Tour de France final stage neutralised after slippery road conditions
Tour de France
saw its competitive element largely neutralised on Sunday after organisers decided to freeze the times with about 50 kilometres left due to hazardous road conditions.
Following a pre-stage check, officials identified several sections of the course as dangerously slippery. The stage goes up the cobbled roads of the Butte Montmartre three times.
'After a reconnaissance carried out before the stage, and after noting that certain sections had slippery road conditions, it was decided, in agreement with the president of the commissaires' panel, that the times would be frozen at kilometre 82, that is, on the 4th crossing of the finish line,' organisers said in a statement.
'A stage classification will be established, but it will not affect the general classification.'
READ MORE
The overall standings will therefore remain unchanged, preserving the yellow jersey leader's position.
Slovenian
Tadej Pogacar
will, however, still need to cross the finish line to be declared winner of the race.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Murphy hails team effort as Ireland open Euros with defeat to Dutch
Goalkeeper Lizzy Murphy hailed an 'unbelievable' 60 minutes for Ireland women despite a 2-0 defeat to world No.1 Netherlands in their EuroHockey Championship opener on Saturday. The 25-year-old Loretto stopper was thrust into the spotlight as Ireland's No.1 after Ayeisha McFerran was forced to pull out of the Championships through injury. Ireland had, by a distance, lost their four games against the Dutch since the 2018 World Cup final. But Murphy pulled off a string of glove and boot saves to keep Ireland in the game against a side unbeaten at these Championships since 2015. Murphy said: 'We were such a unit today and it just felt we were so connected on the pitch. Everybody knew what they had to do and we knew going up against the world No.1 it was going to be some defensive battle. 'All 18 girls put bodies on the line and they absolutely killed it out there. To play against the best in the world at a Europeans is a surreal feeling. It's actually hard to put words on it, it was unbelievable.' Ireland staved off a first Dutch penalty corner within the first 90 seconds from Yibbi Jansen, who had scored in 14 of her last 16 matches as the world's best flicker. The Oranje opener did arrive in the ninth minute from a piercing three-way interchange from their own 23m. Murphy had brilliantly blocked the final shot before Joosje Burg touched home the rebound. Ireland, for all their lack of possession and chances, did well to hold out consistent Dutch circle penetration and three first-half penalty corners thanks to Murphy's saves. Ireland's first corner set piece came in the third quarter but Christina Hamill scuffed her shot. Minutes later, Jansen finally found her range and struck low with fizzing power past Murphy's stretched right boot. Ireland twice had chances to claw back the deficit in the second-half, the second saw Katie Mullan's scoop cleared off the line as their best chance. Ireland next play France on Monday in a must-win game to keep alive their hopes of reaching the semi-finals for the first time. 'We have to go out and perform against France as well,' said Murphy. 'This is not the end, It's only the first game and anything can happen at a European A division. 'I think it's just set up so nicely. Going into the game against the Dutch, it was about taking it quarter by quarter and see what happens. And look, here we are at the end.'
Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Irish Times
Lizzy Murphy's stunning display in goal helps Ireland hold Dutch to two goals in opener
EuroHockey Championships: Netherlands 2 Ireland 0 A towering performance from Irish goalkeeper Lizzy Murphy kept the Netherlands down to just two goals in the opening match of the women's EuroHockey Championships in Mönchengladbach on Saturday afternoon. The Olympic, World and European champions earned eight penalty corners but Murphy made the best corner striker in the world, Ibby Jansen, look almost average as she plucked shots out of the air and reacted to almost everything Jansen sent her way. One goal from Jansen in the third quarter from the set piece after Joosje Burg had put the Netherlands ahead after 10 minutes gave the Dutch their 2-0 win, but Ireland will feel pleased that their doughty, physical defensive game largely stood up. If positions come down to goal difference in Pool A Ireland have done their chances no harm at all. READ MORE Ireland were beaten 6-0 by the Dutch in the 2018 World Cup final in London. Ireland's best chance to get on the scoreboard came in the third quarter when Michaela Power put Katie Mullan through and into the Dutch circle. Mullan's pushed effort was slowed down by goalkeeper Josine Koning before covering defenders cleared the loose ball. Ireland frustrated the Dutch from the beginning of the match and defended robustly with Sarah McAuley, Hannah McLoughlin, Ellen Curran and Róisín Upton totally engaged throughout. The Dutch constantly looked dangerous but by their standards were off their clinical best. In saying that, the first goal was well taken by Burg after Frederique Matla worked her way into the circle after 10 minutes and hit high. Murphy saved the initial shot but the ball deflected away and hit McAuley's body. Burg, lurking at the left post, was quick to slap it in for 1-0. The score remained 1-0 into the second half as Ireland held the Netherlands scoreless in the second quarter, Murphy saving a cracking shot off captain Pien Sanders. The second goal came in the third quarter, when the umpire judged Upton's tackle to be overly physical and gave the Netherlands their fifth penalty corner of the match. This time Jansen put it hard and low for the 25-year-old to score her 91st international goal and make it 2-0. Ireland had some half-chances but the Dutch had more, with balls flashing across the Irish goal and over the crossbar, but they just couldn't convert. Ireland face France in their second match on Monday in a game they have targeted to win. IRELAND: E Murphy, E Curran, H McLoughlin, R Upton, S McAuley, K McKee, S Hawkshaw (capt), C Hamil, S Torrans, N Carey, M Carey. Rolling subs: K Mullan, C Perdue, C Beggs, Larmour, M Power, E Kealy, K Larmour.
