Dunlop takes victory in Open race at Tandragee 100
Michael Dunlop marked his first appearance at the Tandragee 100 road races since 2013 by taking victory in the five-lap Open race on Saturday.Riding his MD Racing BMW Superstock machine, Dunlop finished 0.4 seconds ahead of Michael Sweeney at the chequered flag, with Manxman Conor Cummins edging out Mike Browne for third place on the final corner.Sweeney had the consolation of setting a new absolute lap record of 109.796mph on his penultimate circuit, with Dunlop also inside Dan Kneen's previous benchmark set in 2018 as he lapped at 109.755.Sweeney led on his MJ Racing BMW after lap one, ahead of Browne, Dunlop, Shaun Anderson and Cummins, those five separated by just tenths of a second.Dunlop, a record 33-time winner at the Isle of Man TT, had moved into second by the conclusion of the second lap thanks to the quickest lap of the race up to that point at 108.933.By the end of the following lap, the 36-year-old had hit the front, enjoying a 0.3-second advantage over Sweeney and his cushion over the Skerries rider was marginally reduced to 0.24 seconds as the riders headed out on their final lap.Ultimately Dunlop maintained his position at the head of affairs in front of the pursuing Sweeney to secure the 12th victory of his career at the Tandragee races.Cummins, 39, managed to get his Burrows Engineering/RK Racing BMW ahead of Browne's BPE by Russell Racing Supersport Yamaha on the final bend to complete the podium positions, with newcomer Marcus Simpson and Shaun Anderson rounding out the top six.The Manx rider is competing at Tandragee for the first time since his only previous appearance in 2007.Dunlop will have further opportunities to add to his wins tally when he competes in the second Supersport race and the feature Tandragee 100 event later on Saturday.Browne was the victor in the opening Supersport outing held on Friday evening.
Tweed takes Supertwins success
Meanwhile Ballymoney's Darryl Tweed triumphed in the Supertwins race on Saturday after a thrilling four-lap battle at the front with Sweeney.Tweed led after both of the opening two laps but Sweeney was the leader by 0.2 seconds after the pair circulated the next 5.3 miles of the county Armagh circuit.Republic of Ireland competitor Sweeney looked to be in control going into the final corner but ran wide at Bell's Crossroads, allowing Tweed the opportunity to nip through and take victory by 1.5 seconds.The race winner set the fastest lap of the race at 103.25mph.Barry Furber occupied the final rostrum place, followed home by Joe Yeardsley, Simpson and Neil Kernohan.The Tandragee races are taking place for the first time since 2022 after essential resurfacing work was carried out on the course.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
21 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Emma Raducanu: Carlos Alcaraz and I are just ‘good friends'
Emma Raducanu insisted her and Carlos Alcaraz are 'just good friends' after the rumour mill began churning when they were announced as a pairing for the US Open's new mixed doubles competition. The two - who can expect to be given a portmanteau nickname of either 'Alcaranu' or 'Raducaraz' – are one of several eye-catching duos set to make their debuts in New York in August. When the pairing was announced during the Queen's Club event, they were asked about how it came about, with Alcaraz saying Raducanu took 'a while' to reply to him when he proposed the pair join forces for the $1 million (£728,756) event. When Raducanu was then spotted on the Queen's Club balcony watching Alcaraz's semi-final victory in west London, the rumours started to gain momentum. 