MONDAY 15 JULY 2019 SPORT 17 I think that if this is not the most exciting final then definitely it’s in Novak Djokovic after MOTORSPORT the top two or three of my career FOOTBALL beating Roger Federer against one of the greatest players Silk Way Rally, Stage 9: Russian Premier League: in Wimbledon final. of all time, Roger, who I respect. Between Alashan and Lokomotiv Moscow vs ACTION Rubin Kazan Jiayuguan, China TODAY’S Dakar star extends lead at Silk Way Rally Al Attiyah wins tricky sandy opener in China THE PENINSULA Delaunay have recovered well dropped serious time midway those days. We were never ALASHAN, CHINA from second stage delays and through the special and ceded lost, we just had to go back a the second Overdrive Racing his second place overall – a few hundred metres to find the Overdrive Racing’s Nasser crew began the eighth day in position that was taken by right way.” Saleh Al Attiyah and French 23rd overall. They were second Frenchman Jérôme Pelichet. There was no special stage navigator Matthieu Baumel fastest on the day’s stage. Al Attiyah had claimed a on the seventh day on Sat- held an outright lead of 59min 4min 35sec behind Al Attiyah, sixth successive stage win on urday. Two liaison sections of 58sec after the eighth day of and continued their steady the 408.15km section between 370.37km and 180.29km took the 2019 Silk Way Rally climb back through the field. Mandalgovi and Dalanzadgad crews to the border between Mitchelton Scott rider Daryl Impey of between Bayinbaolige and The Dutchman was running in Mongolia on Friday. Dalanzadgad in Mongolia and South Africa celebrates after winning Alashan in the People’s as the fastest of all the drivers The Qatari looked to be in the China frontier and on to the the stage, yesterday. Republic of China’s prefecture through the 58km checkpoint a vulnerable position after the night halt at Bayinbaolige in region of Inner Mongolia in the day’s stage before crew made a rare navigational China’s Inner Mongolia. yesterday. slipping behind Chinese pace- mistake, but all the Toyota’s Today, teams tackle the The Qatari, who is running setter Lui Kun after 120km. leading rivals followed suit and ninth and penultimate stage of under the Toyota Gazoo Racing Al Attiyah was the first made a similar error and that the Silk Way Rally between Tour de France: South Africa banner, began the driver to pass the next check- enabled the Qatari to snatch Alashan and Jiayuguan. day with a lead of 40min 33sec point after 165km in 2hrs the stage win by 3min 15sec In a day’s route of over China’s Lui Kun and a 04min 21sec. from Overdrive Racing team- 501.20km, teams will tackle More joy for Impey stage time of 4hrs 21min 26sec The Qatari was 45 seconds mate Van Loon. 290.30km against the clock. through many difficult sandy faster than Matthieu Serradori The day also saw the Hilux Jiayuguan is a prefecture- sections in the Gobi Desert with Van Loon in third place crew extend their overall lead level city in north-western with stage victory enabled the Toyota Hilux driver and Ming Zhang in fourth. over China’s Kun Lui to 40min Gansu Province and is most to increase that advantage Nasser continued to lead 33sec. famous for the nearby Jiavu REUTERS Saturday’s eighth stage which heading into the last two days. through the subsequent check- The Qatari said: “Some- Pass, the largest and most BRIOUDE saw Frenchman Thibaut Pinot Dutchman Erik van Loon points to claim a seventh suc- times navigation is not easy intact of its kind on the Great gain almost half a minute on and Frenchman Sebastien cessive stage win, but Kun Lui and the sixth stage was one of Wall of China. South African Daryl Impey Thomas and the defending added an individual stage win champion take a tumble, there to his Tour de France happy were no fireworks on Bastille memories when he prevailed at Day. the end of a long breakaway A 15-man breakaway, fea- from St Etienne yesterday. turing former Tour individual The Mitchelton Scott rider, stage winners Tony Martin and who wore the race’s yellow Edvald Boasson Hagen, opened POSITIONS AFTER SS8 jersey for a couple of days in a gap of more than 10 minutes 2013, beat Belgian Tiesj Benoot but none were a threat to Alap- 1. