WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 2017 SPORTS Yellow jersey Thomas keen to stay safe in bunch sprint LONGWY: Yellow jersey wearer Geraint Sunday, that increases the perils for rid- Thomas overall with another Sky team- It’s an almost pan flat stage of Andre Greipel and world champion Thomas will be looking to stay out of ers. mate, Michal Kwiatkowski eighth, mak- 207.5km that starts in Luxembourg and Peter Sagan rub shoulders with German trouble as a bunch sprint finish is “It looks like another bunch sprint, ing it a great start to the Tour for the finishes in the town of Vittel, known powerhouse Marcel Kittel, the green jer- expected at the Tour de France. Thomas we’ll try to stay up front and out of trou- British team. mostly for its bottled water and thermal sey will be in play too. Kittel holds it but and his Sky team leader Chris Froome, ble, but saying that a crash happened “Touch wood, we’ve all been riding baths. It’s also the site of one of the top with 50 points on offer to the stage win- the reigning champion, were both taken (on Sunday) — there’s not a lot you can really well together,” said Thomas. “We spa resorts in France and has a no pesti- ner, others including Frenchman Arnaud down in a crash on a wet and slippery do about that,” said Thomas. He took the still have the (yellow) jersey, it’s been a cide policy around its water resources, Demarre and Sagan will have designs of bend 30km from the end of Sunday’s race leader’s yellow jersey in Saturday’s great start but there are still 18 days to making it an ideal place to relax after a ridding the Quick-Step rider of his prize. second stage, which ended in a bunch opening stage time-trial but his main go and a lot of bike racing to come.” The tough stage of racing, even if the riders With the sun out and only a small sprint. On flat stages which favour the job is to help Froome in his bid for a peloton’s fast men will feel refreshed by decline to try the local speciality: frog amount of cloud cover, temperatures of sprinters, the run-in to the finish is usual- fourth Tour victory. Tuesday’s fourth stage finish following tart. As well as the battle for the stage just over 20 degrees Celsius, it made for ly very fast, and when it’s wet like on Froome is currently second behind Monday’s tough, short climb. win that should see Mark Cavendish, ideal racing weather. — AFP BASKETBALL Tatum hits go-ahead shot as Celtics edge Fultz, 76ers ORLANDO: Boston’s Jayson Tatum ance up with an even better second game opened the Utah Summer League and his in Orlando. Leaf improved on Sunday’s 12- pro career with a go-ahead basket to beat point debut by scoring 19 points and No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz and Philadelphia. grabbing 10 rebounds to help lead the The game in Salt Lake City was the Pacers to an 86-83 win over Miami to most anticipated contest thus far, as sum- move them to 3-0. The 6-foot-10 forward mer play heated up Monday with the from UCLA, who missed the Summer Orlando Pro Summer League entering its League opener on Saturday to attend a third day and the Utah Summer League family wedding, showed some versatility tipping getting started. The 24-team NBA with scoring on the perimeter and in the Summer League in Las Vegas starts on paint while converting 9 of 17 from the Friday. New York, Oklahoma City, Orlando, field in 28 minutes. Dallas, Indiana and Miami were in action Joe Young finished with 17 points and in Orlando on Monday. Boston, six assists, while Jarnell Stokes added 14 Philadelphia, Utah and San Antonio got points and Chris Johnson contributed 12. going in Salt Lake City later on Monday. Miami’s first-round pick Bam Adebayo led A look at some of the notable action. all scorers with 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in nearly 32 minutes. DAZZLING DEBUT Tatum’s jumper and the Celtics’ ensuing COMEBACK MAVS stop of Fultz gave Boston an 89-88 victory. The Dallas Mavericks found themselves Fultz played well on both ends of the floor quickly in a 17-point hole against Orlando and showed why the 76ers took him with during Monday’s game. They recovered in the top pick they acquired from Boston. the second quarter and then separated in Fultz finished with three blocks, including the third on the way to an 86-76 win. a weakside swat of Kadeem Allen that had Dallas improved