Isaac del Toro reviving legacy of Latin America's finest at Giro d'Italia
In Pogacar's absence, at UAE Team Emirates XRG and in the peloton at large, the 2025 Giro is volatile. After nine days of racing, we have seen Mads Pedersen and Primoz Roglic in pink, then Pedersen and Roglic again, followed by Diego Ulissi and Isaac del Toro.
Del Toro, 21, is the first Mexican to lead the Giro, despite not being the lead youngster on his team. Juan Ayuso, the 22-year-old Spaniard, was fourth in the general
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Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
WTA roundup: Antonia Ruzic pulls off upset in Monterrey
August 20 - Croatia's Antonia Ruzic saved the only break point she faced and dispatched No. 8 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 7-6 (4), 6-1 in the first round of the Monterrey Open on Tuesday in Mexico. Pavlyuchenkova hit six aces but also helped Ruzic by committing eight double faults. Ruzic's second-round opponent will be Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who claimed a 6-3, 6-4 victory over France's Leolia Jeanjean. Alycia Parks needed just 61 minutes to sweep Cristina Bucsa of Spain 6-2, 6-1, advancing to face countrywoman and No. 1 seed Emma Navarro. Not to be outdone, Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova defeated Mexico's Victoria Rodriguez 6-0, 6-3 in a mere 58 minutes. Three matches were still left to be complete Tuesday night, including Czech No. 6 seed Linda Noskova against New Zealand's Lulu Sun. Tennis in the Land Russia's Anastasia Zakharova reached her first WTA Tour-level semifinal thanks to one win and one withdrawal Tuesday in Cleveland. Zakharova won 23 of 32 first-service points (71.9 percent) as she eliminated No. 8 seed Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 6-3 in their Round of 16 match. Inclement weather Tuesday meant that only one other match was completed, as Germany's Eva Lys beat Russian Polina Kudermetova 6-4, 6-3. However, Lys then withdrew from the event, according to the WTA website, allowing Zakharova to reach the semifinals via walkover. Baptiste's loss continued seeded players' run of misfortune in Cleveland. In the first round alone, the third, fifth, sixth and seventh seeds were shown the door. --Field Level Media
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
York tips: Newsboy's picks and 1-2-3 for every race on Wednesday on ITV
Our ace tipster takes you through the card for the opening day of the prestigious Ebor Festival, one of the racing highlights of the summer schedule There is no better way to get prepared for the historic York Ebor Festival than follow ace tipster Newsboy. Over the next four days he will be providing in-depth analysis of every race in his not-to-be-missed column. Day one features one of the highlights of the whole year in the Juddmonte International, won in the past by greats of the sport, which delivers a rematch between the Aidan O'Brien-trained Delacroix and Godolphin's Ombudsman, who finished one-two in the Eclipse Stakes last month. 1.50 Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Handicap THE MAN, denied the opportunity to run at Goodwood by Biblical rainfall, has the ideal conditions to show what he can do. It all looked very promising for the Richard Spencer-trained son of Mehmas when he made his racecourse debut at Southwell in April 2024, as The Man got his career off to the perfect start with a one-length beating of Storm Call. But the wheels came off when my selection was upped in grade as a two-year-old. The Man beat just one rival home in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes and Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood on his next two starts and the Listed Roses Stakes - an easier task, on paper - here in August resulted in an eighth-of 16 finish behind Tropical Storm. Then followed a 265-day hiatus, during which time The Man underwent two surgical procedures - one to improve his breathing and the other to remove his wedding tackle. And David Egan's mount looked a different horse in a handicap over an extended five furlongs at the Dante fixture in May, bursting clear to humble Loom by two and a quarter lengths. An 8lb rise in the weights to a new British Horseracing Authority mark of 92 was well earned, and The Man has only just begun. Brazen Bolt, Bergerac and Jordan Electrics are capable of having a say in an open start to the fixture. NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3: 1 THE MAN, 2 BRAZEN BOLT, 3 JORDAN ELECTRICS 2.25 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes ITALY has a strong chance of emulating the success of stablemate The Lion In Winter in this race 12 months ago. It will hardly make the News At Ten that Italy, a juvenile trained by Aidan O'Brien, has a desirable pedigree - he's a son of Wootton Bassett out of Bound, herself a sister to 2020 Derby victor Serpentine. A 200,000-guinea purchase as a yearling, the bay colt went off a hot 4-9 favourite against five opponents at Leopardstown in May and made a taking debut with a three-quarter-length