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu in a two-man sprint after the hilippe’s overall lead. Baumel (FRA) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 18hrs duo went clear from the day’s Italian Alessandro De Marchi 05min 42sec breakaway. was taken to a hospital with 2. Jerome Pelichet (FRA)/Pascal Larroque Slovenia’s Jan Tratnik took facial injuries after a nasty crash, (FRA) Optimus 19hrs 05min 40sec third place, 10 seconds behind his CCC team said. 3. Wei Han (CHN)/Liao Min (CHN) Geely as France’s Julian Alaphilippe The three-time Vuelta a SMG Buggy 19hrs 07min 16sec retained the overall lead after Espane stage winner crashed 4. Ping Sun (CHN)/Li Ma (CHN) Hanwei SMG 170.5 kilometres with the top after eight kilometres and was Buggy 19hrs 27min 24sec guns enjoying an easy day on a first attended to by the race’s 5. Ming Zhang (CHN)/Xu Qin (CHN) Hanwei bumpy stage nine. medical staff as he laid with his SMG Buggy 19hrs 44min 43sec Frenchman Romain Bardet, face on the deck. 6. Matthieu Serradori (FRA)/Fabian Lur- a two-time podium finisher who In the front, Benoot and quin (BEL) Century CR6 19hrs 47min 52sec has already lost considerable Impey emerged as the strongest ground in the general classifi- men at top of the Cote de St Just cation, attacked in the Cote de and the South African, who St Just (3.6km at 7.2%), 13km snatched the yellow jersey in Nice from the finish. six years ago when his team won He was followed by the time trial, was the fastest to Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk the line. The main bunch crossed Qatar Nasser Al Attiyah and France’s Matthieu and Australian Richie Porte, but more than 16 minutes later. Baumel compete with their Toyota Hilux Rally the trio were easily reined in by Today’s 10th stage is a during the eighth stage of the Silk Way Rally defending champion Geraint 217.5-km ride from St Flour to 2019 from Bayinbaolige to Alashan, yesterday. Thomas’s Ineos team. Albi, where the race will enjoy Following a hectic finale in its first rest day tomorrow. Xin clinches Qatar SC set to start new era under coach Ferrer 10-km open THE PENINSULA Al Sailiya leave water swim DOHA for 24-day at Worlds Qatar Sports Club team is ready to start a new era of success with training camp AP the Spanish coach Carlos Alos GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA Ferrer, who was signed in the in Tunisia off-season. Xin Xin of China won the The 43-year-old has THE PENINSULA women’s 10-kilometer already formed the backroom DOHA open water event team and has detailed chats yesterday, lifting China to with the club management over Al Sailiya team yesterday left its fourth gold medal of the the team’s future ambitions and for the Tunisian city of Tabarka world swimming champi- targets. to attend a 24-day training onships. Ferrer has endorsed the camp. Xin finished in a time ambitions of the club man- Al Sailiya will also feature of one hour, 54 minutes, agement to move the team away in four to five friendly matches 47:20 seconds. The 22-year from the troubles of the negative with Tunisian and Algerian old, who finished fourth in results it has suffered in the last clubs. the same event at the Rio few years. The Al Sailiya delegation Olympics, is now guar- The Spaniard, who suc- Spanish coach Carlos Alos Ferrer (left) consists of technical and anteed a spot at next year’s ceeded former Argentine during Qatar SC’s training session. administrative bodies alongside Olympics in Tokyo. national team manager Sergio the players who have been “My goal before this Batista, has promises to keep in training with the team man- competition was to the new QNB Stars League aware that upgrading of the team foreign professionals and local assembled with coach Ferrer agement from July 1. qualify for the Olympics,” season set to commence next in the new season requires great players capable of achieving the leading charge. The new players have also said Xia, who will month. efforts and better capabilities team goals. Qatar SC is scheduled to fly joined the squad ahead of their compete in her third Among the targets for the than the previous years. With the new season just a out to Spain for a pre-season departure. Olympics at Tokyo. new coach is Qatar SC’s desire Therefore, Qatar SC set about month away, the squad con- training camp ahead of the start Al Sailiya finished third in “I believe that I can to be in the top four or five in the directing their efforts towards tinues their daily training at the of the new season next month. the previous season and will race better and better in QNB Stars League points rearranging the house, changing club’s stadium regularly since the Qatar SC are expected to play hope to bring further the future.” standings. the technical staff and looking beginning of July. five friendly matches before improvement in their standings The club management is for good deals to sign quality Most of the squad has returning to Qatar next season.