to 2-0. Guard Dwight the crowd gasping. He had 17 points on 6- Buycks led the Mavericks with 20 points, MONDORF-LES-BAINS: Peter Sagan of Slovakia, left, sprints as Britain’s Mark Cavendish, center, and Britain’s Ben Swift crash, during the sprint for-16 shooting, including two 3-pointers. while forward Brandon Paul added 18. of the fourth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 207.5 kilometers (129 miles) with start in Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg, and finish “People have big expectations but, to No. 6 overall pick Jonathan Isaac had in Vittel, France, yesterday. World champion Peter Sagan has been disqualified from the Tour de France for causing a crash in achaotic sprint fin- me, it was just another day to play basket- eight points in the first quarter but hurt ish that left Mark Cavendish needing treatment for his injuries and further examinations in a hospital. — AP ball and do what I love,” Fultz said. “I love his hip on a collision in the second and chasing down blocks and blocking shots. didn’t return in the second half. Point CYCLING On defense I’m always going to give effort guard Marcus Georges-Hunt, who was on both ends of the floor. That’s one thing called up from the D-League by the Magic that goes unnoticed is just how hard I play in April, contributed 20 points but he had on both ends. I’m a great shot-blocking little help. Sagan disqualified from point guard.” Tatum was not overshadowed as the 6- NTILIKINA UPDATE foot-8, 208-pounder showed the versatili- Knicks rookie Frank Ntilikina has missed ty he’s known for and knocked down a the first three games with a knee injury. Tour for Cavendish ‘elbow’ pull-up jumper with 5.7 seconds left. It’s unclear whether the No. 8 overall pick Fultz’s shot was blocked on the other end will participate in Summer League play. to end the game. Tatum, the No. 3 pick, Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek did not talk to VITTEL: World champion Peter Sagan was sen- he was also wearing a sling. “Injury-wise I’m the final kilometre as riders jostled for position may have had the most awe-inspiring play reporters following the game. New York sationally kicked off the Tour de France for going to go and get it checked out,” he told a to contest the sprint finish. Race leader Geraint of the night with a thundering, one-hand dropped to 0-3 after Monday’s 99-87 loss elbowing Mark Cavendish in a hectic sprint fin- scrum of reporters outside his Dimension Data Thomas was taken down in the first crash, along tomahawk dunk on Kaleb Tarczewski. He to Oklahoma City. ish to yesterday’s fourth stage. team bus. “I will definitely need stitches in this with around a dozen riders, but he emerged posted 21 points, seven rebounds, three British sprint great Cavendish was taken to finger, it’s bleeding a lot. “With the shoulder, it unhurt. “The crash happened right in front of assists and five steals. HAYWARD CHANTS hospital by ambulance with shoulder and finger might be something to do with a previous me, I had nowhere to go really,” said Thomas. “I “He kind of has this old soul,” Celtics Chants of “Gordon Hayward!” broke out injuries after crashing to the ground when injury, it’s sat backwards so I’m not sure if I’ve managed to take off quite a bit of speed, I hit coach Jerome Allen said. “This pro-like in the stands early in Salt Lake City, con- Sagan shoved him into the metal safey barriers done something to the ligament. “I’m not a the deck but I’m fine.” It was the second time in approach, doesn’t get rattled, doesn’t firming that minds are on the Jazz All-Star. 100 metres from the finish of the 207.5km stage doctor but from the feelings I’m not optimistic.” three stages that Thomas had been caught up from Mondorf-les-Bains to Vittel. in a crash. “It’s ok, both times I managed to take show a lot of emotions. Just kind of plays Hayward, an unrestricted free agent, met “We’ve decided to disqualify Peter Sagan ‘NOT A FAN’ off quite a bit of speed,” he added. “I’m used to at his pace like he’s been here before. with the Jazz in San Diego on Monday, the from the Tour de France 2017 as he endangered But Cavendish said Sagan had to explain his crashing, so it’s fine, I’m all ok.” In all the furore “We can say it’s only Summer League, Celtics on Sunday and the Heat on some of his colleagues seriously in the final actions.