Latest news with #VanAert
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
TNT Sports pundit takes selfie live on TV – 'I'm going to get in trouble'
Former professional cyclist Adam Blythe was in Italy covering the Giro d'Italia for TNT Sports when he decided the perfect time for a selfie with Wout van Aert Cycling fans at the Giro d'Italia witnessed more than just the race drama as TNT Sports commentator Adam Blythe grabbed the attention following an impromptu moment with cycling star Wout van Aert. The 35-year-old British ex-pro cyclist turned heads with a provocative request to Van Aert, later confessing he'd likely get in "trouble" for his antics. Unaware that the cameras were rolling live, Blythe was spotted engaging Van Aert amidst a flurry of riders and media on an Italian thoroughfare, seeking to snap a "get a quick picture" with the Belgian star. Instructing his crew to wait, Blythe juggled his phone, setting up for what seemed the perfect selfie opportunity with Van Aert. It wasn't long before TNT presenter Orla Chennaoui caught sight of the unwitting blunder, asking: "Why is he looking at his phone?," then adding: "Is he really doing this? Adam, you're live on TV, could you leave the selfie until later?". Realisation dawned upon Blythe as he swiftly informed Van Aert they were "live on television", smoothly transitioning to a traditional interview setup with the Belgian sprinter. Though Van Aert entered the Giro with soaring expectations, initial stages proved challenging. Yet, he rebounded with victory in Siena during the strade bianche phase, a triumph he delved into with Blythe during their on-air exchange, reports the Express. "Yeah, good feeling relieved that we're almost over the mountains," he said. "Tomorrow is one of the few real opportunities for the sprinters so I think we're really focused for tomorrow." Although his main role was support, Van Aert demonstrated sublime teamwork at the famed Italian race as he helped his Team Visma-Lease-a-Bike colleague, Simon Yates, snatch the coveted maglia rosa, virtually sealing his triumph in the overall standings. Quick to exit the scene, Blythe made a swift departure from the interview, quipping: "Well, I have to go as I'm going to get in trouble." He later shared the amusing episode on Instagram with his followers, captioning it humorously: "Forgot I was on Tele". In Verres, Italy, the intense terrain put cyclists through their paces. With Sunday fast approaching, Rome gears up to host the grand finale where deeply determined riders will vie for a slice of the £1.3 million prize pool. Reflecting over his initial week's adversity, Van Aert remained upbeat, as per Cycling News. "I am very satisfied with how it has turned out. "I had hoped for a nicer start, but I have recovered well. The stage win remains a highlight and has ensured that my Giro has been successful." Meanwhile Blythe is carving out his niche as a trusted pundit on Eurosport for all things cycling, and provided in-depth reports for NBC Sports at the Tour de France in both 2020 and 2021.
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Unstoppable Pedersen pips Van Aert to win Giro stage 13, Del Toro extends lead
FILE PHOTO: Cycling - Giro d'Italia - Stage 11 - Viareggio to Castelnovo ne' Monti - Italy - May 21, 2025 UAE Team Emirates's Isaac Del Toro celebrates on the podium wearing the maglia rosa jersey REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Cycling - Giro d'Italia - Stage 11 - Viareggio to Castelnovo ne' Monti - Italy - May 21, 2025 Lidl - Trek's Mads Pedersen celebrates on the podium wearing the maglia ciclamino jersey REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini/File Photo Mads Pedersen won his fourth stage of the 2025 Giro d'Italia when he sprinted to victory on Friday's stage 13, beating Wout van Aert to the line while Isaac del Toro marginally extended his overall lead to retain the pink jersey. As the riders neared the finish of the 180 km ride from Rovigo to Vicenza, Pedersen was fourth when he launched his bid for victory on the uphill sprint, squeezing his way past as Van Aert stayed close on his wheel. Del Toro had done well to earn bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint but the 21-year-old did not have the legs to challenge the sprint heavyweights as he settled for third, leaving Pedersen and Van Aert to battle it out for victory. Ultimately, it was Pedersen who powered through to the finish to take the win by less than a bike length even as Van Aert tried his best to make a last-ditch lunge to overtake him. "What an incredible Giro this is. Timing my effort was dictated by instinct. I had to open up on the right side close to the barriers. So I went a bit earlier than I wanted to," Pedersen said. "On such a hard day and a