22 Wednesday, January 24, 2018 SPORTS Vuelta a San Juan Villalobos BIC gears takes a big up for Open WINPocito, Argentina Villalobos scored a major victory for his Canel’s-Specialized team, latchingR onto a late breakaway with Lotto Track Night Soudal’s Tiesj Benoot, then riding a strong DT News Network available at BIC for all speed enthusiasts tailwind to a sprint victory over Ricardo Manama will be a pair of passenger rides in a Clio Escuela (A.C.A. Virgen De Fatima) on ace fans can satisfy their need Cup car and a Radical SR3 prototype. stage 2 of the Vuelta a San Juan. for speed on Thursday when The Clio Cup passenger ride gives clients Villalobos also took the race lead over BahrainR International Circuit (BIC) a look into the racing capabilities of one Escuela thanks to the time bonus. Benoot hosts an Open Track Night for cars of the world’s most popular sports cars. finished third on the stage and sits third and motorbikes. This Renault-manufactured mean machine overall, being caught just on the line by the Open Track is one of the most popular features a 1.6-litre Turbocharged engine. It chasing peloton. and highly subscribed events at BIC and can generate up to 220bhp and 6,000rpm, Villalobos now enjoys a four-second lead it is once again expected to attract a wide and it has a paddle shift racing gearbox and in the general classification over Escuela, number of motor racing enthusiasts from an FIA-specification roll cage and seats. with Benoot at six and overnight leader all over the Gulf. The Radical SR3 boasts an RPE-Suzuki Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) Those taking part will be able to Generation 1,340 DOHC engine. It can go down to fourth at eight seconds. experience BIC’s 2.550-kilometre Inner from zero to 100kmh in 3.4 seconds, and The win is the biggest of Villalobos’ Track while BIC’s state-of-the-art also has a six-speed sequential gearbox and career, and the 27-year-old Costa Rican floodlighting system brilliantly illuminates paddle gearshift system. said it was dream that was hatched the the facility. Thursday’s action will be held from 4pm morning of the stage. Action from the previous race Aside from the Open Track, also until 11pm. Registration begins at 3pm. “I told my teammates in the morning before the stage that I wanted to win,” he said at the post-stage press conference. “We knew that we’d have to have a strong team to be in the first part of the peloton Nibali sets out new race schedule but with experience I could win the stage.” (Cyclingnews) Manama Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April. ahrain-Merida’s leader Vincenzo After concentrating on one-day races Nibali has laid out the races which in the spring, Nibali then looks likely Bhe will enter in preparation for the Tour to have a break from racing, with his de after he was forced to pull out final Tour preparation coming at the of what was planned to be the first race Critérium du Dauphiné, which starts on of his season with illness. June 3, just over a month before the start Nibali travelled to Argentina to take of the Tour de France on July 7. part in the Vuelta a San Juan, but was Depending on his condition coming forced to withdraw ahead of the opening out of the Tour de France, where he stage on Monday as he suffered from a is expected to be one of the favourites fever and stomach problems. to take the yellow jersey, Nibali Instead, according to Italian is also expected to race the Vuelta a newspaper Il Messaggero, the four-time España before heading to the World Grand Tour winner will now start his Championships in Innsbruck where a season a month later than planned, hilly parcours will also suit his style of heading to the Tour of Oman which racing. starts on February 13. The Italian enjoyed a consistent 2017 From there the Bahrain’s Nibali will season, finishing third at the Giro d’Italia ride three Monuments over the course and second at the Vuelta a España, of the spring, starting with Milan-San before finishing off the year with a Remo in March before heading the popular home victory at Il Lombardia. (file pic) for the Tour of Flanders and (Cyclingweekly) Joshua on Usyk’s radar at heavyweight London him (Joshua). Not yet though. leksandr Usyk says he will “But it is a question everybody move up to heavyweight and keeps asking me, so once we go takeO on Anthony Joshua but not face to face, we will find out. It will until he has proved he is the best be good. “First of all, I like Britain cruiserweight in the world. because that is where boxing was The Ukrainian takes on fellow born. The fans over there still follow unbeaten cruiserweight Mairis me and watch me, so I will always try Briedis in the semi-final of the and show them my best.” World Boxing Super Series, in Riga, Usyk has been sparring with , this Saturday. London duo Isaac Chamberlain and Usyk is the No 1 seed and wants Anthony Joshua (file pic) Oleksandr Usyk (file pic) Mikael Lawal, as well as Mateusz to prove he is the best cruiserweight out moving up and meeting Joshua. “I will move up to heavyweight Masternak and Dmitry Kudryashov in the world and although he is not “I will but let’s wait for a while,” he and show them all how good I am. I as he gets ready for Briedis. looking past Briedis, he has not ruled exclusively said. think you can see yourself, I will fight (Skysports) Roman Villalobos celebrates