'We're just good friends,' Raducanu said ahead of Wimbledon. Raducanu and Alcaraz, who is after a Wimbledon 'three-peat', had a similar breakout moment in their careers. The pair's history started in 2021 when she was catapulted to superstardom by winning the US Open. Then, Alcaraz was ranked 55th in the world – Raducanu was 150th – and for both of them, the tournament was a coming-of-age moment that would change the trajectory of their careers. Raducanu lifted the trophy months after doing her A levels, while Alcaraz announced himself on the world stage by knocking out then-third seed Tsitsipas on Arthur Ashe. It was during that tournament that the two teenagers encountered each other for the first time, and it is at the same venue that they will make their doubles debut in August this year. For now, despite a sponsor's event alongside Alcaraz, where Raducanu admitted 'we were just getting some volley practice ahead of New York', talk of doubles will have to wait until after the home slam, and everything that comes with it Raducanu's preparations for Wimbledon have been far from straightforward as she continues to deal with a back issue that has affected her since Strasbourg in May. There was also a personal matter that left her emotional and fighting back tears after her opening round win in Eastbourne. To manage the ongoing back issue Raducanu has been forced to seek multiple types of treatment including dry needling, muscle stimulation and taping. 'Truthfully I don't expect much from myself this year,' Raducanu said when asked about her Wimbledon preparation. 'I know I've just been dealing with certain things. I just want to go out there and embrace the moment, I want to embrace the occasion. 'I know there's not many opportunities to be playing at Wimbledon. You get it once a year and for a finite amount of time. I'm just looking forward to going out there and feeling the surroundings and the atmosphere.' The back has been a particular problem for Raducanu during the grass court season, and caused her to pull out of the Berlin Open. But after saying following her second-round Eastbourne defeat to teenager Maya Joint: 'I will stop on the court regardless' when asked about the potential impact of the injury, it is clearly not completely solved ahead of the tournament. 'It's just been managing, as I've said the last few weeks,' she said. 'I wouldn't say it's 100%, but a lot of the time with tennis players, nothing is ever 100 per cent. So just taking it as it comes.' The first hurdle for Raducanu at the All England Tennis Club will be British teenager Mimi Xu, with the pair due to face each other on court one on Monday. Earlier this season Xu was sitting A Level exams around her tournament commitments in Birmingham and Nottingham. 'I think it's a very dangerous match, very difficult. I think Mimi is a really, really good player. I practiced with her a few times. A lot of weapons. Also moves really well. It's going to be a really different match.' The pair have spent enough time together that Raducanu converses with Xu's mother in Mandarin, given the opportunity to exercise her language skills - and the teenager was a part of the Billie Jean King Cup squad as a practice partner. 'For her it's one where there's nothing to lose. I remember when I had my first Wimbledon here and I was 18. It's a great feeling. You just feel, like, completely fearless,' Raducanu said. 'So I think for me it's going to be a challenge, but one that I'm looking forward to and I'm ready for.' When Raducanu reclaimed the title as British No 1 ahead of the home grand slam, it was at the expense of Katie Boulter, who held the title for the previous two years. But for Boulter, not having the weight of seeding, title and the expectations that come with, she believes can help her when she takes on ninth seed Paula Badosa on centre court on Monday. 'I feel like it's a totally different situation for me coming in this year,' Boulter said. 'I'm not seeded. I'm kind of like a dark horse and I like that feeling. 'I do like the fact that I can go out and swing free and I've got nothing to lose. I'm really looking forward to that match.'
