Local hero Squiban storms to second straight Tour de France Femmes stage win
The 23-year-old attacked on the upper slopes of the Col du Granier (8.9km at 5.4%) to reach the finish of the hilly stage alone, which lifted the UAE Team ADQ rider to second in the polka dot jersey standings, level on 17 points with Dutchwoman Silke Smulders.
A 17-rider breakaway had lit up the 159.7km stage from Bourg-en-Bresse, with Fiona Mangan (Winspace Orange Seal) becoming the first Irish rider to win an intermediate sprint at the Tour.
The move split on the Cote de Saint-Franc before Squiban's decisive attack on the final climb. Mauritian rider Kim Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal) lost ground on the Granier but finished sixth to retain the yellow jersey.
Mountains classification leader Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez) was distanced from the peloton before Squiban's climb.
Saturday's mountain stage will be from Chambery to Saint-Francois-Longchamp.
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BBC News
11 minutes ago
- BBC News
Fan reaction to Scottish Premiership's opening weekend
"Brutal", a "miserable victory", and no need for Scottish Premiership returned this weekend and brought with it drama and intrigue across the Russell Martin's scathing post-match comments to Falkirk's return to the top flight after 15 years, there were more storylines than you could shake an empty pie ashet the season, BBC Scotland will be asking you for your views on the action through our live pages. Here is a selection of what you made of the opening weekend's action. 'Brutal' Rangers draw with 'positive' Motherwell Rangers fans were left frustrated after their side conceded late on and only drew with Same old Rangers, can't close a game Pathetic performance, not enough skill in the team to play Russell Martin's way. Too laboured on the ball - too slow in thought and action. After this display and the coach's words I am really worried for this season. Top-six Poor show. I was not inspired by the choice of manager nor have I been impressed by the new signings. I wouldn't be surprised if we finish fourth, never mind second. Lack of determination to A new season and a new manager with new players, but the same old performance. Nothing new that wasn't there last season, poor passing, poor kick outs, and, considering the amount of corners, only one goal. Shocking. The same old excuses that we have heard before many It's very early, but I would be surprised if this Rangers team put in a challenge for the league title. Very Motherwell supporters were delighted with what they We are going to be a joy to watch this season! A superb second half saw us snatch a well deserved point. If we play like that all season we could be a real problem for other Superb. We fell away in the first half but the second half was tremendous. Like watching a new team. Effort and refusing to lie down, a new Delighted with our approach and mentality. Bravery and a will to try. Still plenty aspects to improve, but if we play like that every week, we will win more than we An inspiring start! Can totally see what Jens Berthel Askou is trying to do. A few nervous moments initially but once they settled down it went well. Struggle to recall a better opening Incredible performance from Motherwell and so unlucky not to win in the dying moments! We are going to be very fun to watch this season. Bring on St This was positive. Motherwell put Rangers on the back foot, which is not usual in these games. St Mirren 'dropped three points' against 'lethargic' Celtic Celtic fans were left with mixed emotions despite Luke McCowan's late goal earning them three points over St Mirren at Yet another miserable 1-0 victory in the final minutes. Can't disguise the deficiencies in the Celtic team – and in Brendan Rodgers' tactics. Negative, robotic football that will again result in several heavy defeats in St Mirren worked hard at their game plan and nearly got a point. Credit to the players for remaining calm and getting the reward for the perseverance. Onwards now for the Good performances across the park but found it difficult against a St Mirren team which has performed so well and competitively in the League Cup. Kieran Tierney was great, but needs to work on his fitness. All the pieces are there, we just need to find a way of fitting them Not the best performance but a win is a win. Fair play to St Mirren, they defended well. We need more attacking options. Adam Idah and Yang Hyun-jun aren't good enough. Says it all that only two of our six signings kicked a I am unsure if Celtic are lethargic or arrogant? Trying to walk the ball in with no real conviction. Fair play to St Mirren for not allowing the game to be dictated to them Brendan Rodgers has created a lot of negativity with that press conference the other day. He's a top coach but his ego is off the scale. I want us to sign players but he paid over £20m for Idah and Arne Engels, that's outrageous. Engels is like a fish up a Mirren fans were heartened by their performance against the This was a game played by two very good sides. I thought St Mirren at times rode their luck but they certainly deserved a point. Their defending was excellent and a work ethic to give the supporters a great deal of hope in the weeks to come. It was despairing to lose by a late deflected Three points dropped by St Mirren… They really should be doing better against poor opponents like A disciplined performance, we rode our luck for sure. Thought we were going to hold on. The Celtic subs made all the difference, I wish James Forrest would retire! 