
Marc Marquez remains unbeaten in sprints with victory at French GP
LE MANS, France, May 10 (Reuters) - Ducati's Marc Marquez became the first MotoGP rider to win six straight sprints as the Spaniard maintained his perfect record in the shorter format at the French Grand Prix on Saturday to retake the championship lead from his brother Alex.
Alex's Gresini Racing team mate and MotoGP rookie Fermin Aldeguer came third for his first sprint podium while polesitter Fabio Quartararo could only manage fourth place after losing out to the dominant Ducati machines in an all-Spanish podium.

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Daily Mail
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Christine Lampard shows off her washboard abs in black bandeau bikini as she soaks up the sun with husband Frank during South of France holiday
Christine Lampard wowed in black bandeau bikini as she soaked up the sun with her husband Frank during their South of France holiday on Monday. The couple, both 46, are currently enjoying some time away from work as they unwind together with friends. And the Loose Women presenter flaunted her incredible physique as she showcased her washboard abs in the tiny two piece. Meanwhile Frank went shirtless as he opted for a pair of blue striped swimming shorts and shades. The former footballer enjoyed a refreshing dip in the pool with a group of male friends, laughing and chatting as they cooled off next to the Mediterranean waters. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The couple, both 46, are currently enjoying some time away from work as they unwind together with friends He then later returned to the couple's balcony where he joined Christine for a spot of sunbathing as they were seen chatting together. Earlier this week Christine was seen looking summer chic as she fit right in at the swanky resort and showed off her sophisticated sense of style in a pair of white linen trousers and strappy top. She later changed into a navy jumpsuit and stylish shades as she looked out at her muscular spouse who was enjoying a cooling swim in the sea. The manager of Coventry City showed off his tanned and toned physique in a pair of bright orange swim shorts as he enjoyed his time off after the football season. Their fun-filled holiday comes after last month Christine revealed the reason her husband Frank often used to cancel their dates at the start of their romance. The loved-up pair have been together since October 2009 and got married in 2015. They are approaching their 10th wedding anniversary this year and Christine has now opened up about their early dating days where things weren't all plain sailing. When they met he was busy playing for Chelsea but used to cancel dates with her when the team didn't win. Frank covered up in a black T-shirt as Christine was seen beaming in pics He told the Mirror : 'What keeps me and Christine going is we're there to support each other and we make each other laugh. We have a similar sense of humour' She told The Sun: 'When he was playing, he used to cancel nights out when Chelsea didn't win. Thankfully, it didn't happen that often, as luckily, Chelsea won a lot!' 'It was actually alright. He would be annoyed just because he takes it all so seriously!' She added that football was a whole new world for her and didn't understand why it was such a big deal. Christine explained: 'I went to an all-girls' school, I didn't have brothers. Football just wasn't a thing. I couldn't have cared less. And then, suddenly, I started to care. 'The more I went to the games, the more I got it. I thought, 'Oh my god, I see why people are into this. There is something magical about it'.' It came after Frank revealed the secret to his happy marriage with his beloved wife Christine. He told the Mirror: 'What keeps me and Christine going is we're there to support each other and we make each other laugh. We have a similar sense of humour. 'Christine's quite sharp and we're normally thinking the same thing, so the same situations make us laugh - I think laughing together is important for a happy marriage.' Frank was introduced to his wife at The Pride Of Britain Awards by fellow TV presenter Piers Morgan in 2009. Christine previously admitted she and the footballer were not even meant to be at the awards ceremony the night they met. Speaking on Lorraine, she said: 'It's a strange one it is because 10 years ago that we met at them, it was one of those nights that neither of us were meant to go to. 'It was a last minute thing for him and I arrived at the awards late because of work. We were sat on tables next to each other.' The couple welcomed their first child together, a daughter called Patricia - named after his late mother who tragically passed away in 2008 - in September 2018. Frank also has daughters Luna, 19, and Isla, 17, with his former partner Elen Rivas, but they went their separate ways in 2008. Christine previously told how she thinks the secret to her marriage with Frank is that they are still each other's best friend. She said: 'We're still absolute best mates. He'll be the first person I'll pick the phone up to sort anything out with. And the biggest thing for me going back to my love of comedy, is he makes me laugh. 'And that is such a powerful thing to me - I have to be able to have a giggle… We just have proper laughs. We have the same points of view on things. 'We don't argue over parenting or how things run in the house. We sort of sing off the same page and that sort of makes everything flow… 'The basis is, there's love, we've got each other's backs and we're supportive. And if he suggests that some job is happening and he wants to do it, we'll make it work.'


Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Le Mans and F1 in same year? Too much now, says Hulkenberg
MONTREAL, June 11 (Reuters) - Nico Hulkenberg raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans a decade ago when the Formula One calendar allowed it, and came away a winner with Porsche. The German could not do that now, with the 93rd edition of the French endurance race clashing with this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix where Hulkenberg, now 37, will be on the starting grid with Sauber. There will be another overlap next year but even if there was not Hulkenberg says trying to do both would be too much today. "I think everyone was a lot less busy (in 2015), you know, than now," the German, who finished fifth in Spain two weekends ago, told Reuters in a recent interview. "Twenty-four races, all the stuff in between, it's a full-time job. I can only talk for myself but, personally, I wouldn't want the extra gig at the moment. I'm fully focused on F1 and for me, I'm happy that way." Hulkenberg, now one of only two fathers on the F1 grid along with Max Verstappen, was with Force India in 2015 when he got the chance to race Le Mans. The sportscar race chooses its winners, they say, and that weekend he hit the jackpot along with fellow rookie Earl Bamber of New Zealand and Britain's Nick Tandy. Hulkenberg had raced in Canada the weekend before with F1 and went on to Austria immediately after. "It definitely took some time to first understand the car and get a grip on it and properly get the lap time out of it," he recalled. "I was still improving and understanding, I was clicking only really in the night of the race. "To jump back into Formula One I think was not a problem, because there was so much positivity after a race like this. I remember jumping into Austria and I was owning it and I was boss. It was no problem going back." The German's Formula One career has taken him from Williams in 2010 to racing for Aston Martin's predecessors Force India and Racing Point as well as Sauber, Renault and Haas with some gaps in between. "Why am I still here?," asked Formula One's only current German driver. "Because they still want me." Hulkenberg holds the record for most Formula One races without ever standing on the podium but that is also testament to his enduring worth as a driver with engineering and setup skills as well as speed. His 236 starts are way more than the next man on the list without a podium, retired fellow-German Adrian Sutil on 128. On the plus side, Hulkenberg has two fastest laps and a pole position and next year will be in at the start with the Audi factory team when Sauber is renamed. "I still love what I do. You know, Formula One and racing is my passion. It's what I do best, it's what I love. What else should I do?," he said. "I think it's the competition, you know, the thrill of qualifying, the buzz of a race, kicking ass but even the bad days -- just the racing, everything. I love that."


Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
European game generated 38 bln euros in 2023-24 season, study shows
June 11 (Reuters) - Europe's soccer market grew by 8% in terms of revenue in the 2023-24 season to 38 billion euros ($43.46 billion) with England's Premier League generating the most, Deloitte said in a study published on Wednesday. In its Annual Review of Football Finance, Deloitte said the top five leagues -- Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Serie A and Ligue 1 -- generated 20.4 billion euros in revenue, an increase of 4%. Premier League clubs had the highest revenue of Europe's top leagues at 6.3 billion pounds ($8.50 billion). However, the traditional 'big six' clubs in England's top flight reported lower average revenue growth (3%) than other clubs that were in the Premier League in both the 2023-24 and 2022-23 seasons (11%). The study said the growth was largely driven by expansion of clubs' commercial offerings, which also led to the teams cumulatively generating more than two billion pounds in commercial revenue for the first time. "A focus on stadia development and diversification of commercial revenues led to growth across the European football market in the 2023-24 season," Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte's Sports Business Group, said. "However, clubs and leagues cannot afford to take their eye off the ball as new challenges, including an evolving regulatory landscape and changing fan behaviours, arise. "The pressure is mounting for more clubs to drive additional revenue at the same time as managing rising costs. "More so than ever, leaders and owners must recognise the great responsibility they have of managing these businesses, capturing the historic essence of a football club while honouring its unrivalled role as a community asset for generations to come." Clubs in Europe's 'big five' leagues reported an aggregate operating profit (0.6 billion euros) for a second successive season, while the aggregate wages/revenue ratio fell from 66% to 64%. Clubs in England's Women's Super League (WSL) jointly generated revenue of 65 million pounds in the 2023-24 season, a 34% rise. Each WSL club had a double-digit increase in revenue, while all 12 clubs reported over one million pounds in revenue for the first time, with an average revenue of 5.4 million pounds. "Through developing more robust fan engagement strategies, strong commercial deals and securing central distributions, WSL clubs unlocked a new phase of growth," Deloitte Sports Business group's knowledge and insights lead Jennifer Haskel said. "Plus, as the reporting and attribution of commercial revenue remains inconsistent between clubs, we may be scratching the surface on the value now being generated by the women's game." ($1 = 0.7409 pounds) ($1 = 0.8743 euros)