at the start of he did not address the rea - Dennis, who has won stages on percent and it’s not easy to have centre back with English spirit the Peyresourde, the first of two sons for his withdrawal dur- all three Grand Tours. everything 100 percent all the a move to Ligue 1 and Arsenal climbs on Thursday’s 12th stage, ing the 12th stage on Thursday “The individual time-trial to- time,” Stranjelj told reporters. sides Girondins values. These after he had been busy trying to but suggested they were not morrow (Friday) had been a big “He’s a special guy, let’s say, all Bordeaux and are the quali- make the early breakaway. physical. goal for me and the team, but champions are.” Olympique Lyon- ties and more nais. (we want). Emery had “We are labelled him really happy an “impor- with his (Hold- tant player” ing’s) progress. We Klopp committed to Liverpool as US tour kicks off earlier this week need his perfor- but has now openly mances as a centre AFP | Chicago ing he may leave the club when a sabbatical when his Liv - admitted Kosciel- back. (Before) he his current contract expires in erpool contract ends. Agent ny could leave. had his injury he iverpool manager Jurgen 2022. Mark Kosicke meanwhile has However, the was really playing LKlopp said he expects to “Wow! I don’t think a lot of hinted that Klopp may be in - 23-year-old with big perfor- remain at Anfield for at least people get asked that ques - terested in taking over as Holding could mances.” three more years as the Pre - tion three years before the coach of the German national step up to be one The only other mier League giants prepare to contract is expiring,” Klopp team. of Emery’s “five English senior play- kick off their pre-season tour to said. Klopp however was solely captains” — all ers in the squad are North America. “We will see. Why should we focused on preparations for able to wear the Calum Chambers, Klopp, who successfully guid- think about this? At least three the coming season on Thurs- armband when who spent last ed Liverpool to a sixth Champi- years - that’s the answer. At least day as the Reds begin a three- called upon, season on loan at ons League crown last month, three years.” game US tour against Borus- the manager Rob Fulham, and fringe Holding was taken aback when asked to ESPN reported last month Jurgen Klopp talks to his team during sia Dortmund in South Bend, said. right back Carl comment on reports suggest- that Klopp was pondering a soccer practice session Indiana. “I want Jenkinson.