The Sun
25 minutes ago
- The Sun
Emma Raducanu giggles as she addresses Carlos Alcaraz relationship ahead of Wimbledon
EMMA RADUCANU has put any rumours of a relationship with Carlos Alcaraz to bed. Raducanu and Alcaraz, both 22, have been subject to swirling rumours about a potential romance after they announced they would be teaming up as doubles partners for the US Open later this summer. 3 3 The pair will team up at the Billie Jean King Tennis Centre in August as they both look to add a doubles success to their US Open singles titles. Rumours on social media have suggested that the duo's relationship goes further than the court this week, but Raducanu has been quick to shut down the chatter. When asked about it in her pre-Wimbledon press conference, the British star said while giggling: "We're just good friends". Raducanu is jumping at the idea of teaming up with the World No2, who is hot off the heels of winning the French Open earlier this month. Recalling when Alcaraz asked her to join forces, Raducanu said: "I mean, of course, I had to ask my team if they wanted me to play. "But for me, when he asked me, I was going to say yes, I just had to kind of go through the formality of asking my coach, so I didn't just make the decision." On how they became friends, Raducanu added: "I've known him for years. "And actually in Wimbledon 2021 it was like kind of the first time I started getting to know him, and I had a good run there and then also again in the US Open in 2021. 3 "And I remember he was always playing the day before me and I was playing like the second day of the round. "And I would see him win and then I would have motivation to win and get myself into that position too." Further lifting the lid on her connection with Alcaraz, Raducanu went on: "We have a good relationship still. He's obviously overtaken me a lot, but it's nice that we have that from a while ago. "I think for all of us, we really kind of value those connections that we had from when we were young because when you become a bit more known or a bit more successful, you just find yourself reverting back to people you knew from a young age because you're like, that's a real genuine connection. "Because it becomes very busy and you have a lot more friends but the ones that you've known for a long time mean a lot more to you." Both Raducanu and Alcaraz will have their full focus on Wimbledon for now, with first-round action getting underway at the All England Club on Monday. Raducanu will open her account with a clash against fellow Brit, Mingge Xu. While Alcaraz will launch his defence of his 2024 title against Italian Fabio Fognini.
The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
Novak Djokovic figures Wimbledon gives him his best chance at a record 25th Grand Slam title
It's become part of Novak Djokovic 's routine now, particularly at Grand Slam tournaments: He shows up and gets asked — at the start of the event, during the event, after the event or sometimes all three — whether this will be his final appearance there. Happened again Saturday at Wimbledon, and his response was the same it tends to be, which essentially amounts to: Who can tell? 'Whether it could be my 'last dance,'' the 24-time major champion began, repeating the phrase used by the reporter who posed the question, 'I'm not sure — as I'm not sure about Roland Garros or any other Slam that I play next.' And then Djokovic continued, offering something of a mix of seemingly trying to quiet any talk about whether he truly is pondering retirement at age 38 while also being realistic about where things stand. 'My wish is to play for several more years. I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level,' he said. 'That's the goal. But you never know at this stage.' What Djokovic did concede is that the All England Club might offer the likeliest spot for him to gather one more Grand Slam singles title, which would allow him to raise his career haul to 25 — a number that no tennis player ever has reached. 'I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance, because of the results I had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon,' said Djokovic, who faces Alexandre Muller in the first round Tuesday. 'Just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform the best tennis at the highest level.' Djokovic has won seven championships at the grass-court major and come oh-so-close to making his total eight — the number Roger Federer won, and one behind Martina Navratilova's record nine women's trophies — but lost in the 2023 and 2024 finals to Carlos Alcaraz. All told, Djokovic has appeared in the title match each of the past six times the tournament was held (it was canceled in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic), winning it in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. His most recent Wimbledon loss came all the way back in 2017, when he was defeated in the quarterfinals by 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych. As for the persistent questions about Djokovic's future, it's the same type of topic that was presented to Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams as those greats of the game neared their farewells. Now it's just Djokovic's turn. But just because he hasn't won a Grand Slam trophy in more than 1 1/2 years — he collected three in 2023, capped by the U.S. Open that September — don't think that Djokovic isn't capable of grabbing another. As he reminded anyone listening Saturday, he made it to the semifinals at the Australian Open this January before stopping after one set because of a hamstring injury, and got to the final four at the French Open this month before losing to No. 1 Jannik Sinner. After that one, Djokovic took time as he left the court to kiss his hand and lean down to touch the clay, then said it could have been his last match at Roland-Garros. There also was the not-so-small achievement of claiming a gold medal for Serbia at the Paris Olympics less than a year ago by beating Alcaraz, no less. 'These tournaments give me the biggest drive, still,' Djokovic said. 'I like the way I feel right now, physically. Tennis-wise, I've been playing good on the practice sessions. Obviously completely different when you start a tournament. I'll try to have a very good tournament and go as far as I can.' And maybe even return in 2026. ___
