SPORTS Wednesday, February 7, 2018 21

Stage 1 results: Highlight from the race Skydive Dubai to Palm Jumeirah,

167km Dylan Groenewegen

1. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo, in 3hr-52min- 35sec 2. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Astana 3. Elia Viviani (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 4. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates 5. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis 6. Jacob Hennessy (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott 7. Eric Young (USA) Rally Cycling 8. Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain- Merida 9. Andrea Peron (Ita) Novo Nordisk 10. Loïc Vliegen (Bel) BMC Racing, 2018 Dubai Tour all same time General classification: 1. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo (Cyclingweekly) Dubai Groenewegen ylan Groenewegen (LottoNL- Jumbo) claimed stage 1 of the DDubai Tour ahead of Magnus Cort (Astana) and Elia Viviani (Quick- Step Floors). The Dutchman hit the front inside the final 150 meters, claims stage 1 and while the likes of Marcel Kittel (Katusha-Alpecin), Mark and the fast finishing Cort to take the as though both Kittel and Viviani squeeze through the small gap but of the road to Groenewegen and was Cavendish (Dimension Data) and first leader’s jersey of this year’s race. would be in the mix, and the German Cort almost snatched the win. possibly stronger. He had to come Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team The front three finished well clear was well marshalled into the sprint The Dane had to contest most of from further back, however, and after Emirates) failed to be in the mix, of the rest of the sprinters, with along with Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis). the sprint with a vastly reduced lead- spending so much time exposed to Groenewegen timed his sprint Marcel Kittel, who was making his When Groenewegen hit the front, out after several of his teammates the wind, he was unable to draw level perfectly. debut in Katusha colours, banging his however, he instantly put distance were wiped out in a crash inside the before the line. Groenewegen held off the handlebars in frustration as he drifted into his rivals. final 10 kilometres. “It’s great to win here because challenge of Viviani – who enjoyed a over the line after a late mechanical. Viviani, pinned to the barriers on The former GreenEdge rider there are a lot of good sprinters,” strong lead-out from his new team – Until the final 300 metres, it looked the Dutchman’s right, was unable to opened his sprint on the opposite side Groenewegen said. (Cyclingnews) Britain’s Muhammad Ali Gulbis beats Florian handed two year ban also expressed an opinion “that ritish Olympic boxer the athlete did not take the BMuhammad Ali has been prohibited substances with the Mayer in Sofia banned for two years after intention to cheat.” testing positive for a banned The boxer told the BBC steroid, the International the length of the ban was Sofia, Bulgaria Lacko. Amateur Association “extreme” but he had to accept ormer world number 10 Ernests Seventh seed Joao Sousa (AIBA) said yesterday. it and move on, with the aim of Gulbis reached the first round overcame a tough start to make The 21-year-old, who competing at the 2020 Fof the Sofia Open with a victory progress with a 7-6 (8/6) 6-1 competed as a at Olympics. (BBC) over qualifying top seed Florian victory over Bulgaria’s Dimitar the 2016 Olympic Games in Mayer. Kuzmanov. , failed a dope The Latvian, now ranked 199, Home favourite Benoit Paire test at a World Series Boxing saw off his German opponent 6-4 made a winning start at the Open match between Morocco Atlas 6-1 in the second qualifying round Sud de France in Montpellier. The Lions and British Lionhearts in of the Bulgarian event on Monday unseeded French world number 44 Casablanca last April. to set up a meeting with sixth seed saw off Germany’s Mischa Zverev He was provisionally Viktor Troicki. 6-4 6-4. suspended from all There was an upset as the first Sixth seed Andrey Rublev also international and domestic round proper later got under way went through, beating Spain’s competitions last October. with eighth seed Evgeny Donskoy Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4 6-4. AIBA said in a statement losing 6-4 6-4 to Slovakia’s Lukas (PA Sport) on its website that it had imposed the ban after reaching a “settlement agreement” on the case, without giving details. Ernests Gulbis (file pic) GB Boxing noted the decision and said AIBA had Muhammad Ali (file pic)