MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015 SPORTS Castroneves grabs IndyCar pole BIRMINGHAM: Helio Castroneves, Will Power race in 2010 and captured the pole two years and Team Penske will start from a familiar later. Power said qualifying spot is “huge” at position at the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama: Barber, where there are fewer than normal Up front. good passing spots. He won at the 2.3-mile, Now, the challenge will be finishing there, 17-turn road course in 2011 and 2012. too. Castroneves is confident of a happy end- Power’s strong qualifying was a nice rebound ing for someone on his team Sunday at from his 20th-place finish at Long Beach. Barber Motorsports Park, he’s just not sure “It’s kind of apparent that it’s going to be a who. “Whatever happens, we’ll make sure that race between the teammates, then you have one of the guys wins the race,” the Brazilian kind of Kanaan and Dixon in the mix as well,” said. Castroneves turned in the fast lap of 1 he said. “I feel like we’ve got a little bit of an minute, 7.1925 seconds with rain starting to advantage. We’ve been stronger. You have to come down at the end of a day dominated by keep that in mind when you’re racing those Penske and Chevrolet. He earned his second guys. Every time they get points on you, it’s pole in the Alabama race and second in a row going to add up at the end of the year. this year after finishing No. 2 at Long Beach. “Got to be smart and treat your team- IndyCar officials put up the checkered flag mates as well as you can, but you’ve also got with 1:40 left in the Fast Six with lightning in to win. That’s what’s on my mind.” the area, leaving no one with a chance to Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2014 Indianapolis make a late run at him. 500 winner, will start 18th. Hunter-Reay will “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” have to play catch-up after winning the last Castroneves said. “I went for it. I saw some two Alabama races. Power and Castroneves very thick drops of rain coming. I’m the first combined to win the first three. Hunter-Reay run out there because I had the first pit. I’m said he got caught behind rookie Francesco just pushing as hard as I can. Dracone and couldn’t finish with a strong “In the end it paid off. I took some calcu- qualifying lap. lated risk. I went out again, then it was a little “We just caught slower traffic there,” bit slippery. Since we were in a very good Hunter-Reay said. “I gave him a huge gap to position already, I didn’t have to take any oth- begin with knowing that he was way off the er chance. “ Power, a two-time winner in pace and just caught him over and over Alabama, will start second, followed by Simon again. “It’s our own team’s fault to put our- Pagenaud for a Team Penske sweep of the top selves in that position.” Points leader Juan LONDON: Britain’s Prince Harry poses for a picture with winners of the Men’s race Wilson Kipsang who came second (left), Eliud Kipchoge who three spots. A Penske driver has started seven Pablo Montoya qualified 15th, well behind his came first (centre) and Dennis Kimetto who came third (right) at the 35th London Marathon yesterday. —AP straight races from the pole and nabbed the Penske teammates. “It’s tough because on first four starting spots in the opener at St. these tires you really only get one lap and I Petersburg. The rest of the top six includes missed it on that lap,” said Montoya, who won Kipchoge adds London title Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden and Tony at St. Pete. Making his way up front will be Kanaan. Dixon has podium finishes in all five hard since the lowest starting spot for a win- Barber races in the series, including four run- ner was No. 9 for Power in 2012. Kanaan ners-up but no wins. called Barber “a hard, hard place to pass.” to marathon collection Chevy, which has won two of the first “In my opinion, it’s going to end up on fuel three races, has the top seven qualifiers and strategy and pit strategy,” Kanaan said. “We’re 10 of the first 12. Honda’s only win came from so close. Such quality drivers this year in the Shock win for Tufa in women’s race James Hinchcliffe in the rain-shortened field. We’ll have to see if there’s an opportuni- Louisiana race. ty to pass. We’ll put on a good show for the Castroneves won the inaugural Alabama fans. Barber is always good for that.” —AP LONDON: Eliud Kipchoge led a Kenyan clean sweep of the podium places as he won the men’s London Marathon yesterday in a time of two hours, four minutes and 42 seconds. Kerber shocks Wozniacki The final mile saw former world 5,000 metres champion Kipchoge sprint clear of Wilson STUTTGART: Germany’s Angelique Kerber Stuttgart in her fourth appearance at the Kipsang, last year’s London winner, with world extended her winning streak to 11 matches German venue. record-holder Dennis Kimetto finishing in third with a three-sets win over Caroline The first set of Sunday’s final was all place. Wozniacki to win the Stuttgart claycourt Wozniacki, who broke Kerber in the fourth Victory saw Kipchoge add the London title to title yesterday. game then held her serve to take a 4-1 lead his wins in last year’s Rotterdam and Chicago Having knocked out three-time champi- before the set was eventually served out. marathons and was his fourth victory in five runs on Maria Sharapova in the second round, The German rallied to control the sec- at the distance. Kerber recovered from losing the final’s first ond, blasting her way out to a 3-0 lead “It was a tough race. My training paid off and set to earn a 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory over for- before breaking the former world number it went to plan,” said Kipchoge. Some pundits mer world number one Wozniacki. one in the sixth game for a 5-1 lead to had billed the men’s event as a ‘Clash of the “I fought hard until the end and drained serve out the set. Champions’ between Kipsang and Kimetto, their all my reserves of energy,” beamed Bremen- Both players traded breaks in the third first meeting over the marathon. “I was really born Kerber. “I am mega-proud to have before Wozniacki looked to be heading for under-rated,” said Kipchoge. “Everyone was like, won here in front of a home crowd.” Since her second tournament victory of 2015 at ‘Wilson and Kimetto, who will win’?” Kipsang winning the Charleston tournament a fort- 5-3. But Kerber made her shots count and added: “I tried to keep a close watch on him, but night ago, Kerber carried her impressive with the Dane under immense pressure on he had more fuel than me.” recent form onto Stuttgart’s clay courts. the base line, Wozniacki was broken in the The 30-year-old Kipchoge, who went up in Her win over Sharapova was the first ninth and 11th games to give the German distance after his world title success on the track time the Russian had tasted defeat in victory in just over two hours. —AFP in Paris in 2003, beat a field featuring the three- fastest marathon runners of all-time. His winning time was outside Kipsang’s London record of 2hrs 04 mins and 29 secs set last year. Kipsang’s time of 2:04:47 yesterday made him the quick- LONDON: Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia poses with the trophy after winning the women’s race in the est-ever London runner-up, surpassing Stanley 35th London Marathon yesterday. —AP Biwott’s 2:04:55 last year. Kimetto came in third this year in a time of 2:05:50, with Biwott in overcast and cool conditions. blighted by a series of injuries in recent years, fourth place. In the women’s race, there was a “I’ve always dreamed about winning the with illness and fitness problems helping deny shock win for Tigist Tufa as the Ethiopian, who in London Marathon and I can’t say how happy I her an Olympic title. common with Kipchoge was making her London am that this has come true,” said Tufa who beat a Radcliffe crossed the line on Sunday in a time debut, ended four years of Kenyan domination. field featuring the Kenyan quartet of defending of 2:36:55. “Down the last mile I thought, ‘I don’t Tufa was only the ninth-fastest competitor in champion Edna Kiplagat, Keitany, half-marathon care about the time’. I just wanted to thank as the elite women’s field but pulled clear just over world record holder Florence Kiplagat and many people as I could,” Radcliffe said after a mile from the finish. The 28-year-old won by Priscah Jeptoo, the London winner in 2013. Edna embracing husband Gary Lough and their two some 18 seconds from Kenya’s Mary Keitany in a Kiplagat finished down the field in 11th place. children, daughter Isla and son Raphael, at the time of 2:23:22.