22 Tuesday, July 11, 2017 SPORTS SPORTS Tuesday, July 11, 2017 23 Quintana has ‘no regrets’ over Giro- Aru says Froome Tour double Kerber crashes, Périgueux rather than the exception. olombian climber Nairo Recent attempts to double Quintana insisted he had up have always failed, with noC regrets over attempting Alberto Contador coming as strong as ever a demanding Giro d’Italia- fifth in the Tour in 2015 Bergerac be as strong as before, he has the yellow jersey -- that’s Tour de France double, after winning the Giro, and hris Froome is as strong the answer.” despite admitting yesterday Vincenzo Nibali managing Cas ever, according to his But Aru suggested he and Astana team-mate Jakob to feeling exhausted. only 30th in the Tour last Venus oldest in principal Tour de France rival Fuglsang would still be looking to attack Froome. It is almost 20 years since year after his second Giro Fabio Aru. “As always we’ve got maximum respect (for Froome) a rider successfully won success. Questions have been asked of but we’ll stick to our tactic as always,” he added. the Giro-Tour double and “I don’t regret having done Froome’s form this year as for Astana have been the only team to really attack that was in a dark period the Giro,” said the 27-year- the first time since he Froome so far, with Aru riding away to win the fifth in cycling’s history where old Quintana, who finished started dominating the stage at La Planche des Belles Filles last Wednesday, doping was the norm second to Dutchman Tom world’s greatest bike while Fuglsang got clear on Sunday’s final climb, the Dumoulin in May. race, he came into Mont du Chat, before being pegged back just before “It was a gamble, something last-eight the Tour without a the summit. different we wanted to try. London runner-up. Pliskova will be the new number one stage race victory all But their strong showing has left them second and “We have a lot to learn ngelique Kerber crashed out of The 29-year-old, who lost to despite losing in the second round. Title favourite season. fifth on the standings, and they’re the only team with from what’s happened and AWimbledon and lost her hold Serena Williams in the final 12 Muguruza, the 2015 Wimbledon Seven-time major winner And although two riders fighting for overall victory. what we’ve done, so we can on the world number one ranking, months ago, has failed to make the runner-up, goes on to play Russian Venus, who clinched the he holds the race That was something they used to great affect improve.” while five-time champion Venus last eight at any of this year’s three seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova for last of her Wimbledon titles leader’s yellow during last month’s week-long Criterium du His Movistar team decided Williams became the oldest All Grand Slams. a place in the semi-finals. in 2008, will hope to emulate Venus Williams jersey after nine Dauphine, which Fuglsang won as Froome to tackle the Giro-Tour double England Club quarter-finalist in 23 Kerber was unfazed by her Former US and French Open Navratilova, who went on to stages, his lead over finished fourth and Aru fifth. this year, believing Quintana years yesterday. ranking blow, saying: “I know the champion Kuznetsova, 32, reached reach the final 23 years ago. Aru is a slender 18 “We hope we can use it as an advantage, to be better during his Amid a scheduling row that saw feeling already to be No. 1. I know her first Wimbledon quarter-final “I’m playing pretty solid. defeat seconds and he has it’s been our idea from the beginning,” second Grand Tour of the accusations of sexism aimed at the feeling to be No. 2, in the top 10. in 10 years with a 6-2, 6-4 win Winning never gets old at any stage Ukrainian yet to win a stage said Fuglsang, who is 1min 37sec back year than his first. Wimbledon chiefs after they put just “It was the best match for a long over Polish ninth seed Agnieszka in your career, ever,” said Venus, world or strike a decisive from Froome. But he admitted to two women’s matches on the main time for me, so I think I’m still on a Radwanska. who expressed sympathy for Kerber number five blow to his rivals “Also from what we saw in the feeling the effects of May’s show-courts, Williams wasn’t the good way even though I lost.” With Centre Court and Court over her court row. Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) on tiny -- unlike previous Dauphine, it was an advantage.” efforts already within the only star savouring a historic last 16 Kerber, who had taken the One largely taken up by four men’s “I’ve been in that position before. Court 12. years. At La Planche de Belles Filles, first week of the Tour. triumph. top ranking from Serena matches, Kerber was exiled to the Similar,” Venus Ostapenko, the 2014 junior But Aru denied Froome had chosen not to follow Aru’s “Right now there’s more Johanna Konta, the bookmakers’ in March, will be less grand Court Two. added. Wimbledon champion, joined the the 2016 Froome attack but said afterwards he would Colombia’s will than power,” admitted favourite for the title, became the replaced at number It was a decision that brought Williams plays sexism row as she admitted she was is any weaker have to watch the Italian more closely Nairo Quintana Quintana.“We’re still in the first British woman to reach the one by either criticism for Wimbledon French Open surprised not to be put on a larger Italy’s Fabio Aru than before. from then on. He did that on Sunday battle, we need to keep going quarter-finals since Jo Durie in 1984. Karolina Pliskova or organisers and Kerber was champion Jelena court. World number seven Konta “Certainly he’s but then let Fuglsang, who struggled and recover.” Kerber was beaten 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Simona Halep. visibly frustrated by the state Ostapenko for a defeated France’s Caroline Garcia shown himself to o n the Planche des Belles Filles Quintana cracked on the Spanish 14th seed Garbine Muguruza Halep, the Romanian of surface after she slipped on place in the semi- 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4 on where he’d lost more final climb on Sunday’s ninth as the German’s fourth round exit world number two, defeated several barren patches of grass finals. Court One. (AFP) than a minute to stage and lost 1min 15sec to extended a miserable run for last Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (7/3), on the baseline. Ostapenko the favourites, race leader Chris Froome, to year’s Wimbledon 6-2 and will be guaranteed top Kerber twice led by a break advanced to get away. (AFP) now sit eighth overall at 2:13. spot if she beats Konta in the in the final set, but couldn’t her first (AFP) last eight. close out the victory and she Wimbledon Porte ‘lucky’ If Halep, was quick to attack the court quarter- a two-time scheduling. final after French Granted finally despite double Tour exit yet to sink in: Thomas Open showcourt converting runner- billing, her eighth Bergerac left May’s Giro d’Italia at up, loses to Williams match eraint Thomas the end of the first week. the Briton, then didn’t hang point fracture admitted yesterday “It still hasn’t really sunk Czech world around as t o Bergerac itG was too soon to realise in. I’m sure it will be like number she crushed ustralian Richie Porte said yesterday he was “lucky” the full extent of his the Giro and when I get three 19-year-old to have come away with a fractured pelvis and disappointment after home is when it really hits Croatian Ana Konjuh collarboneA from his horrific high speed crash at the Tour crashing out of the Tour home, so to speak,” said 6-3, 6-2 in 64 minutes on de France. de France on Sunday. the 31-year-old Team Sky Centre Court. The 32-year-old Tasmanian came down hard on a Thomas broke his rider. “The show goes on Williams made her Grand Slam wet and slippery descent during Sunday’s ninth stage collarbone in a fall pretty quickly. So I think it debut at the 1997 French Open, before careering into Irish rival Dan Martin and midway through the will hit me tomorrow and seven months before Konjuh was clattering both of them into the rock face on the side ninth stage. He was one in a few days time.” born. of the road. Australia’s of five riders to crash out Geraint Thomas Thomas, though, was And at 37 years and 29 days, Porte was taken to hospital and later diagnosed Richie Porte of the race on Sunday worse for Thomas, though, already looking forward to Venus is Wimbledon’s oldest female with fractures of both his pelvis and his collarbone, as rain made mountain was that it was the second the future and getting back quarter-finalist since Martina but having watched back footage of the crash, he descents slippery and Grand Tour of the year he’s on his stationary training Navratilova in 1994. admitted it could have been so much worse.