WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015 SPORTS FRANCE: The pack rides during the fourth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 223.5 kilometers (138.9 miles) with start in Seraing, Belgium, and finish in Cambrai, France. — AP Martin in yellow at Tour de France CAMBRAI: Tony Martin felt nothing but joy as and fortunately I could pay it back.” and had to change bike,” said Martin. had a tantrum and eventually lost around he finally got his hands on the yellow jersey John Degenkolb, the winner of the Paris- “I didn’t believe in the stage victory any 3min 30sec, leaving him 6min 30sec back in that had eluded him by a matter of seconds on Roubaix race whose cobbles were borrowed more, I just wanted to stay with the best but it total and with an uphill struggle to compete the previous three days at the Tour de France. for this stage, took second with Peter Sagan came together at the front and nobody want- for a podium finish. American Tejay Van The 30-year-old three-time world time-trial third. Martin, 30, had spent the first three days ed to chase so I just gave it a try. Garderen is now third overall at 25sec while champion made a daring solo attack from a in second place having lost out to Australian “I didn’t believe in this victory but some- Contador is still eighth at 48sec now. Nibali reduced peloton with 3.3km left of yesterday’s Rohan Dennis by five seconds in the opening how it happened and I still can’t believe it.” has a 1min 50sec gap to the lead with 223.5km cobbled fourth stage and held off the stage time-trial. He ended the second stage After a hectic last 50km, including 11.5km of Quintana at 2min 08sec but the Movistar charging pack to win by three seconds. 3sec behind Fabian Cancellara, who had taken cobbles across six sectors, the ‘fantastic four’ leader will have been relieved he didn’t lose That on its own would have been enough a 4sec bonus on the line for finishing third. favourites of Froome, reigning champion any more time to Froome. to snatch the yellow jersey from 2013 champi- Froome then finished second on the third Vincenzo Nibali, two-time winner Alberto Nibali admitted he was hoping to gain back on Chris Froome’s shoulders but he also took a stage to earn a 6sec bonus that left him just Contador and Colombian Nairo Quintana all time to the man he succeeded last year but 10sec time bonus on the line that gives him a 1sec ahead of Martin. finished in the leading group of around 25 rid- was not too disappointed. “I would have 12sec buffer to Froome in the overall stand- ers. Froome was gracious in losing the yellow hoped for a little more but it was a very diffi- ings. “Pure happiness! All the pressure and all BRAZEN ATTACK jersey. “Congratulations to Tony, it was a great cult day,” said the 30-year-old Italian. “I tried to the sadness from the last days has come off But his brazen attack after the last treacher- performance. He was very close to the yellow stay at the front in the cobbled sectors and now,” said the German Etixx-Quick Step rider. ous cobbles had been crossed paid off. It jersey these last few days and definitely didn’t take any big risks.” Before the race reach- “It’s a really emotional day and stage for almost didn’t, though, as Martin punctured deserves it for all the work he’s done,” said the es the mountains there are still a couple of me, I’m super happy for that. Everything went just before the final cobbled sector and had to Sky team leader. The big loser on the day, stages where time could be gained in uphill FRANCE: Germany’s Tony Martin cele- well and I’m super happy for this team. “They borrow team-mate Matteo Trentin’s bike. though, was French hope Thibaut Pinot, third finishes. “I’m also waiting for climbs because brates as he crosses the finish line to win supported me so much, they always believed “Today, all the bad luck turned into luck! overall last year. He suffered a mechanical there are many stages with little climbs at the the fourth stage of the Tour de France in me even after missing out these last days Before the last cobbled sector I had a flat tyre problem on the penultimate cobbled sector, end. I’ll take it day by day.” — AFP cycling race. — AP India’s fringe players sense Stokes tipped to opportunity fill Flintoff shoes MUMBAI: Zimbabwe may not be the strongest of opponents but the importance of an away series against them is not lost on CARDIFF: England captain Alastair new Australian boss, Trevor Baylis. England’s emerging stars. “I just like the India’s fringe players who are keen to make Cook believes all-rounder Ben Stokes His century at Lord’s showed Stokes way he goes about it ... Jos Buttler, Joe the most of the opportunity in absence of could have as big an impact upon the making good on the promise he Root (as well) ... the guys who will take their seniors. Ashes as Andrew Flintoff did a decade demonstrated with a hundred in just his this side forward in the next 10 years or India rested regular players including ago. Flintoff was the star of England’s second Test, against Australia in Perth a so.” But another of England’s young captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and put 2005 Ashes series victory with 402 runs rare England highlight in the midst of guns, Gary Ballance, is in the middle of a Ajinkya Rahane in charge of a second-string and 24 wickets as they beat Australia in their humiliating 5-0 Ashes defeat in slump although the Yorkshire batsman side for the three ODIs and two Twenty20 a Test campaign for the first time since 2013/14. still averages more than 52 in Tests. matches in Zimbabwe. The Africans are nine 1986/87. Stokes, like Flintoff a hard-hit- Stokes, 24, had plenty of ups and Since scoring a century and two places lower than India in the ODI rankings ting batsman and lively seamer, downs between those two centuries, fifties against the West Indies in April, but for someone like Robin Uthappa, who is impressed during England’s first Test including being left out of England’s Ballance has managed just 138 runs in expected to keep wicket in Dhoni’s absence, win against New Zealand at Lord’s this World Cup squad-as indeed was Cook. nine innings in all cricket. the series is precisely what he had been season with dashing innings of 92 and “I think over the last six months he’s “It hasn’t quite clicked for Gary this waiting for. “I am really grateful that I have 101, as well as taking two wickets in two really matured as a cricketer,” Cook said summer. But his record is fantastic he is finally got a whole series to play than just balls on the last day. of Stokes. “Being left out of the World a really good player,” said fellow left- one or two games a year,” Uthappa, who Mo Farah played the last of his 43 ODIs late last year, Asked who might emerge as an Cup squad hurt him. “We all know he’s hander Cook. “He’s got that fighting atti- told reporters on Monday. Ashes hero this year on the eve of the got the talent to be there, but he would tude to get him through.” “I want to make the most of it and want Britain’s Farah to first Test in Cardiff starting on say himself he wasn’t quite performing Ballance’s technique, which sees him to consolidate my spot in the side.” Uthappa Wednesday, Cook told a news confer- as he should have done to earn selec- move deep into the crease before the made his way into the Indian team as a 21- compete in London ence: “I’m going to pick another all- tion. “I like the way he’s gone about his ball is bowled, has been repeatedly year-old hard-hitting opener and impressed rounder-Ben Stokes. business this summer. He trains incredi- analysed by television pundits but Cook immediately hitting 86 in his ODI debut Anniversary Games “He’s been in fantastic form this sum- bly hard, and physically he’s in really said the Yorkshire batsman had no need against England in 2006. mer. “I believe he’s coming into his own. good shape.” to engage in major changes. He got a decent run in Indian colours but LONDON: Britain’s double Olympic champion Mo Farah He feels comfortable, and I think he’s Cook added: “I think he understands “He’s got to stick to his method, failed to cement his place in the side. At 29, will run in the 3,000 metres at this month’s London going to have a fantastic summer,” the international cricket a little bit better because that’s what’s got him here to he’s now a more confident cricketer and Anniversary Games as he prepares for the world cham- opening batsman added. than he did when he first started. “I average 50-odd in Test cricket-a thou- even sees himself as a possible successor to pionships in Beijing starting in August.