'Professional' Hearts 'outhustle' Aberdeen Hearts opened their league account with a 2-0 win over Aberdeen and supporters are optimistic about the season ahead under Derek Thoroughly professional performance, looked strong in every department and have a physicality to dig in when required. McInnes has been flawless since his Always good to start a new season with a win, especially at home. Much more incisive and quicker to move the ball forward than last season. Expect us to do even better once the new squad settles The most hungry, aggressive and solid as I've seen Hearts in a Hearts looked more hungry than Aberdeen. Every player worked for each another and looked like there was togetherness about the team. We need a creative midfielder to complement the eager workers. If Bloom can conjure up the final piece of the jigsaw, we could have an exciting supporters weren't impressed by the display at First half was awful from the Dons. Could see the difference in quality and also competitiveness in the Hearts team. Second half got a bit better, but Kusini Yengi has to score his chance. Nicolas Milanovic looked decent and was the only I think it's going to be a long season as I don't believe we have enough striking options to win crucial games like last Aberdeen were outhustled from the start. Hearts wanted it more and we looked off the pace and the need for a goal scorer is even more evident now - hopefully Yengi can get on the goal trail soon as this wasn't his finest Badly need a proven striker. Splash the cash and bring Bojan Miovski back. Sivert Nilsen should be nowhere near the team - Ante Palaversa is far better. Topi Keskinen still poor - Shayden Morris should be starting. Falkirk fans upbeat, United will 'struggle' for top six Falkirk earned a point against Dundee United on their return to the top-flight and fans were pleased with the Excellent performance by newcomers against the fourth-placed side last season. A couple of defensive errors proved costly. This performance augurs well for the season Well done the Bairns. If we can sort defence, we will be All in all a great advert for Scottish football, but from our perspective I thought we were the better team. Now it's time to work on the point gained, a more clinical edge in front of goal and maybe we could've gone back home with three Point was a fair result. Disappointed in the two goals we conceded but we kept going and played some decent stuff in what was a good game of fans singled out midfielder Panutche Camara for praise after the 2-2 Dundee United will struggle for a top-six finish with that defence and goalkeeper. Panutche Camara was brilliant to watch. Best player on the Three games in and we are sitting with two wins in Europe and an away draw in the league opener. Hardly a crisis!Kenny: Much better. Camara had a great game and we were unlucky not to pick up all three points. A good shift from the whole team and a definite step up in attitude and application. Two great goals! 'Relegation fodder' Dundee and steady Hibs Hibernian bounced back from their aggregate defeat by Midtjylland to beat Dundee Travelled to Dundee with my son, hoping that Hibs could start the league season strongly after the disappointment of Thursday. Great to see Hibs hit the ground running and could easily have scored four or five against a poor Dundee. Hopefully we can push on and get points on the board early. Very happy with the direction the club is Good win considering we went to extra-time on Thursday Don't need fireworks on day one, just three points. Dundee fans are fearful for the season ahead after another defeat under head coach Steven On the basis of the three Dundee games that I've watched, including today's, there is no doubt in my mind that we are already relegation fodder. We look weak all over the park, there is no fight in the team when Murray isn't playing, and we seem to be content playing for low-scoring defeats. This season has disaster written all over Hibs won in second gear. Pressley is deluded in his post-match comments. Nelms at the helm is destroying Dundee. As a so-called US "businessman", I would expect elements of success and improvement. Instead, we are rock bottom with the worst ground in the league. We deserve Dundee are awful. Relegated by February. No creativity at all. Couldn't even get the substitutes on I have supported Dundee for over 55 years and I can honestly say this is the worst set I have ever seen at this club and the future certainly doesn't look rosy. Time machine Killie, Livi 'should have won' Kilmarnock fans were left frustrated after their side let a two-goal lead slip against Livingston following George Stanger's red It was like going back in time to last season, come on Killie get it sorted out before it becomes normal to