Established 1961 25 Sports Monday, March 2, 2020 Barker bags first world track cycling championships gold for Britain Froome among riders cleared to leave UAE after coronavirus scare BERLIN: Elinor Barker of Britain, the 2017 world positive for coronavirus. champion, struck again yesterday to claim victory in Authorities said on Saturday that the first 167 tests the women’s points race at the world track cycling for the virus had come back negative but there have championships. Barker, 25, totalled 50 points to win been no further updates. Some 600 riders, staff and from second-placed American Jennifer Valente (34 members of the media were tested. points) with Norwegian Anita Yvonne Stenberg third “All our riders and staff (are) now leaving UAE after on (33 points). being given the all clear,” Team Ineos posted on Twitter Baker, the Olympic team pursuit champion and four- https://twitter.com/TeamINEOS/status/12340250450 times world champion, was assured of victory when 61705728 on Sunday. “Thank you to all those who have she stole ahead to lap the peloton twice, earning herself helped us and looked after the team over recent days.” a 20-point bonus along the way. She brought home the Team Jumbo-Visma and Israel-Start Up Nation first gold medal for Britain, a less dominant force at squad also confirmed that their riders and staff had left these world championships in Berlin than in previous the UAE. Despite receiving the green light to travel editions since the 2012 London Olympics. home, Team UAE-Emirates decided to extend their stay Barker on Thursday won silver with the women’s in Abu Dhabi and go home “only with the safety of team pursuit squad, while Britain also claimed silver in non-contagion”. the men’s team sprint and bronze in the men’s omnium. “In the context of this global emergency, the main Meanwhile, Chris Froome and his fellow Team Ineos goal is the safety of all of us and our family members,” riders are among those who have been allowed to Team UAE-Emirates, who are funded by the gulf leave their hotel and travel home from the cancelled nation, said in a statement http://www.uaeteamemi- UAE Tour following a coronavirus scare, the team said rates.com/team-will-remain-uae-precaution. yesterday. “In light of some known cases of flu within our The final two stages of the UAE Tour, which featured group and other teams, we will be tested again in the BERLIN: Great Britain’s Elinor Barker celebrates after the women’s 25km points final at the UCI track cycling some of the world’s leading riders, was called off on next few days and once the situation has improved, rid- World Championship at the velodrome in Berlin yesterday. — AFP Thursday because two Italian participants had tested ers and staff will return to their families.” — Agencies Russell stars as Racing crush Fleetwood seizes La Rochelle one-stroke lead at PARIS: Finn Russell handed out another taster of what Scotland are missing as he helped guide Racing 92 to a PGA Honda Classic 49-0 thrashing of La Rochelle in Top 14 action on Saturday. Russell was at the heart of a Racing perform- MIAMI: Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood birdied ance that saw the home side — missing France interna- four of the last six holes, including two spec- tionals Camille Chat, Teddy Thomas, Bernard Le Roux tacular birdie putts from beyond 40 feet, to and Virimi Vakatawa — shoot out to a 25-0 half-time grab a one-stroke lead after Saturday’s third lead, going on to consolidate their dominance in a sev- round of the US PGA Honda Classic. en-try thumping La Rochelle director of rugby Jono The 29-year-old Englishman, runner-up at Gibbes dubbed a “disgrace”. the 2018 US Open and 2019 British Open, fired Scotland coach Gregor Townsend has decided a three-under par 67 to finish on five-under against selecting Russell so far in the Six Nations after 205 after 54 holes at PGA National in Palm falling out with the fly-half. In his absence, Scotland Beach Gardens, Florida. suffered losses to England and Ireland before rebound- Fleetwood, who began the day three strokes ing to beat Italy last week to lift, slightly, the pressure off the lead, made six birdies against three on Townsend for Russell’s non-selection. bogeys on a wild day where he was the only “It’s exactly what we’d forecast,” Racing prop player to shoot a round under par in the final Cedate Gomes Sa said of the result. “We really wanted eight groups. to play this match to the max before