WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 SPORTS

Matthias Dolderer of (C) celebrates with of (L) and of (R) during Dolderer performs during the fourth stage. the Award Ceremony at the fourth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in . Dolderer wins historic 70th Red Bull air race in Budapest thriller

BUDAPEST: At a landmark Red Bull Air Race in Budapest of 8 results awards 75% of the points given in a full race. In season has seen a different awardee, with Dolderer, Arch, on Sunday, German pilot tightened his earning his second win of the season (and the second of Hall and Martin Sonka of the Czech Republic each earning grip on the World Championship lead by winning a turbu- his career, which began in 2009), Dolderer increased his the honor. lent contest cut short by unfavorable weather. Hannes tally in the World Championship points to 41.25, putting Due to the weather conditions, the weekend’s Arch of Austria claimed second, while Australia’s Matt Hall him 15.25 points ahead of Arch in second. Nonetheless, Challenger Cup competition was cancelled. The earned third. after earning no points in the season opener due to a Challenger Cup is an element of the Red Bull Air Race cre- An abbreviated Red Bull Air Race in Budapest, penalty, Arch’s 26 points represent a significant rebound ated in 2014 to help the next generation of pilots develop on Sunday wasn’t short on thrills, as Germany’s Matthias as the season reaches its midpoint. American Kirby the skills and experience needed for potential advance- Dolderer confidently delivered the best time in the Round Chambliss, who rounded out the Budapest Final 4, now ment to the Master Class. of 8 despite race winds that pilots said were the most tur- sits just behind in the third position with 25.25 points. Results Master Class Budapest: 1. Matthias Dolderer bulent they could remember. Due to weather delays, the (GER), 2. Hannes Arch (AUT), 3. Matt Hall (AUS) 4. Kirby safe flight window could not accommodate the full racing RACE BY RACE Chambliss (USA), 5. (JPN) 6. program, and when the Final 4 was cancelled, race results “It was crazy with the rain and wind. After a penalty in (GBR) 7. (FRA) 8. (ESP) 9. Pete were determined by the Round of 8 times. Dolderer’s my first flight today I thought it was just a bad weekend, McLeod (CAN) 10. (USA) 11. Petr 58.653 seconds clinched his victory, while Austria’s Hannes but then the second flight went really well,” said Dolderer, Kopfstein (CZE) 12. Peter Podlunsek (SLO) 13. Martin Sonka Arch was second with 58.942 and Australia’s Matt Hall took who thanked his Matthias Dolderer Racing team for their (CZE) 14. Francois Le Vot (FRA). third with 59.236. support on a difficult weekend. “I’m not focusing on the World Championship Standings: 1. Matthias Dolderer The rain couldn’t drown out the cheers of the 20,000 points standings. For me what counts is race by race, and (GER) 41.25 pts, 2. Hannes Arch (AUT) 26 pts, 3. Kirby spectators as they lined both banks of the Danube and our results are showing that all the hard work over the Chambliss (USA) 25.25 pts, 4. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN) waved from picturesque balconies to celebrate history’s winter on the aircraft and myself paid off. We really look 22.50 pts, 5. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) 22 pts, 6. Nigel Lamb landmark 70th Red Bull Air Race. Even worse conditions forward to the next race and will treat it as if we’re starting (GBR) 19.75 pts, 7. Matt Hall (AUS) 18.75 pts, 8. Martin had canceled Qualifying on Saturday, and limited experi- at zero.” ?onka (CZE) 14 pts, 9. Pete McLeod (CAN) 12.50 pts, 10. ence on the season’s most technical track so far gave the Dolderer also earned the DHL Fastest Lap Award, a Francois Le Vot (FRA) 10 pts, 11. Juan Velarde (ESP) 9.25 Dolderer celebrates during the Award Ceremony at the advantage to the more experienced pilots. component introduced this season that defines a new pts, 12. Michael Goulian (USA) 6.75 pts, 13. Peter fourth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World In accordance with the rules, a finish based on Round standard of speed at the Red Bull Air Race. Each race this Podlun?ek (SLO) 3 pts, 14. (CZE) 2 pts. Championship in Budapest.

Dolderer performs during the training. Dolderer prepares for his flight during the fourth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Tokol, Hungary.