throw away points. It stops now, no more A good first half performance, but a disappointing second half. The red card and penalty made a big difference, however, Killie were on the back foot most of the second half. There are some positives, but the overarching feeling is that we still have work to do, and we need more cover defensively!James: Very disappointed to only draw the game. For all their possession Livi didn't create many chances. The game turns on the penalty. A very frustrating result but we did well in the first half and scored two good goals. I feel we need to beef up the central defence and New season, new manager, some new players in, yet once again it's the same as last season on too many occasions, another red the other hand, Livi supporters took positives from the We will surprise some people. A lot of fans of other sides have us finishing 12th. I think, or is it really hope, that we will get a top-six finish. That may very well be sixth, but I would love to see a top-five finish and a chance for Robbie Muirhead will be key for us this season up top but so will Jerome Prior at the other other end of the pitch along with Danny Wilson and Ryan McGowan but for me Graham Carey will be our surprise package this season, he's very A game Livi should have won, but Killie managed to score two quick goals.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Why Monaco have gambled on 'wildcard' Pogba
When Paul Pogba was handed a four-year doping ban in February 2024, it was as much a question of 'if' as it was 'when' we would see the Frenchman that was reduced on appeal to 18 months in October, the 'if' was taken out of the equation. The 'when' remained partially unanswered, but it was then the 'where' that was on everyone's an emotional Pogba put pen to paper on a two-year deal in the quaint village of La Turbie at the end of June, we had our not played since September 2023, it was AS Monaco who offered the 32-year-old a route back into the professional game, although they were far from the only interested party - even if clubs did bide their time following the expiry of his ban in were links to the United States, Saudi Arabia and Japan, as well as teams in his native France."We thought about [signing Pogba], we wanted to do it," said Marseille sporting director Medhi Benatia in February. "The problem is, if we want to bring in a Pogba, who is not yet fit, does it make sense to alter the balance?"Benatia didn't rule out his side making an approach but ultimately, because of significant doubts about the player's fitness, they didn' did. Pogba's availability for no fee, following the termination of his Juventus contract, was not inconsequential to the principality club's decision - even if, as Monaco chief executive Thiago Scuro pointed out, "free agents have salaries too".Amid a financial crisis that has gripped the French game, Monaco, like everyone, are attentive to market opportunities, of which Pogba was certainly one of the most tempting. Pogba's signing was more symbolic of a shifting strategy at Monaco, one targeting the squad's age prioritise providing a pathway into the first team for their academy products, with Maghnes Akliouche, Eliesse Ben Seghir and Soungoutou Magassa recently making the step also recruit young. George Ilenikhena, Christian Mawissa and Lamine Camara were Monaco's most expensive summer recruits last season - none were above the age of the same summer, two of the most experienced players, Wissam Ben Yedder and Guillermo Maripan, January, Scuro saw a need to adjust."My understanding is that, in the summer, with the goals that we have, we were becoming too young," said the Brazilian."The next step that we see is getting the performance players on board. That is the challenge."Attempts to sign England midfielder Jordan Henderson from Ajax failed in January. Moatasem Al-Musrati arrived instead on loan, but Monaco did not trigger an option to buy the pursuit of Pogba was more recent, with 'La Pioche' visiting the club's installations in mid-May, meeting with manager Adi Hutter and president Dmitry England defender Eric Dier, another experienced head, also arrived for free this summer from Bayern Munich."We want to keep our [youth-centric] strategy, balance it a little but not step away from it," added Scuro. Pogba expected to return in October Monaco view Pogba as a player who can help the group mature through his vast experience and natural leadership qualities, which have already been evident during a seamless integration quickly forged a strong link with the older and younger elements of the squad during Les Monegasques' pre-season training camp in Pogba's positive impact has been felt in the dressing room, it is hoped it will also be felt, in time, on the pitch - even if there may not be an over-reliance on the Paris St-Germain, it can be argued, prior to Pogba's arrival, Monaco already had the best midfield in Ligue is therefore something of a wildcard, a bonus, but not a player the club will need to rush back out of suits, because Pogba is far from operational. At the start of June, the midfielder revealed an "ambition" to play against his formative club, Le Havre, on the opening day of the Scuro quickly tempered expectations."I can guarantee he won't be on the pitch against Le Havre. We are here to be realistic. We expect a three-month process," he would have Pogba on course to play his first professional match in more than two years around the start of October. 