margin from Thesecretadversary, who went on to uphold the form with a fine second in the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot. Italy then had 57 days off before reappearing in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes on the final day of Newmarket's July Festival and was once again a warm order, starting the 4-6 market leader against six rivals. This time his backers didn't draw as Italy went under by a length and a quarter to the Charlie Appleby-saddled Saba Desert. But there were excuses - Ryan Moore's partner raced without cover on the outside of the field and also received an off-putting bump from fourth-placed Venetian Lace as the race approached its business end before keeping on willingly up the hill. Italy is very likely a good bit better than that, and can prove so today. Appleby's Distant Storm impressed on debut at Newmarket and is feared most, ahead of Gewan and May Angel. NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3: 1 ITALY, 2 DISTANT STORM, 3 MAY ANGEL 3.00 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes LAMBOURN is expected to make light of a 5lb penalty for not one but two Derby triumphs. Australia 's son had his colours lowered by Aidan O'Brien stable-companion Delacroix in the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown in April - but since then it's been gravy all the way. Lambourn was one of the trainer's squad sent for Chester's Epsom trials and duly booked his place in the Classic line-up with a length-and-a-half defeat of Lazy Griff. On the day, my selection went off a well-backed 13-2 third choice in an 18-runner Derby line-up - the Ryan Moore-partnered Delacroix was at the head of the betting at 2-1. But it was Wayne Lordan and Lambourn who came home in front, making most of the running, holding a three-length lead at the top of the straight and having an additional three-quarters of a length in hand of Lazy Griff when he got to the finishing post. Sent off at 8-13 to do the Epsom-Curragh double in the Irish Derby 22 days later, Lambourn and Moore had a proper workout but in the end had a three-quarter-length margin to spare from 28-1 stablemate Serious Contender. O'Brien's Irish Derby hero Los Angeles carried the extra 5lb in this race in 2025 and Lambourn should justify short odds and do likewise. Another Ballydoyle contender, Stay True, suffered a narrow defeat in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial but has plenty more to offer, while Carmers and Arabian Force are taken to fight it out for the bronze medal. NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3: 1 LAMBOURN, 2 STAY TRUE, 3 CARMERS 3.35 Juddmonte International Stakes SEE THE FIRE has Juddmonte International glory in her blood - and is the value call to follow a family tradition. Both her parents won the 10-furlong highlight - Sea The Stars stopped off at York for the fourth of his six Group 1 victories in 2009, while Arabian Queen floored Derby hero Golden Horn with a 50-1 skinner six years later. And it doesn't take a huge leap of faith, especially in a race that has thrown up shocks ever since Roberto upset Brigadier Gerard in the first running 53 years ago, to see the Andrew Balding-saddled filly showing to the fore. York form is always a useful asset and the four-year-old is unbeaten in two visits to the Knavesmire, winning the Group 3 Strensall Stakes 12 months ago and landing the Group 2 Middleton Stakes by 12 lengths over this afternoon's distance in May. Oisín Murphy's mount does have to turn round a four-and-a-half-length deficit with Ombudsman from the top-level Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot on her next outing, but found trouble in the straight while the winner benefited from being held up off a strong pace. My selection's third to Whirl in the Group 1 Nassau Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival last time was a non-event - the ground was too soft and Ryan Moore bossed things from the outset on the winner. If See The Fire is to get her hands on a Group 1 prize, then it's likely to be today. Delacroix and Ombudsman were separated by just a neck in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park and are again hard to split, but Japanese challenger Danon Decile and Frenchman Daryz also add spice to an intriguing Wednesday feature. Free £2 Shop Bet with William Hill inside your Mirror every day of the York Ebor Festival THE big guns are being readied and loaded to fire at York's Ebor Festival which starts on Wednesday August 20, 2025- and your Mirror is bringing you everything you need to celebrate the final flourish of the racing season including FREE shop bets from William Hill. Don't miss your paper every day of the festival, from Wednesday August 20 until Saturday August 23, 2025, to get your hands on packed pullouts, free £2 shop bets, and insight from the racing team you trust. Find out more here. 4.10 Sky Bet Stayers Handicap ALPHONSE LE GRANDE is no stranger to success in signature races on these shores - and he hasn't finished yet. A one-time winner as a two-year-old in Britain for Ed