Dozens of wrestlers sue WWE over Froome rubbishes ‘Tour over’ talk

neurological injuries BERN: Chris Froome dismissed sugges- own challenges. Obviously the time-trial one real uphill finish and that was four-day block coming up after the rest tions he’s got the Tour de France is quite important. Ventoux. “Everybody knows the story of day,” said Tasmanian Porte, 31. NEW HAVEN: World Wrestling Entertainment Inc wrapped up, pointing to four tough “Each day is extremely challenging-it’s (what happened on Mont) Ventoux “I think I’ve got everything to play for was sued on Monday by Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka and dozens of other retired male and female stages in the Alps to come. definitely a four-day block as opposed to already-it will be interesting to see what now, I’m not too far off the podium. “It’s a wrestlers seeking to hold it responsible for neuro- French sports newspaper l’Equipe ran picking one day to go harder than the happens on Wednesday.” While Froome big goal so bring it on.” Van Garderen, 28, logical injuries they claimed to suffer by participat- a headline saying “Sans rival”-without other ones.” Yet he did admit will be on the defensive, BMC Racing pair suggested the two could work together ing in its bouts. rivals-at the end of the first two weeks of Wednesday’s stage looks particularly Porte and Tejay Van Garderen will be to improve the chances of one making The complaint was filed on behalf of more than the Tour, with Froome leading by 1min arduous, with the 13km first category going on the attack. They’re seventh and the podium. “As of now I’m not really 50 plaintiffs who have performed with WWE or its 47sec overall from Dutchman Bauke climb followed by a 10km hors category eighth respectively at 4:27 and 4:47 going to put a number on it (where he predecessors since the 1970s, including Joseph Mollema. The 31-year-old Kenyan-born one at the finish, and only 7km of down- behind Froome, and a top three finish is hopes to finish) but we’ve got to be hap- “Road Warrior Animal” Laurinaitis and Paul “Mr. Englishman has been imperious during hill respite between the two. “That’s an the aim. Briton Adam Yates currently py with our best,” said the American. “We Wonderful” Orndorff. the race this year, launching a daring extremely tough stage in itself. holds that and is 1:42 ahead of Porte. have to see how things play out, there’s a It accused Stamford, Connecticut-based WWE solo attack on a fast descent to take vic- “It’s an uphill finish-we’ve only had “I’m in good condition and it is a hard number of different tactics.” — AFP and Chairman Vince McMahon of intentionally clas- tory on stage eight. sifying wrestlers as “independent contractors” rather He then broke away alongside world than employees, as a means to avoid liability under champion Peter Sagan on a flat 11th applicable worker protection laws. “WWE placed stage with crosswinds to snare more corporate gain over its wrestlers’ health, safety, and time from his rivals. Froome took time financial security, choosing to leave the plaintiffs out of all but two of the top climbers- severely injured and with no recourse to treat their Mollema and Australian Richie Porte-on damaged minds and bodies,” the complaint said. the uphill finish on Mont Ventoux and The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive then crushed the other contenders on damages, as well as improved medical monitoring. Friday’s time-trial. But the Sky team WWE, in a statement, called the lawsuit another attempt to hold it liable by a lawyer who had two leader insists it is far too early to start earlier lawsuits dismissed and added that “we’re crowning him with a third Tour victory. confident this lawsuit will suffer the same fate”. “I don’t agree,” he said when asked WWE has won the dismissal of some claims in about the l’Equipe headline. “Other other lawsuits accusing it of hiding the risks of head teams have said they’re going to attack trauma from wrestling. The National Football this week in the Alps, I expect they will League and National Hockey League have also been do. “To say I’ve won and I don’t have any sued by retired players over head injuries. rivals, that’s rubbish. A lot can happen in Monday’s complaint was filed with the federal court four days in the mountains. in New Haven, Connecticut. “You only need one bad day and you The plaintiffs accused WWE of concealing the can lose a few minutes.” The possibility of risks of the degenerative brain disease chronic trau- cracking and losing time will be high matic encephalopathy and other traumatic brain over the next four stages. injuries attributable to wrestling, including through Wednesday’s 17th stage finishes with “scripted” moves it choreographed. Konstantine 23km of climbing over the final 30km, Kyros, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, in an email said including an hors category last ascent. WWE’s “exploitative business model” kept his clients On Thursday there’s a 17km uphill time- from learning their rights under laws such as the trial while Friday and Saturday’s stages federal Occupational Safety and Health Act. both have four categorised climbs. According to the complaint, Laurinaitis, 55; Before the Tour began, Froome and sev- Snuka, 72; and Orndorff, 66, suffer from cognitive difficulties including headaches, dizziness and eral rivals all identified these four coming memory loss, while Snuka and Orndorff also experi- days as the key to the whole race. ence confusion, depression and mood swings. The plaintiffs also include former referees and identical ‘EXTREMELY CHALLENGING’ twins Earl and Dave Hebner, 66, who according the And Froome explained it was with complaint have experienced cognitive difficulties. that in mind that he is remaining under- Dave Hebner has also been diagnosed with stated. “I am appearing more reserved Parkinson’s disease, the complaint said. —Reuters because this next block is four very tricky HILTERFINGEN: Overall leader’s yellow jersey British cyclist Christopher Froome attends a press conference at his hotel on the sec- days. “Each day is different and has it’s ond rest day of the 2016 Tour de France cycling race yesterday in Hilterfingen, Switzerland. — AFP