A revolution on two wheels
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eNCA
37 minutes ago
- eNCA
Australian Groves wins penultimate Tour stage, Pogacar in yellow
Alpecin rider Kaden Groves won stage 20 of the Tour de France on Saturday after a long-range escape that saw the Australian finish well ahead of the big guns. Runaway overall race leader Tadej Pogacar maintained his lead over Jonas Vingegaard ahead of Sunday's 21st and final stage in Paris. The Team UAE rider has a 4min 24sec advantage heading into what could be a tricky finale, a 132km ride from Mantes-la-Ville to the Champs-Elysees, but featuring three ascents of the cobbled streets of Montmartre. The champion-in-waiting was left shaking his head after almost getting taken down in a fall 500m from the line on Saturday as lashing rain made the roads hazardous on the run in to Pontarlier. This was a third stage win for Alpecin after Jasper Philipsen and Mathieu van der Poel took the two opening wins. "They gave me a free role in the final days," Groves said after both Philipsen and Van der Poel pulled out. "I'm going to enjoy this one and celebrate with my team and enjoy the Champs tomorrow." Just 158 riders crossed the rolling hills at the foot of the Jura and many looked haggard after the fast racing in the Alps. So along the Swiss border, most of the peloton seemed happy to let an escape get a 7min lead after an exhausting slog that started July 5.
The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
PICTURES: Tour de France excitement at a glance
The 112th edition of the Tour de France is currently under way, with the three-week race ending on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday. The pack of riders (peloton) cycles past the Porte de Paris arch monument near the start of the 1st stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 184.9 km starting and finishing in Lille Metropole, northern France, on July 5, 2025. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) Alongside the Tour de France route, sunflowers and creative hats, among other sights, have made for a fantastic spectacle. Fans cheer as the pack rides by during the 1st stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 184.9km in Lille Metropole, France, 05 July 2025. Picture: EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON A fan wearing a cap stands at the finish line of the 5th stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an Individual Time Trial over 33km in Caen, France, 09 July 2025. Picture: EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK The peloton ride past sunflower fields during the 11th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 156.8km around Toulouse, France, 16 July 2025. Picture: EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON Spectators wait for cyclists passing by at the Col d'Aspin during the 14th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182.6km from Pau to Luchon-Superbagneres, France, 19 July 2025. Picture: EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK A man on horseback rides alongside the pack of riders (peloton) during the 17th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 160.4 km between Bollene and Valence, southern France, on July 23, 2025. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP) The pack of riders (peloton) cycles across Place de Thessalie in central Montpellier at the start of the 16th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 171.5 km between Montpellier and Mont Ventoux, southern France, on July 22, 2025. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) Spectators line the race route in the ascent of Mont Ventoux during the 16th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 171.5 km between Montpellier and Mont Ventoux, southern France, on July 22, 2025. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) The pack of riders (peloton) cycles cycles during the 14th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 182.6 km between Pau and Luchon-Superbagneres, in the Pyrenees mountains of southwestern France, on July 19, 2025. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP) A grey parrot looks on from inside its cage placed along the race route as Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe team's Italian rider Gianni Moscon cycles during the 13th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 10.9 km individual time trial between Loudenvielle and Peyragudes, in the Pyrenees mountains of southwestern France, on July 18, 2025. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) Spectators jump in a makeshift swimming pool set up along the race route as the pack of riders (peloton) cycles past, during the 9th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 174.1 km between Chinon and Chateauroux, central France, on July 13, 2025. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) The pack of riders (peloton) cycles past 'Geants du Nord', giant figurines of northern French folklore, at the start of the 2nd stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 209.1 km between Lauwin-Planque and Boulogne-sur-Mer, Northern France, on July 6, 2025. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP) MORE PICTURES: Swimmers brave winter cold for polar dip at Ebotse
IOL News
13 hours ago
- IOL News
Venus Williams: A global inspiration in an unjust world order
VenVenus Williams became the second-oldest woman ever to win a WTA Tour-level singles match, since Martina Navratilova back in Williams with her Barbie doll. Image: Instagram THIS past week, astonishing tennis champion Venus Williams became the second-oldest woman ever to win a WTA Tour-level singles match, since Martina Navratilova back in 2004. In a brilliant display, she beat Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 at the Washington DC Open. This marks her winning streak following her first doubles match in three years, where she solidified a win at the DC Open alongside Hailey Baptiste this week. When Williams stepped onto the court this past week and clinched yet another hard-fought win, it was not just a personal triumph; it was a thunderous reminder of what resilience looks like in a world that has too often sidelined female athletes. For Black women in particular, Williams's legacy stretches far beyond the boundaries of a tennis court. It speaks to grit, excellence, and the persistent fight against a system built to exclude us — particularly those who are both Black and female. As a Black South African woman, I don't just see Venus. I see myself. I see the outstanding Caster Semenya. I see our stunning Banyana Banyana team. I see the first World Athletics Indoor Championships winner, Prudence Sekgodiso. And so, so many more. In the same breath, however, I also see the underfunded, overlooked, and underestimated athletes across our continent who rise despite various, arduous barriers set against them. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Being a woman in the professional sports world is incredibly tough. However, being a Black woman in sport — and any other sphere of society — is a double disadvantage. Racism and sexism work together to create nearly impenetrable walls. Whether it is access to elite training facilities, sponsorships, or fair media coverage, they are constantly demanded to do more with less, and then criticised for not doing enough. Black South African sportswomen face a specific set of challenges: historical racial inequalities, under-resourced development programmes in townships and rural areas, and deeply embedded gender biases. They are told to be grateful for crumbs when in reality they deserve seats at the main table. Globally and locally, the gender pay gap in sports is staggering. While male athletes rake in millions of rand, women are left scrambling for basic sponsorship. When Banyana Banyana qualified for the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup, the prize money promised to the team was barely a fraction of what the men's team would receive for a similar feat, despite the women outperforming them in global rankings and progress. This is not just a domestic problem. When Williams fought for equal prize money at Wimbledon — and won — it took years of hard-won activism, even with her legendary status. How much longer will it take for African women athletes to receive the most basic recognition? The limitations in access also coincide with the limitations of women's rights. Access to sport starts early, at a foundational stage. In many South African communities, however, young girls are commonly discouraged from participating. Sport is still seen as a 'man's game', and their facilities are either unavailable or prioritised for males. When you add the constant threat of gender-based violence, you begin to understand why many promising girls drop out of sports altogether. Even at professional levels, these basic rights are often denied. Female athletes lack access to legal support, maternity protections, and even healthcare. Many of our most formidable athletes retire early, not because of injuries or that their talent has faded, but because the system simply pushes them out. Many of the challenges women face in sports are also a direct result of poor policies. While there have been moves toward policy reforms, implementation remains weak. Gender equity clauses are often tokenistic — included in sporting federations' documentation that demands international compliance — but rarely enforced. Funding for women's sports remains minimal, and when cuts are made, women's programmes are the first to go. Furthermore, sports organisations love to make the widespread claim that if female athletes do not generate the same amount of viewership and visibility as male sports, they are undeserving of the standardised remuneration. This is nonsense and speaks to a wider problem of a general minimisation of female sports, from marketing to administration, and beyond. Ultimately, we do not need more slogans or one-off 'Women in Sport' campaigns. We need meaningful, transformative, measurable action. In fact, the most visible injustice is the lack of visibility of female sports. When South Africa hosted and dominated the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), the coverage was scarce and begrudging. More recently, Banyana Banyana made it to the semi-finals of the 2025 Wafcon. The coverage was undeniably minute! Which is particularly shameful, considering that the entire soccer world has recently concluded its most formidable competitions — such as the Premier League, the European League, and the Fifa Club World Cup — where it was a prime opportunity to garner viewership and sales for Wafcon. All of this, which is easily comparable to the blanket coverage that men's teams receive during even minor tournaments, is truly despicable. According to Change Our Game, 2022/2023 statistics, women's coverage represented an average of 19% of all coverage across the top five sports. Globally, only about 4% of sports media coverage is devoted to women's sports. Additionally, there is a significant problematisation in the lack of depth in the coverage of women's sports compared to men's sports. Change Our Game outlined that women were commonly described as 'quiet achievers', 'hard workers' and 'punching above their weight'. This speaks to an issue with the socialisation of women that sees them as non-athletes, as physically inadequate, and as the exception to a 'male game'. The media's silence certainly is not neutral. It directly shapes public perceptions, sponsorship interest, and the legitimacy of women athletes overall. It impacts the place of female sports in the world and restricts them to a second-class position. Like so many female athletes across the world, Williams's victory was a spark — but what we need is a wildfire. We need more Black women in boardrooms, coaching, policymaking positions, sports journalism, media, and beyond. We need equity, not pity. We need representation, not mere symbolism. Waiting costs so much more than investing. For every 'Venus' in the global spotlight, there are thousands of women on dusty fields and cracked courts across Africa, fighting for the chance to compete. They do not just want access; they deserve it, and they demand it. This is not merely about access, it's about justice. Until sport dismantles its barriers and reclaims its promise of equity, it will fail those who need it most. And this plight will not stop until sports truly becomes what it was always meant to be: fair, inclusive, and open to all. In the words of basketball star (WNBA) A'ja Wilson: 'Adversity is like fertiliser for greatness.' But greatness isn't grown on barren soil — resources must come before results. * Tswelopele Makoe is a gender and social justice activist and editor at Global South Media Network. She is a researcher, columnist, and an Andrew W Mellon scholar at the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, UWC. The views expressed are her own. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, IOL, or Independent Media. Get the real story on the go: Follow the Sunday Independent on WhatsApp.
