ARAB TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021 SPORTS 14 Puerto Rico’s Arroyo wins second-tier world flyweight title Alvarez stops Yildirim to retain super-middleweight belts MIAMI GARDENS, Florida, Feb 28, (AP): to score with combinations to the body in Saul “Canelo” Alvarez outclassed Avni the second. Yildirim (21-3) rarely threw Yildirim and retained his world super-middle- punches and the few he did, Alvarez blocked weight titles with a technical knockout after or slipped his shots. Alvarez stayed within Tour de France champion Pogacar wins UAE Tour Yildirim failed to answer the bell for the fourth punching range and increased his output but ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Feb Dhabi Breakwater. Yates, who won last round. also was effective from distance and con- 28, (AP): Tour de France champion Tadej year’s race, recovered from a crash that Alvarez, of Mexico, nected with a flush counter right to the Pogacar won the UAE Tour on Saturday, took down a section of the peloton about dropped the Turkish head. finishing the weeklong race 35 seconds 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the finish. His challenger with a left “It doesn’t matter if he is stronger or taller,” ahead of British rider Adam Yates. team, INEOS Grenadiers, said he would be The Slovenian’s success was also a win checked at a hospital as a precaution. right combination to the Alvarez said about Yildirim, who began his head midway through for the United Arab Emirates, as he com- “He sustained cuts and bruises to his career at light-heavyweight before moving petes for UAE Team Emirates. João face but he does not appear to have suf- the third round. Alvarez down to the 168-pound class. “It doesn’t mat- followed with additional Almeida of Portugal was third overall, 62 fered any more significant injuries,” the ter if he has a good trainer. I came to do my combinations, pinning second behind Pogacar. team said on Twitter. job.” Chris Froome, a four-time Tour de Yildirim on the ropes. France winner, finished the race 22 min- Yildirim survived the CYCLING utes back in his debut with the Israel Start- round but absorbed suf- BOXING Alvarez Up Nation team. ficient punishment that Chris Harper of Australia was fourth forced his trainer Joel Saturday’s bout was the first of what Alvarez “Every win, every race has its own story. overall, 1:42 minutes behind Pogacar and Diaz to stop the fight. I want to continue like this,” Pogacar said. thee seconds ahead of American rider hopes will be a busy year seeking unification With the victory, Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOs) Caleb Ewan of Australia edged out Neilson Powless in fifth. successfully defended his World Boxing fights. Alvarez said there have been prelimi- Irishman Sam Bennett in a sprint to win the Pogacar won the rescheduled Tour de Council and World Boxing Association belts. nary conversations for a bout with Billy Joe Tadej Pogacar celebrates winning the UAE seventh and final stage - a 147-kilometer France in September, becoming the sec- “I came and did what I had to do,” Alvarez Saunders, the World Boxing Organization title- tour cycling race, after the seventh and last (91-mile) route from Yas Island to Abu ond-youngest winner in race history. said. “I had to win by knockout and I accom- holder, in May. Caleb Plant holds the fourth stage from Yas Mall to Abu Dhabi plished it.” sanctioning body belt. Breakwater, United Arab Emirates, on Feb landed the match against Alvarez after the Earlier, Puerto Rico’s McWilliams Arroyo The fight headlined the first boxing event at “Everybody wants a piece of Canelo but I 27. (AP) WBC designated him mandatory challenger. In won a second-tier world flyweight title with a 34-year-old Hard Rock Stadium, home of the am not going to let them take anything,” the lead-up to the fight, Yildirim said having fifth-round technical knockout over late Miami Dolphins. Alvarez said. Mexico’s history. previously sparred with Alvarez would help replacement Abraham Rodriguez. Arroyo orig- In a methodical first round, Alvarez set the As he continues to solidify his spot among “I respect history but I also want to make my him pull the upset. inally was scheduled to challenge WBC fly- pace early with lead left jabs to the head and the sport’s pound-for-pound elite, Alvarez also history,” Alvarez said. “Those that came before Alvarez and Yildirim both weighed 167 weight champion Julio Cesar Martinez but and lefts and right to the body. is gaining additional ground for inclusion on me will always have my respect.” pounds, a pound under the super-middleweight Martinez