the international NANTERRE: Racing 92’s Scottish fly-half Finn Russell (C) is congratulated by teamates after scoring a try during “It’s funny, really, how tough certain shots break. And for the first time we were able to do so from the French Top 14 rugby union match between Racing 92 and La Rochelle, at La Defense Arena stadium in can play,” Fleetwood said. “There are just so the first to the 80th minute.” Nanterre near Paris. — AFP many factors on a golf course. You can only hit La Rochelle skipper Victor Vito was left scram- golf shots and see where they play.” American bling for positives from the thrashing. “It’s the first Brendan Steele, the 36-hole leader who was time we’ve shipped points like that,” lamented the ex- Olivier Klemenczak driving his way over in the cor- “It’s tough for our supporters and the club... it’s a three ahead of Fleetwood when the day began, All Black, a two-time World Cup winner. “Either we ner after a long looping pass from Fijian playmaker disgrace,” said Gibbes, a former All Black flanker/lock fired a 71 to stand second on 206 with crack or we come back,” he said. “In the end I think Ben Volavola. who previously coached at Leinster, Clermont and England’s 46-year-old Lee Westwood and 42- it’ll be a good thing. We have qualities but we didn’t Fabien Sanconnie crossed for Racing’s fifth try after Ulster. “49-0, there’s no excuse, it’s my responsibility! year-old Luke Donald both on 207 after 71s show them today.” a smart Laborde offload before Maxime Machenaud Today we took part in the match, but we didn’t play.” In Saturday. Racing opened the scoring through hooker Teddy added salt to La Rochelle’s wounds, pouncing on a ball later games, defending champions Toulouse slumped to “I didn’t have my A-game today,” said Baubigny, driven over from an attacking line-out maul that had popped loose from a close-range scrum. a 20-10 defeat at Bayonne while title hopefuls Lyon Westwood, seeking his first US PGA win since after Jules Plisson’s deliberate knock-on. There then Racing lost Irish full-back Simon Zebo to injury after were also beaten, 30-6 at Brive. Brive’s three tries all 2010. “Struggled with my game a little bit. followed two intercept tries. The first came from what looked like a blatant shoulder-barge of a tackle came in the first half with a 19-minute hat-trick from Stayed patient and ground it out. I don’t think I Russell, from 60 metres out, the second from Dorian from the former Munster player. Replacement Racing winger Joris Jurand. The mid-table side are used to did too much damage.” Fleetwood dropped the Laborde thanks to Francois Trinh-Duc, who picked prop Hassane Kolingar rounded off a nightmare match pulling off shocks — they defeated league leaders ball within six feet at the par-3 sixth and made off Vito’s pass and offloaded before collapsing with a for the Ronan O’Gara-coached La Rochelle side, doing Bordeaux-Begles 30-9 in October. Today sees the birdie putt, then suffered a three-putt hamstring injury. well to wrestle his way to the line, Machenaud going Bordeaux host Castres, while ex-Italy captain Sergio bogey from 85 feet at the par-3 seventh. He Racing extended their half-time lead within four wide with the conversion to at least save the visitors a Parisse turns out for Toulon at home against his former answered with a five-foot birdie at the ninth but minutes of the restart for the second period, centre humiliating 50-plus defeat. long-time club Stade Francais. — AFP needed four shots to find the 10th green and took a bogey. His closing charge began with a “lovey putt” for birdie from 14 feet at 13, followed by a mon- Kennedy’s stunning 63 secures ster 45-footer for birdie at 14. “Just looking to Harris saves England lag that one up close. Wasn’t expecting it to go second New Zealand Open in,” Fleetwood said. “Bit of a bonus there.” blushes at LA Sevens After finding sand with his first two shots at QUEENSTOWN: Brad Kennedy carded a The in-form Herbert, who won the the par-3 15th, Fleetwood blasted out and sank remarkable eight-under-par final-round 63 European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic in a testy 10-foot bogey putt. “The putt at 15 for LOS ANGELES: England needed a last-gasp try to scrape into the to come from behind to win golf’s New January, had a costly double-bogey on the bogey was big,” Fleetwood said. It bolstered knockout rounds of the Los Angeles Sevens on Saturday and deny Zealand Open by two strokes yesterday.