MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2020 12 Alaphilippe makes France dream Neymar, Nike part again with Tour repeat act ways after 15 years PSG’s Neymar has made the decision to end his 15-year long collaboration with Nike Neymar and Nike could• not agree on a remuneration package that both parties were Julian Alaphilippe reacts after crossing finish line comfortable with Reuters | Paris Tour for 14 days before wilt- ing on the penultimate stage AFP | Paris year after thrilling his to finish fifth overall. A home nation for a fort - No Frenchman has won the ike said Saturday it had night on last year’s Tour de Tour de France since 1985. parted ways with Ney- France, Julian Alaphilippe pro- “I really wanted to try some- Nmar, ending one of its duced an almost carbon-copy thing and I had nothing to most high-profile sponsorship capture of a stage win yester- lose,” said Deceuninck-Quick deals a decade and a half af - day to claim the overall lead- Step’s leader. ter signing the star striker as a er’s yellow jersey again. “It really hurt me, I was dig- 13-year-old prodigy. On the day’s final climb ging deep at the end there,” “I can confirm Neymar is no Alaphilippe launched a blis- said Alaphilippe, whose longer a Nike athlete,” a spokes- tering attack to clinch bonus tongue was hanging from his man for the US sportswear giant, seconds at the summit before mouth as he pushed hard on Josh Benedek, said in an email a white-knuckle descent to the the final straight. to AFP, without giving details. finish line in Nice where the “It’s a great pride and re - Media reports said the second stage victory also gave sponsibility and I will defend 28-year-old Paris Saint-Ger- Neymar of Paris Saint-Germain and David Alaba of Bayern Munich vie for the ball him bonus seconds. this honour day by day, I won’t main and Brazil talisman was Delirious with joy at his re- be giving it up tomorrow that’s in talks with Nike’s German ri- deal with Nike was an 11-year exploded onto the internation- peat performance former sol- for sure,” he promised. val Puma. contract that was only set to al scene, dazzling the football dier Alaphilippe began punch- “I’m happy now,” he con - Brazilian news site UOL said expire in 2022, worth a total world with the skills he honed ing towards the sky, as he cluded when stepping from Neymar and Nike had failed to $105 million. playing five-a-side “futsal” on turned to see the podium. reach a deal on how much mon- Neymar, who is fresh off the the mean streets of suburban just how close Jumbo-Vis- ey he would be paid for renew- heartbreak of narrowly losing 11 Sao Paulo. behind him ma may how- ing his contract. the Champions League final year contract worth a total But his brand, already blem- the onrushing ever be fu - It said negotiations between to Bayern Munich, holds the $105 million was the last ished by tax fraud allegations peloton was to It’s a great pride and rious at the the company and the football- record for the most expensive deal signed by Neymar over his murky transfer to Bar- overtaking his responsibility and I circumstanc- er’s agents had run into trouble football transfer in history. which was only set to ca, was badly dented last year escape trio on es accompa- expire in 2022 will defend this honour months ago. PSG paid 222 million euros when a Brazilian woman ac- the Promenade day by day, I won’t be nying the win. Neymar’s communications to bring him from Barcelona cused him of raping her. des Anglais Short- team did not immediately re- in 2017. Nike expressed its “deep con- finish line. giving it up tomorrow ly after Al - spond to a request for comment. Forbes magazine, which ranks with Nike as a youth standout cern” at the time, but stood by The set-up that’s for sure aphilippe’s Puma likewise did not im - him the world’s seventh high- at Brazilian side Santos, which the player after police closed the of the second JULIAN ALAPHILIPPE attack Team mediately respond to questions est-paid celebrity, estimates his sold him to Barcelona in 2013. case, citing a lack of evidence. stage was ee- Ineos’ Michal about reports the company was earnings for this year at $95.5 With his skinny good looks, Neymar will still wear Nike rily close to how Alaphilippe Kwiatkowski somehow backed in talks to sign him. million, including endorsement tattoos, ever-changing hair- apparel on the pitch: the com- stole away from the peloton into Jumbo co-captain Tom Brazilian newspaper Folha deals. styles and huge following on pany sponsors both PSG and the last year on day three to Eper- Dumoulin and knocked him de Sao Paulo said Neymar’s last Neymar signed his first deal social media, the player soon Brazilian national team. nay and eventually led the to the floor. US Open tennis player tests Lewandowski bags German positive for COVID-19, withdraws player of the year award Reuters | New York Reuters | Munich n unidentified US Open Aplayer has tested positive ayern Munich striker Rob- for Covid-19 and withdrawn Bert Lewandowski was voted on the eve of the Grand Slam Germany’s Footballer of the showdown in New York, the US Year yesterday. Tennis Association announced The 31-year-old Pole was the yesterday. runaway winner of the title The asymptomatic player, awarded by the football maga- named by L’Equipe newspa- zine Kicker, following a vote by per as world number 22 Benoit journalists. Paire from France, has been Lewandowski received 276 advised to follow state and votes, well ahead of two oth- tournament health and safety er members of Bayern’s tri - protocols requiring isolation for ple-winning squad: Thomas at least 10 days. Contact tracing has been in- itiated to determine if anyone Bayern Munich’s Polish forward Robert Lewandowski celebrates with the else must quarantine for 14 days trophy for leading goal scorer in Bundesliga (file photo) as a result of being around the player involved. Muller (54 votes) and Joshua Player of the Year prize. FIFA The shocker comes after KNOW WHAT Kimmich (49). has said it wants to make the players have been practicing Benoit Paire hits a return during a match (file photo) “I’m very proud,” Le - award despite the new corona- and playing a tuneup event, against Poland’s 108th-ranked tempt to capture her 24th wandowski told Kicker. “Ex- virus pandemic, but a date has the ATP and WTA Western and Kamil Majchrzak. career Grand Slam women’s Robert Lewandowski pectations are getting higher not yet been set. Southern Open usually staged USTA officials aren’t expect- singles crown to match the all- and higher and every year I try “I can’t think of any other in Cincinnati, in the same quar- ed to confirm any individual time record set by Margaret amassed 55 goals for to surpass them.” player who is more deserving antine bubble where the US player’s test results under US Court. Bayern, finishing top The striker amassed 55 goals than him to be named FIFA Open begins Monday without medical privacy laws. Djokovic and Japan’s Naomi scorer in every club for Bayern, finishing top scor- World Player of the Year,” said spectators. World number one Novak Osaka, whose status is in doubt competition in which he er in every club competition Bayern coach Hansi Flick, who Paire, 31, made his first Grand Djokovic is the man to beat as due to a left hamstring injury played. He hit 34 in the in which he played. He hit 34 was named best German coach Slam fourth round in 2015 at he chases an 18th Grand Slam that forced her to pull out of Bundesliga, 15 in the in the Bundesliga, 15 in the ahead of last year’s winner, Liv- the US Open and that remains title and fourth crown on the Saturday’s WTA New York final, Champions League and Champions League and six in erpool coach Jurgen Klopp. level for his deepest Slam run. New York hardcourts after are both scheduled to play in the German Cup, as Bayern won Dane Pernille Harder of Paire, the 17th seed, is set to 2011, 2015 and 2018. Monday night’s feature match- six in the German Cup, all three. Wolfsburg won the women’s play his first US Open match Serena Williams will at - es. as Bayern won all three He is a favourite for the world award..