withdrew from the bout Thursday Alvarez landed uppercuts and continued the short list of best fighters in boxing rich Inactive since February 2019, YIildirim limit. because of a hand injury. Reddick finishes 2nd, Jones 3rd Faivre wins ‘GS’ for first Snider gets Xfinity victory after Gragson slams into lapped car HOMESTEAD, Florida, Feb 28, (AP): The biggest challenge for the first- Noah Gragson had close to a 9-second time winner – the second in as many lead, the outside lane wide open and weeks in NASCAR’s second-tier the white flag waiting for him ahead. series – was finding victory lane. The JR Motorsports driver was on Snider missed the turn before having WCup victory in 4 years the verge of an elusive victory at to back up and try again. Homestead-Miami Speedway. And Reddick was second, followed by then the unthinkable happened. A Brandon Jones, Daniel Hemric, Jeb lapped car blew a tire and turned right Burton and pole-sitter Austin Cindric. Gut-Behrami locks up super-G title in race marred by crashes in front of him. A fraction of a second The race provided some proof that earlier or later and Gragson would Cindric might have more competition have cruised by and ended up in vic- than some expected after he finished BANSKO, Bulgaria, Feb tory lane. first and second in the first two races. 28, (AP): Mathieu Faivre Instead, Gragson was as much the story as won a World Cup race for Gragson had Snider. He was cruising toward his nowhere to go first win since last June when Starr the first time in more than and no time to blew a right-front tire and turned into four years on Sunday, stop. He earning a pat on his back slammed into David Starr and CAR RACING from French team-mate ended his day in Alexis Pinturault. disappointing Faivre’s win came nine days fashion. the outside wall – and right in front of after he took a surprise gold medal Myatt Snider Gragson. in giant slalom at the world cham- was the benefi- Gragson Gragson climbed out of his crum- ciary. Snider pled car, shook his head and fists in pionships. Pinturault was favorite won the Xfinity Series race Saturday, disgust. He took off his helmet and in that race but skied out early in taking the checkered flag in overtime gloves and waved to the crowd before his final run, handing the victory to after Gragson’s untimely wreck with stepping into a waiting ambulance for Faivre. two laps to go in regulation. a mandatory ride to the infield care In Sunday’s GS, Faivre was simply “What are you going to do?” center. faster than Pinturault in two runs on Gragson said. “You’ve got (idiots) in It was his third straight disappointing the Banderiza course. the way every single week.” finish at Homestead. Gragson had the Building on a big first-run lead, The 26-year-old Snider celebrated dominant car in both races at Homestead Faivre finished 0.75 seconds ahead of his first victory in 36 starts with a last year, but failed to win either. Marco Odermatt of Switzerland, who reverse lap around the 1 1/2-mile “Definitely a bummer,” Gragson improved from sixth position. track. said. “They know who won this race The Richard Childress Racing driv- based on speed the last three times er spun his tires on the first of two we’ve been here. ... There’s only one SKIING restarts in overtime, but got a second thing we know how to do and that’s chance thanks to a late caution after AJ rebound.” Allmendinger spun. Snider didn’t Snider, the son of NASCAR broad- Pinturault came 0.06 further back in Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women’s World Cup super G, in make the same mistake twice, driving caster Marty Snider, took advantage third. Thibaut Favrot was 1.08 behind Val di Fassa, Italy, on Feb 28. (AP) by RCR team-mate Tyler Reddick and and put Richard Childress Racing in and was the third French skier in the turning the final two laps without victory lane for the first time in 2021. top four. Pinturault and Odermatt are also 1-2 long interruptions of the penultimate overall champion from Italy. much of a test. He had no friends and family members Faivre also won gold in the parallel in the overall standings. super-G of the season, which was won Gut-Behrami, who won gold in the “It’s just amazing to finally be in around to celebrate, which might not event at the worlds but had not tri- this position,” Snider said. have been a bad thing. umphed in a World Cup race since his The men’s World Cup moves to by Federica Brignone, the defending discipline at the world championships only previous win in Val d’Isère, Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, for this month, finished 0.59 seconds France, in December 2016.