Irish Times
16 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘I've always been a big fan of athletics, and it was now or never': Lorcan Murphy on swapping hoop dreams for the track
Is that him? Is that Lorcan Murphy, famous for his slam dunks and turnaround jump shots? Who abruptly retired from the Irish basketball arena last year, his international career still soaring? When Ireland's three fastest men took to the medal podium at last Sunday's National Track and Field Championships at Morton Stadium, perhaps some curious aficionado did point at Murphy in third place, asking those same questions. Spot on if so. The tattoo art down both his legs is an obvious hint, still recognisable from his basketball days, although his hair is cropped much shorter these days. Yet for all the crossovers in Irish sport, few if any have successfully and so speedily transitioned from the international basketball court to the track. It's even less likely anyone recognised Murphy as the current best all-round athlete in Ireland, the honour he earned last month when winning the national decathlon title. Running, jumping, throwing, hurdling, in quick succession, no other man in the country does it better than him. READ MORE Murphy's decision to retire from basketball with immediate effect in February 2024 caught a lot of people off guard – one of the online responses to his announcement referencing him as 'the Irish Michael Jordan'. In his last season with Templeogue, the Wicklow player scored 44 points in one game. That's how good he was. But after starring on the Irish team for almost a decade, his hoop dreams were already fulfilled; he had, however, a lingering desire to return to athletics, having first dabbled in the high jump as a youngster. Despite turning 30 last December, Murphy set out some new goals, keeping those closely guarded. Maybe it was just a long shot, especially given all the ego and swagger that comes with the men's 100m. 'It was a huge decision, and a lot of people were questioning what I was doing,' says Murphy. 'Because I was still playing semi-professional with my club, Templeogue, other teams were straight on to me asking me to join them. 'But I'd made up my mind. This was something I'd always wanted to do. I've always been a big fan of athletics, and it was now or never. So I had to make that commitment, go for it. Lorcan Murphy competes in the men's high jump at the National Senior Indoor Championships in February. Photograph: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile 'The basketball off-season was always the summer, so as a kid, my parents entered me in a few high-jump competitions. Because of my height, I was naturally decent. But I'd never done any other events, so it was going to be a lot different.' Murphy's original goal wasn't just in one athletics event, but in 10: after suffering a freak neck injury in training in 2022, which doctors said came close to leaving him paralysed, he first dreamed up the idea of competing in the decathlon – the 10-event discipline comprising of the 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m on day one; then the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and the 1,500m on day two. 'After the neck injury, where I broke the C5 and C6 vertebrae, as I was coming to terms with that I wrote down a few goals that I'd like to achieve, thinking more I'd never get to achieve them. One of them was to do the decathlon. 'With basketball, I'd train every day, never missed a session, and figured if I do that in athletics I'd be just as good. But I quickly discovered everyone in athletics trains every day. It was actually a whole new level of commitment.' He'd dipped his toes into the 100m last summer, running a best 11.17 seconds. Nothing to shout about there. So over the winter he joined up with Dundrum South Dublin AC, not too far from his home in Bray, and gave athletics his full attention outside of his day-job at Loreto Foxrock, where he teaches art. The club provided the expert coaching he needed, including Lucy Moore, who over the years played a role in the career of David Gillick and Irish women's high-jump record holder Deirdre Byrne. At 6ft 2in, Murphy was no giant by basketball standards, but would always make up for any lack of height with his speed, strength and agility. Lorcan Murphy in an Ireland v Luxembourg game at the National Basketball Arena in 2023. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho 'I think the plyometric nature of basketball, that's a benefit for a lot of events. The quick bursts of energy, tendon strength, the isometric exercises, that all translates very well to athletics. 