SPORTS Saturday, July 8, 2017 23 Bahrain riders continue 6mm was all that to impress in Tour

KittelNuits-Saint-Georges, France neededbut it’s a sign that things can arcel Kittel won a sprint change in one sprint because finish to seventh stage on the fourth stage (won by Mof the by just Demare with Kittel 13th) I lost six millimetres (6mm), the a lot of points.” “closest” victory of his career. Kittel started the day 27 The German edged out points behind FDJ’s Demare Norway’s Edvald Boasson but is now 15 points ahead. Bahrain Merida’s Yukiya Arashiro of Japan (C) rides Hagen by what official Tour What was less expected in data said was a winning this sprint was that Boasson Aidan Payne/DTNN (142nd, Spain, +0.36), margin of 0.0003 seconds, Hagen took second, with [email protected] (177th, after more than five hours and Australian Michael Matthews , +2:01) and Ondrej 213.5km from Troyes to Nuits third. Manama Cink (180th, Czech Republic, Saint-Georges. “Honestly I wasn’t surprised ahrain’s Merida Pro +2:01). But Kittel was no stranger because yesterday (Thursday) Cycling Team riders Bahrain’s ninth team to such close shaves having already he was really strong Bcontinued with good results member Spaniard Ion beaten France’s Bryan Stage winner ’s Marcel Kittel and fast in the final, he just yesterday after completing Izaguirre retired during the Coquard in another photo “Six millimetres decides German with -- maybe went a bit too early,” the seventh stage of the 104th opening stage in Dusseldorf, finish 12 months ago. over a lot of joy or a big allowed Kittel to snatch back Kittel said of Boasson Hagen. Tour de France from Troyes Germany after suffering a “I think, in my career that’s disappointment. I’m really the sprinters’ green points “Today, he and Dimension to Nuits-Saint Georges in lumbar fracture of the lower definitely the closest win happy I could throw my bike jersey from Frenchman Data timed it right to go in the the wine country region of spine. I’ve ever had -- even closer far enough to have these six Arnaud Demare, who could good moment. It’s true Edvald Champagne over 213.5km Today the eighth stage than last year in Limoges millimetres.” finish only 11th after a wasn’t in that shape and that on a relatively flat course. takes the remaining (193) against Bryan Coquard,” said His third victory on this sleepless night. form for quite a long time, so The stage winner was riders from Dole to Station the 29-year-old Quick-Step Tour, and 12th in total -- “I’m very happy but a bit I was surprised to see him (on Germany’s Marcel Kittel of des Rousses over 187.5km in . equalling the record for a surprised I could get it today, Thursday). (AFP) the Quick-Step Floors team hilly terrain. who completed the distance Friday July 7 in five hours three minutes Confident Yates full of ambition and 18 seconds, as did 124 Nuits-Saint-Georges, France riders overall of the 193 Bahrain Merida 7th stage 213.5 km year ago was one of the still in the race, including Classifications Positions: ATour de France revelations in finishing Bahrain’s Sonny Colbrelli 39. J Brajkovic (SLO, +4:33) 1 M. Kittel 5h03:18 fourth and now his twin brother Simon has (18th, Italy), Grega Bole 51. O Cink (CZE, +7:24) (GER/Quick Step Floors) lofty ambitions. (19th, Slovenia), Yukiya Adam Yates surprised even himself Arashiro (42nd, Japan) 97. Y Arashiro (JPN, +14:56) 2 E. Boasson Hagen at 0:00 when he won the young rider’s white jersey and Janez Brajkovic (85th, 107. S Colbrelli (ITA, +16:05) (NOR/DDT) a year ago and spent much of the race in the Slovenia). 130. G Bole (SLO, +19:18) 3 M. Matthews at 0:00 top three before finishing fourth, behind The other four Bahrain 144. T Grmay (ETH, +21:20) (AUS/Sunweb) winner , Frenchman Romain riders classified were - Borut 148. J Moreno (ESP, 22:03) Bardet and of Colombia. Bozic (138th, Slovenia, 4 A. Kristoff at 0:00 177. B Bozic (SLO, +27:27) (NOR/Katusha Alpecin) But that success, and ’s Adam Yates (file pic) +0.32), Javier Moreno own strong showing at last year’s Vuelta a 5 J. Degenkolb at 0:00 Espana, means the latter came to the Tour (GER/Trek Segafredo) with a definite aim. “I came here with more ambition because Overall I’ve already ridden top 10 in a ,” said the British Orica rider. 1 C. Froome 28h47:51 “I’d like to continue with that, that’s (GBR/Sky) where I’d like to be: I’d like to be a GC 2 G. Thomas at 0:12 () rider. (GBR/Sky) “For sure I came here with more ambition. Straight away we came here with 3 F. Aru at 0:14 the goal to win the white jersey. (ITA/Astana) “My bro, last year he’d never really 4 D. Martin at 0:25 ridden for GC so we didn’t know if he could (EIR/Quick Step Floors) last the three weeks.” 5 R. Porte at 0:39 Yates, 24, was 89th in his last Tour (AUS/BMC) appearance in 2015 but since then had a strong Vuelta last year and in April was Points second to Australian in the Tour of Romandie -- his best result yet in a 1 M. Kittel 197 pts major one-week stage race. (GER/Quick Step Floors) He’s made a good start to this race and on Wednesday climbed into the white jersey Montains his brother won last year after a strong sixth-placed finish on the first mountain 1 F. Aru 10 pts finale of the race left him sixth overall. German supporter Didi Senft known as El Diablo jumps as the pack ride during the 213,5 km seventh (ITA/Astana) He’s guarded about his overall chances stage of the 104th edition of the Tour de France cycling race yesterday between Troyes and Nuits- Source: ASO but believes this weekend’s back-to-back Saint-Georges (AFP) mountain stages in the Jura. (AFP)