WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 20 Elia Viviani wins Vuelta stage ten Messi surprised by Ronaldo’s exit AFP | Barcelona, Spain

ionel Messi has admitted he was surprised by ’s de- Lcision to leave Real Madrid and join Juventus. Messi also believes the transfer will leave Madrid worse off and says Juve are now among the clear favourites to win this sea- son’s Champions League. Ronaldo swapped Spain for in a deal worth 100 million euros ($117 million) Quick-Step Team’s Elia Viviani celebrates as he wins the 10th stage of the in July, after securing a third consecutive 73rd edition of “La Vuelta” Tour of Spain cycling race European crown, and his fourth in five years with Real. AFP | Bermillo de Sayago, But Messi, who missed out on a three- Spain man shortlist for FIFA’s world player of the year award on Monday, feels the balance lia Viviani thanked his That was just may have shifted following the 33-year- Eteammates for a perfect old’s exit. lead-out that saw him win a about the best “I was surprised, I didn’t imagine him second stage on this year’s lead-out from leaving Madrid or that he would go to Juve Tour of Spain yesterday, as he our team this because there was talk of many clubs (in- clinched a bunch sprint ahead year. The guys terested). The truth is I was very surprised of world champion Peter Sa- did a great but Juve are also a very good team,” Messi gan and . job, there’s a told Catalunya Radio. After a flat run from Sala- “Real Madrid are one of the best teams in manca to Bermillo de Sayago, great deal of the world and they have a great squad but Viviani, wearing his Italian pressure to it’s obvious the departure of Ronaldo makes tri-colour jersey, added to his deliver and win them less strong while Juve have become a triumph on stage three last when people clear favourite for the Champions League. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo week thanks to a clinical lead- see you as the “They already had a good team and now out and sensational late burst fastest they also have Cristiano Ronaldo.” “Wherever the most money is, that’s of speed. Madrid’s dominance in Europe has made where they end up going. Things have This was an incredible 17th failure even harder to swallow for Barce- changed and now the owners of clubs are victory of the season for Vivi- ELIA VIVIANI lona, whose shock defeat by Roma in April multi-millionaires. ani, who left Team Sky to join meant crashing out in the quarter-finals for “Before, everyone wanted to play for Bar- Belgian outfit Quick-Step, who a third consecutive season. KNOW WHAT ca or Madrid, who were the best, but now target stage wins rather than Even winning both and the Copa everything’s tighter and there’s not much podium places on the big tours. del Rey last term for a domestic double of a difference between the teams in Man- “That was just about the finish, but as consolation the was not enough to extinguish the disap- Both Messi and Ronaldo chester, PSG, Madrid, us, Bayern (Munich) best lead-out from our team Slovakian leads the sprinters’ pointment. have regularly broken and the Italian (teams).” this year,” said the 29-year-old . “It’s time to win the Champions League,” Barcelona signed four players this sum- Viviani. Briton Simon Yates of Messi said. “We’ve been knocked out in the 50 goal barrier in a mer, with Arthur Melo, Clement Lenglet, “The guys did a great job, Mitchelton-Scott held on to the quarter-finals three seasons in a row single season and have and Malcom all arriving at there’s a great deal of pressure the overall leader’s red jer- and maybe the last one was the worst of all scored over 600 goals the Camp Nou. to deliver and win when peo- sey by a single second from because of the result and how the match each in their careers for Messi singled out Arthur, the 22-year-old ple see you as the fastest.” 38-year-old Spaniard Alejan- was played. club and country Brazilian , for special praise. “You really don’t want to dro Valverde, while his Movis- “I think we have to aim for that, as a club, “If I have to say one, I’ll go with Arthur, lose,” explained the man who tar team leader Nairo Quintana as a team and as a collective. We have a who surprised me because I did not know wept when Sagan beat him in a in third at 14sec. spectacular squad and we can do it.” euros over the past two years. much about him,” Messi said. sprint finish at the Gent-Wev- Wednesday’s 11th stage from Ronaldo’s move was the latest exam - Messi believes the lure of Barcelona and “He has a style very similar to ’s, he elgem in March in his first race Mombuey to Ribeira will be ple of increasingly lavish spending by Eu- Real Madrid is now being neutralised by the always wants the ball, does not lose it, plays for Quick-Step. run over hilly terrain in the rope’s biggest clubs, with Neymar, Kylian mouth-watering sums on offer. short passes and is very reliable. For Bora-Hansgrohe’s Sagan region of Galicia featuring four Mbappe, and Paul Pogba “There are clubs now with a lot of money “He has the style we always look for this was a third second-place medium climbs. all snapped up for more than 100 million and players move for that reason,” he said. here.” Alaphilippe wins Tour of Mourinho accepts one year Britain’s stage three sentence in Spanish tax case Reuters | Madrid owed 3.3 million euros. Prose- AFP | London cutors said he had failed to de- anchester United man- clare revenues from his image ew Zealand’s Patrick Bevin Mager Jose Mourinho has rights in his Spanish income Nmoved into overall lead at accepted a one-year prison sen- tax declarations from 2011 and the despite be- tence as part of a deal to settle 2012, “with the aim of obtaining ing pipped to the finish line a Spanish tax evasion case, El illicit profits”. by stage three winner Julian Mundo newspaper reported They said Mourinho had al- Alaphilippe yesterday. yesterday, although he is un- ready settled a previous claim Quick-Step Floors rider Al- likely to actually serve any jail relating to his Spanish taxes aphilippe, who won the King time. after a 2014 inquiry, which re- of the Mountains prize at the Spanish law states that a sen- sulted in a penalty of 1.15 mil- recent , held off tence of under two years for a lion euros. But tax authorities BMC Racing’s Bevin and ONE first offence can be served on later found that some of the Pro Cycling’s Emils Liepins to probation. information presented in that win a reduced bunch sprint in Mourinho’s representatives settlement was incorrect, the Bristol. were not immediately available prosecutors said. Green jersey holder Bevin is for comment. Manchester Unit- The Mourinho settlement level on time with Australia’s ed and the Spanish tax agency comes amid a lengthening list of Cameron Meyer, the Mitchel- both declined to comment. tax fraud cases involving soccer ton-Scott rider who won the we got it right over the final sification. Spanish prosecutors filed a stars in Spain. Tour’s second stage on Monday. climb. “I’m happy to win, especially claim against Mourinho last In June, former Real Ma- “You can’t get better than “The stage win would have today as it’s my first race af - year on two counts of tax fraud Manchester United manager Jose drid player Cristiano Ronaldo leading the race. If we can hold been really nice, but we’re still ter a good break. In the end I dating back to when he coached Mourinho reached a similar deal with the it tomorrow, we’ll see how in the hunt for the overall.” was in a really good position. Real Madrid. Mourinho left Spanish tax authorities to serve things shake out,” Bevin said. Frenchman Alaphilippe is Bob (Jungels) did a really good Real Madrid in 2013 to manage United in 2016. two years in prison and pay a “Every kilometre today was just two seconds behind Bevin job and voila!” Alaphilippe English club Chelsea for a sec- Spanish tax authorities had 18.8 million euro fine in a tax tough. The guys did a great job, and Meyer in the general clas- said. ond spell before signing with said the Portuguese manager evasion case.