'It is very rare to see me cry like that' Monaco and the rest of Ligue 1 will look to benefit from Pogba's profile in the the time of his presentation, more than half of the Monaco shirts ordered were printed with the World Cup winner's name, while social media content surrounding his arrival gained 400 million manager Habib Beye and Brest manager Eric Roy have praised the signing, as has the president of the league, Vincent Labrune."The league will benefit not only from his talent and his charisma, but also from his international standing," he will also stand to benefit on the pitch, should Pogba prove to be the player of old, but there is no before his ban the Frenchman had been dogged by injury issues for months, even years, and even admitted to seeing a witch doctor about was forced to make that admission following accusations from his brother, Mathias, that he had used a witch doctor to place a curse on Kylian Mbappe before PSG's Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester United in accusations were part of a wider extortion attempt that dates back to the midfielder's time at Old March 2022 he was kidnapped by masked men, who demanded a payment of 13m euros (£11.3m). His brother was sentenced to a three-year prison term, two years of which were believed that difficult chapter impacted him on the pitch."It is all linked," he said at his presentation, which he began by explaining his tears upon signing for Monaco."If the mind is good, it will go well on the pitch. It is very rare to see me cry like that, so I hope you enjoyed it. There were so many images that came into my mind."We know the doping story, my injury… everything came back to me during the signing and I just couldn't hold it back. It was a moment of joy."Clearly marked by an unsavoury spell in the footballing wilderness, Pogba has now turned the page in his career and is eager to enjoy a fresh start."I spoke with multiple people [during my ban] who helped me to see things in the present, to not think about the past or the future," he "more determined", Pogba has extra motivation, too, for his comeback."I wanted my kids to see me on the pitch - my dream is to see my kids celebrate one of my goals with a dab," he joked.A return to the international set-up is also a major objective, and he couldn't be in a better place to add to his 91 caps, with France boss Didier Deschamps' residence just a stone's throw away from Monaco's performance summer's World Cup will be Deschamps' final tournament after 14 years in charge. Pogba was one of his key players during Les Bleus' 2018 triumph in Russia and, with a second chance and new lease of life, he could yet be once more.
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Yohel Pozo's pinch-hit single sends Cardinals past Dodgers
August 5 - Masyn Winn and Ivan Herrera hit home runs, Yohel Pozo delivered a go-ahead, pinch-hit single in the ninth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals pulled off a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday in the opener of a three-game series. Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray shook off recent struggles to give up one run on one hit over seven innings as St. Louis improved to 2-2 on a six-game road trip to San Diego and Los Angeles. Gray, who struck out eight and walked one, permitted 17 earned runs and 30 hits over his previous three outings combined. Freddie Freeman homered and Tyler Glasnow went seven strong innings, but the Dodgers still lost in the opener of a six-game homestand. Glasnow yielded one run on three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. It was his second seven-inning outing in five starts since returning from a 2 1/2-month stint on the injured list caused by shoulder inflammation. The Cardinals' go-ahead run in the ninth came against new Dodgers right-hander Brock Stewart, who was acquired at the trade deadline Thursday from the Minnesota Twins. Minnesota greeted Stewart (2-2) with consecutive singles by Willson Contreras and Lars Nootbaar. Two outs later, Pozo singled to right-center for a one-run lead. Shohei Ohtani led off the Dodgers' ninth with a single off left-hander JoJo Romero, but Mookie Betts was robbed of a hit on a diving catch from Nootbaar in right field. Romero closed it out for his second save. Winn gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead with a home run to left field in the second inning, his eighth of the year. The Dodgers got even in the fourth on Freeman's home run to right field, his 13th of the season and third in five games. The Cardinals took a brief 2-1 lead on Herrera's home run off left-hander Anthony Banda in the eighth, his 10th. The Dodgers tied in the bottom of the frame on a leadoff double from Teoscar Hernandez and consecutive groundouts. St. Louis right-hander Riley O'Brien (1-0) picked up his first career win despite giving up a run in the eighth. --Field Level Media
