Bikes, berries and backheels

Reuters

16 hours ago

Sport comes down to more than scores. It's about the stakes, stories and drama unfolding, on and off the pitch. Every week, this column will act as your guide to the competition ahead — whether it's soccer under the lights, a grueling stage of the cycling tour or a centre-court showdown in tennis. We'll unpack what's happening, why it matters — and even when it doesn't, why it's still worth your time. Think of it as your essential weekend preview.
Coming up: The 2025 Euros get underway with women's soccer under the spotlight, Tadej Pogacar chases history, and Wimbledon's favourite fruit feels the heat.
SOCCER
The Women's Euros bursts into full voice this weekend in Switzerland — banners waving, fireworks crackling, fresh hope riding the Alpine breeze. But amid the pageantry and promise, shadows persist. ACL injuries continue to rip through the women's game and are not being met with the urgency they warrant, while the echoes of sexism — loudest in the Rubiales scandal — still reverberate.
Women are up to eight times more likely than men to suffer ACL injuries, yet shamefully the response remains patchy at best. Experts say the causes are complex — from training loads and poor pitch conditions to hormonal fluctuations — but many risks are preventable, and as the women's game accelerates, the systems meant to protect its players are struggling to keep up.
And it's not just knees buckling under the weight of neglect — it's the culture, too. Spain's 2023 World Cup triumph should have been a coronation. Instead, it became a cautionary tale — not for how they played or what they won, but for what they endured. When former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales brazenly planted a nonconsensual kiss on forward Jennifer Hermoso amid the team's medal ceremony, what was meant to be a moment of celebration turned into a jarring emblem of lingering chauvinism — one that clings to their legacy like a scar. The fallout, and the long fight for accountability, laid bare just how far the sport still has to go.
Then there's Mary Earps. Golden Glove winner. British national icon. BBC Sports Personality of the Year. But when she announced her international retirement just weeks before this tournament, she was met with a fierce backlash. Her timing, motives, and loyalty were all questioned. Earps later told a podcast she felt 'villainised.' Would a male player of her stature have faced the same scrutiny? Perhaps. But the ferocity of the reaction spoke volumes about how elite women's sport is still perceived, despite the glitter attached to the major championships. For all the talent, spectacle and momentum, women's football remains too often denied the care, respect and investment that define the so-called big time.
Still, that balance could begin to shift this month — if only by a stride – and the Swiss are giving it every chance. Basel has gone purple and sky blue, its green trams turned into rolling billboards for the event the Swiss hope will bolster women's football in the country for the long-term. England showed what legacy could look like. A 140% rise in female participation after Euro 2022 wasn't just a stat — it was a statement. Lioness Ella Toone getting recognised while buying eggs at Aldi is its own kind of revolution.
This year's tournament has already broken records — in ticket sales, prize money, and expectations. The players understand the stakes. 'You play for the whole next generation,' said Norway captain Ada Hegerberg — a truism that is both galvanising and daunting.
On the field, Spain remain favourites, but a health scare for midfielder Aitana Bonmati could open the door for Germany or France, while a well-drilled Sweden are quietly gathering steam. Switzerland may not replicate England's 2022 fairytale, but as hosts, they've already scored a win. And England? There are question marks, yes, but with manager Sarina Wiegman's tactical brilliance and tournament nous, a thrilling run deep into July is well within reach.UEFA Women's EURO 2025, Switzerland — July 2-27
CYCLING
Tadej Pogacar stands at history's doorstep. As the 112th Tour de France pushes off from Lille on Saturday, he's chasing more than just a fourth yellow jersey. Victory would seat him at the table with Tour juggernaut Chris Froome and edge him within striking distance of cycling's immortals: Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
Yet, Pogacar's appeal goes way beyond the numbers. Like Merckx and Hinault, he's not only dominant in the high mountains of Grand Tours but also thrives in the tough one-day classics. The Slovenian has already etched his name into three of cycling's five Monuments—Lombardia, Flanders, and Liege—races of mythic struggle and prestige. Twice he's flirted tantalizingly close with completing the set, standing on the podium at Milan–San Remo and Paris–Roubaix.
Even his lone Vuelta appearance, in 2019, saw him finish third—an omen, perhaps, that Spain's red jersey could one day join his overflowing wardrobe. Only Merckx has conquered all three Grand Tours and all five Monuments, a testament to complete mastery that Pogacar now dares to dream of matching.
Awaiting him at this year's Tour is Jonas Vingegaard, restored and ready to resume their rivalry. Unlike last season, the Dane is unhampered by injury and prepared to challenge the Slovenian who, only a year ago, achieved what many considered impossible: the Giro-Tour double, cycling's Holy Grail untouched since Marco Pantani's luminous ride in 1998.The 2025 Tour de France — July 5-27
TENNIS
When seated within the manicured calm of the All England Club, it's easy to imagine nothing ever changes in this pocket of English refinement and sporting opulence. But the truth is, while the setting whispers tradition, nothing is sacred. Those who oversee one of the world's most iconic sporting events leave no stone unturned in ensuring Wimbledon stays at the cutting edge.
This year, the linen-trousered, blazer-clad line judges — century-old fixtures of Wimbledon decorum — are gone, replaced by the cool certainty of AI. Gone too, presumably, are the you-cannot-be-serious eruptions that once leapt from the baseline into sporting folklore.
Even the famous Wimbledon strawberry can no longer rest on its laurels.
The Malling Centenary variety has sweetened this summer ritual since 2016. But in the high-stakes world of soft fruit supremacy, no berry is safe. In labs and fields across the UK, rivals are ripening — firmer, juicier, more photogenic — all vying to dethrone the champ. At Wimbledon, even the strawberries face the pressure of performance.
No detail is spared in ensuring Wimbledon looks and feels just right — down to staff peeling the labels off water bottles to keep branding invisible. In a place where the grass is trimmed to the millimetre and the dress code enforced with monastic zeal, even hydration must meet the aesthetic.
The Wimbledon Championships, All England Club, London — June 30–July 14
EXTRA TIME
NBA: Top pick Cooper Flagg makes his much-hyped Mavericks debut on Summer League opening night in Vegas on July 10, facing a Lakers squad that may feature Bronny James — son of LeBron — in a matchup already dripping with next-gen star power.
Athletics: The Prefontaine Classic turns 50 this Saturday, and the field is pure fire. In the men's 100m, Jamaican rocket Kishane Thompson with a personal best of 9.75 seconds run last week leads the charge against comeback king Trayvon Bromell and Britain's Zharnel Hughes. Olympic champ Masai Russell stars in the women's hurdles, while Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone trades barriers for raw speed in the 400m flat. Track fans, buckle up.
WNBA: The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA's newest expansion team that entered the league this season with considerable hype, take on the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday at Target Center. The Valkyries' (9 games won with 7 defeats so far) last home game – an 84-57 dismantling of the Seattle Storm on Sunday – played out in front of a sold-out crowd that included two-time NBA MVP and four-time champion Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and a slew of other famous fans.
Rugby: Wales head to Japan still searching for a win on Saturday after 17 straight losses. Can they finally topple Eddie Jones and the Brave Blossoms?
Motor Racing: Silverstone roars to life as Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton lead a blockbuster home charge at the 2025 British Grand Prix, with up to half a million Formula One fans expected. Norris is chasing his first win on home soil, while Hamilton — now donning Ferrari red — looks to extend his record haul of nine victories at the iconic track. Oscar Piastri has plans to spoil the party, and Mercedes duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli could shake things up, especially if the English summer turns soggy. Don't forget Red Bull's Max Verstappen, fired up after last week's Austrian exit, ready to crash the British bash.