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Pogacar expects Vingegaard Tour de France battle to last ‘years’

BARCELONA: Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar said on Thursday that his rivalry with Jonas Vingegaard is pushing both riders “to new heights.” The pair have won the last six editions of the Tour de France between them, and have finished first and second in each of the last five — something which had never happened before. Slovenian Pogacar has four Tour wins to Vingegaard’s two but the Dane has won all three of cycling’s Grand Tours following his Giro d’Italia victory in May. World champion Pogacar has yet to win the Vuelta a Espana, where he finished third in his only appearance in 2019. And the 27-year-old insisted that the Tour is not going to be a straight fight between him and Vingegaard, 29, pointing to his own UEA Team Emirates team-mate Isaac del Toro as a potential challenger. “I don’t think that he’s the only one that can come close,” Pogacar said about Vingegaard. “I think that there are quite a few guys here that can aim for the victory, right next to me,” he added at Thursday’s pre-Tour press conference, indicating Mexican Del Toro. “But the competition between me and Jonas, of course, the last few years was spectacular. “And I think it will continue for a few more years, I hope. We will see. “I think we push each other to the new heights every year. So we will see how far we go this year.”

StubHub sued by fans who say ticket cancelations crushed dreams of going to World Cup

NEW YORK: After weeks of complaints from frustrated fans, StubHub is being sued by customers who say the ticket reseller’s inability to fulfill orders crushed their dreams of going to World Cup. Julia Reeker Moghal and Reuben Renteria, both of California, sued the ticketing giant this week in federal court in New York, alleging that “false and misleading” sales practices left them without the tickets they purchased for group stage matches last month. The lawsuit, which seeks to become a class action, says Moghal and Renteria are among hundreds or even thousands of World Cup fans who purchased tickets only to find out that they “did not exist, were revoked without any forewarning, or had been erased” because of what the tournament’s organizer, FIFA, deemed “poor digital infrastructure.” In addition to monetary damages, Moghal and Renteria are asking that StubHub be barred from selling World Cup tickets and that any profits from those sales be given to affected customers. StubHub declined to comment on the lawsuit but said in a statement that its “singular goal is to get fans into events.” If anything goes wrong, “our FanProtect Guarantee provides replacement tickets or a full refund,” the company said.

Impossible for England to acclimate to altitude for World Cup match against Mexico, Tuchel says

ATLANTA: From the altitude of Mexico City to the memories of Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal, England will have to contend with brutal conditions and the weight of history when they play co-host Mexico at the World Cup on Sunday. The Azteca Stadium — the site of the round of 16 game and the scene of Maradona’s memorable goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals — sits at more than 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level. With little time to acclimate, conditions are against England’s team and very much in favor of Mexico, which are undefeated in 10 World Cup games at their home stadium over three tournaments. “My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude. That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said.

Messi returns ‘home’ to lead Argentina World Cup charge in Miami

MIAMI: Few imagined that three years after making the move to Miami, Lionel Messi would be leading Argentina’s charge to defend the title and smashing records at his sixth World Cup. The 39-year-old returns to the Florida city he now calls home for a last 32 clash against the surprise package of the tournament Cape Verde on Friday after scoring six times in the group stages. In doing so Messi became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 19 and is on a record seven-game scoring streak in the competition. Many believed the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was headed for semi-retirement when he swapped top level European football for Major League Soccer after ending his long to wait to win the World Cup in Qatar. But Messi has defied expectations, both with his impact on soccer Stateside and his ability to continue deciding games at international level. Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham and only formed in 2018, had never won a trophy prior to his arrival. Messi’s arrival instantly made one of MLS’s newest franchises a go-to destination for European stars. Aided by his former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, Messi led Inter to victory in the Leagues Cup, a knockout competition between clubs in the MLS, Mexican and Canadian leagues, in his first season. Last year Messi and Miami went one better in securing the club’s first MLS title.

South Africa to have talks with coach Broos over future

July 2 : South African FA President Danny Jordaan was non-committal on the future of national team coach Hugo Broos as the squad touched down in Johannesburg on Thursday following their exit from the World Cup against co-hosts Canada in the last 32.

Racing against Vingegaard is spectacular, says Pogacar as Tour approaches

BARCELONA, Spain, July 2 : Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar is looking forward to continuing his "spectacular" rivalry with Jonas Vingegaard when they meet again as the main contenders in the Tour de France which begins on Saturday in Barcelona.

Anisimova and Fritz through as Americans sparkle at Wimbledon

LONDON, July 2 : Amanda Anisimova survived an almighty scare against compatriot Sofia Kenin on Thursday to join a wave of American women marching into the third round of Wimbledon, while Taylor Fritz ensured the Stars and Stripes kept fluttering in the men's draw.

Fans keep up World Cup spirit in extreme Philly heat

PHILADELPHIA, July 2 : World Cup fans are being confronted with punishing temperatures in Philadelphia this week, as a heat dome threatened to add extra sizzle to Saturday's last-16 showdown between Paraguay and France on the American Fourth of July holiday weekend.

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Latest sport news

Pogacar expects Vingegaard Tour de France battle to last ‘years’

StubHub sued by fans who say ticket cancelations crushed dreams of going to World Cup

Impossible for England to acclimate to altitude for World Cup match against Mexico, Tuchel says

Messi returns ‘home’ to lead Argentina World Cup charge in Miami

South Africa to have talks with coach Broos over future

Racing against Vingegaard is spectacular, says Pogacar as Tour approaches

Anisimova and Fritz through as Americans sparkle at Wimbledon

Fans keep up World Cup spirit in extreme Philly heat