Dunlop, the son of Sea The Stars landed his only start for Co Kilkenny-based Ray Cody following a switch to Ireland and then joined Tony Martin. Alphonse Le Grande struggled to get his head in front over hurdles for Martin but produced the goods back on the Flat at Dundalk in March 2024, a score that presaged a Chester Plate triumph next time out. As Martin served a drugs ban, his sister Cathy O'Leary took over the training of Alphonse Le Grande and the six-year-old went on to capture Newcastle's Northumberland Vase and then the Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket later in the year. The latter victory was a controversial one - British racing's whip rules saw Alphonse Le Grande disqualified before he was reinstated on appeal and his nose defeat of Manxman was allowed to stand. Back in Martin's care, Alphonse Le Grande then caught many an eye at the Curragh in May on his comeback and didn't get the breaks when eighth, beaten three lengths, in the Ascot Stakes on the royal heath in June. Off the same mark, 6lb above his Cesarewitch rating, William Buick's mount remains of interest. Of his rivals, Terrorise, Align The Stars and Santorini Star all merit a second glance. NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3: 1 ALPHONSE LE GRANDE, 2 ALIGN THE STARS, 3 TERRORISE 4.45 IRE-Incentive, It Pays to Buy Irish Fillies' Handicap ECLAIRAGE is getting ever closer to a landmark first turf win - and gets the vote for a red-letter day. Danny Murphy's filly is mustard round five furlongs at Dundalk - all four of her runs on the all-weather have been in Co Louth, and she has yet to be beaten there. The first two successes came in nurseries there last autumn - Eclairage racked up the hat-trick there in a conditions event 12 days before Christmas - and she was back in business at the same track last month. Taking on 11 opponents, again over the minimum trip, my selection and Shane Foley - Colin Keane is at the controls this afternoon - again made all. Murphy then returned the daughter of Australian sprinter Kuroshio to grass - her sixth attempt on the surface - for a valuable handicap at Cork 13 days later. Once more in front from the gates, Eclairage began to paddle close home and was unable to resist the late thrust of Red Evolution. A 1lb nudge up the weights is neither here nor there and Eclairage will take some catching. Fluorescence and Lady Roxby are two names worth throwing into the melting pot, along with Star Of Mehmas and the prolific - if hard to spell - Luna An Inbhir Nis. 5.20 Sky Bet Nursery Handicap UTMOST RESPECT is the choice to improve Richard Fahey's already impressive record in the opening day's finale. Fahey has won three of the last 10 runnings of the six-furlong nursery, which makes his Musley Bank stable in Malton the logical place to begin the search for this year's winner. The son of Invincible Spirit made his debut in a five-furlong novice stakes on the Musidora Stakes undercard here back in May - and had little luck in running with a half-length second to Ballistic Missile. Despite the defeat, Utmost Respect lined up for the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot the following month and, as a 10-1 chance, ran with considerable credit to finish seventh, just over three lengths adrift of winner Havana Hurricane. Punters made my selection and Conor Orr the 1-4 hotpots to make it third time lucky in a five-furlong maiden at Hamilton Park last time, and the duo made no mistake with a fluent two-and-a-quarter-length victory. An opening handicap mark of 87 looks within range and today's sixth furlong is another plus. Shaman Champion, A'Ali G and Amorim, all youngsters with a bright future, have a role to play. NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3: 1 UTMOST RESPECT, 2 SHAMAN CHAMPION, 3 A'ALI G
Reuters
12 hours ago
- Reuters
Carapaz to miss Vuelta a Espana, focusing on world championships
Aug 19 (Reuters) - Former Olympic champion Richard Carapaz will miss this year's Vuelta a Espana as he is yet to fully recover from an illness, the Ecuadorian confirmed on Tuesday. Carapaz, second in the 2020 Vuelta, also missed the Tour de France with the same gastrointestinal illness and has not raced since finishing third overall at the Giro d'Italia in May. "After the illness I had, I had to stop several times as I couldn't train for more than two or three days at a time," Carapaz said in a EF Education-EasyPost team statement. "Now in Ecuador, I'm trying to get back to normal with training and continue moving forward with what we had planned. I'm almost fully recovered now." Carapaz, who won the road race gold medal in Tokyo, said his season focus was now the world championships in Rwanda. "Now, the next goals we've set are the Italian classics, especially Il Lombardia, and also the world championships in Rwanda," Carapaz said. "It's a very special world championship for me, where I have a big opportunity, and I want to prepare for it the best way possible." The world championships are being held in Kigali from September 21, the first time the event has been staged in Africa.