'I had the high-jump skills, then after a couple of months training, realised I was actually getting fairly good at some of these events. All winter, I was doing 13 sessions a week, including gym sessions, training for all the decathlon events, up at 6am, before work. 'I could do it, just to enjoy it, but if I wanted to be competitive, I'd have to train properly. That's the thing about athletes; it was quite eye-opening that even club athletes competing here are fully committed like that. 'I'd also set the goal to break 11 seconds this season, for the 100m. I thought that was achievable. But the mental side of things as well. Playing on cup finals, internationals, it gives some mental stability, dealing with nerves. You know how to frame things. I've been through this before, this isn't bad. Just feel the excitement, reframe that to a positive thing. That was always strong in my basketball experience. 'Then in my first race in May, I ran 10.47, and thought, 'Oh, I could be on to something here.' So I concentrated a bit more on the sprint training, with the DSD sprint group. We also went on a training camp, to Tenerife, that brought me on a lot as well.' There aren't many opportunities to compete in the decathlon in Ireland, the main one being the National Championships, this year staged as part of the Athletics Ireland Games in Carlow on July 19th/20th. It was Murphy's only real chance to impress things upon himself, and perhaps others. After clearing 2.05m in the high jump at the Cork City Sports on July 9th, finishing third, he went to Carlow in high spirits. After winning the 100m in a new lifetime best of 10.37 seconds, there was no stopping him, and he ended up topping five of the 10 events, scoring an admirable victory on 6,305 points – well clear of second-placed Noah Gilmore, who scored 5,203. Murphy (left), of Dundrum South Dublin AC, shows his men's high jump silver medal at the National Senior Indoor Championships in February, with Ciaran Connolly of Le Chéile AC, Kildare, (gold), and Emmanuel Osas of Ratoath AC (bronze). Photograph: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile 'That was the big moment for me, running 10.37 in the 100m. Going into the 100m last Sunday, I was still dealing with a few niggles after the decathlon, from two weeks before. I'd strained a hip flexor in first-round heat, couldn't really warm up for the final, so [was] just blessed to get into the medals in such a high-quality field. Delighted.' The 100m title went to Bori Akinola of UCD AC, running 10.29, adding to his 60m indoor title won earlier this year. Sean Aigboboh, the latest prospect from Tallaght AC, won silver in 10.41, Murphy winning bronze in 10.57. Murphy has often rewatched the Sprint documentary series on Netflix, which follows the fastest men and women on Earth in the build-up to last summer's Paris Olympics. Still, he was a little taken aback by the attitude of sprinters on big race day. 'Initially I was thinking these guys don't seem to get along, don't seem to like each other, don't like me. I thought maybe it's just because I'm new. But no, because it's such an intense event, and is very testosterone-fuelled, everyone is focused on themselves, almost in an angry sense, to channel all that. 'But then after the race, all the lads I've raced against are sound, would all get on. There are lots of different personalities, and [they] approach things differently. Lorcan Murphy attacks against Kazadi Jonathan in an Ireland v Switzerland FIBA EuroBasket 2025 pre-qualifier at the National Basketball Arena in 2022. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho 'For next year, I know my start can definitely improve. Once I get from 50m to 100m, I'm quite strong, but I can definitely work on the technical side.' If he's already defied his athletics goals, Murphy is used to that. In basketball, he would frequently defy his relatively short stature, or maybe defy gravity, and he also defied medical opinion with the speed at which he recovered from his neck injury; he also defied expectations by choosing to study pure art at IADT in Dún Laoghaire, the only member of the Irish basketball team not to attend a US college. Enjoying a postseason holiday in Crete this week, Murphy will soon set himself new goals for 2026, and wouldn't place limits on anyone else thinking of such a sporting crossover, no matter how late in their career. 'I'll definitely be staying with athletics; I enjoyed the year so much. I'm 30 years old, just finished my first decathlon, and made my first national 100m final. If there's something like that in the back in your mind, not just sport related, definitely go for it. 'Some of my own goals, I'd already written off, thinking I'd never achieve them. But it's always possible, once you commit.'