finale like this, everyone has burning legs in the finale. It was definitely nice to have seen it before. "I'm happy with this win and adding another 50 points for the Maglia Ciclamino (purple jersey). I'm overwhelmed with winning again." On a stage with several breakaways that did not come to fruition, it was Romain Bardet of Picnic-PostNL who looked for the win when he attacked on the twisting and turning downhill section near the end. He was joined by Lidl-Trek's Mathias Vacek as the pair stormed into a 17-second lead with four kilometres left. But two kilometres later, that lead was cut to 10 seconds and they could not keep the chasers at bay with less than a kilometre left on the final climb, as the Alpecin–Deceuninck team led the charge. "We first tried to win the stage with Mathias Vacek. He deserves to get his chance too," Pedersen added. "If there was a hesitation in the peloton, Romain Bardet and him would have had the possibility to win. It was ideal, I could sit behind and let other teams work." That was when Pedersen accelerated to beat Van Aert while Del Toro finished third, two seconds behind after nearly four hours of racing. However, Del Toro now leads his UAE Team Emirates teammate Juan Ayuso by 38 seconds in the general classification while Antonio Tiberi of Bahrain Victorious is one minute and 18 seconds behind. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Unstoppable Pedersen beats Van Aert in uphill sprint to win Giro stage 13
FILE PHOTO: Cycling - Giro d'Italia - Stage 11 - Viareggio to Castelnovo ne' Monti - Italy - May 21, 2025 UAE Team Emirates's Isaac Del Toro celebrates on the podium wearing the maglia rosa jersey REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Cycling - Giro d'Italia - Stage 11 - Viareggio to Castelnovo ne' Monti - Italy - May 21, 2025 Lidl - Trek's Mads Pedersen celebrates on the podium wearing the maglia ciclamino jersey REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini/File Photo Mads Pedersen won his fourth stage of the 2025 Giro d'Italia when he sprinted to victory on Friday's stage 13, beating Wout van Aert to the line while Isaac del Toro maintained his overall lead to retain the pink jersey. As the riders neared the finish of the 180 km ride from Rovigo to Vicenza, Pedersen was fourth when he launched his bid for victory on the uphill sprint as Van Aert stayed close on his wheel. Del Toro had done well to earn bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint but the 21-year-old did not have the legs to challenge the sprint heavyweights as he settled for third, leaving Pedersen and Van Aert to battle it out for victory. Ultimately, it was Pedersen who powered through to the finish to take the win by less than a bike length even as Van Aert tried his best to make a last-ditch lunge to overtake him. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Cycling-Unstoppable Pedersen beats Van Aert in uphill sprint to win Giro stage 13
FILE PHOTO: Cycling - Giro d'Italia - Stage 11 - Viareggio to Castelnovo ne' Monti - Italy - May 21, 2025 Lidl - Trek's Mads Pedersen celebrates on the podium wearing the maglia ciclamino jersey REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini/File Photo (Reuters) -Mads Pedersen won his fourth stage of the 2025 Giro d'Italia when he sprinted to victory on Friday's stage 13, beating Wout van Aert to the line while Isaac del Toro maintained his overall lead to retain the pink jersey. As the riders neared the finish of the 180 km ride from Rovigo to Vicenza, Pedersen was fourth when he launched his bid for victory on the uphill sprint as Van Aert stayed close on his wheel. Del Toro had done well to earn bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint but the 21-year-old did not have the legs to challenge the sprint heavyweights as he settled for third, leaving Pedersen and Van Aert to battle it out for victory. Ultimately, it was Pedersen who powered through to the finish to take the win by less than a bike length even as Van Aert tried his best to make a last-ditch lunge to overtake him. (Reporting by Rohith Nair in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Olav Kooij sprints to victory on stage 12 of Giro d'Italia
Olav Kooij sprinted to victory on stage 12 of the Giro d'Italia as Isaac Del Toro retained the pink jersey in Viadana. Kooij was helped by a superb lead-out from Visma-Lease A Bike team-mate Wout Van Aert, with Casper van Uden second over the line ahead of Britain's Ben Turner. The 172km stage from Modena, the first opportunity for the quick men in a week, came down to the final few bends of a technical finish left slightly damp by earlier rain in Viadana, and Van Aert used all his experience to win the fight for position going into the final sharp left-hander. Team Picnic PostNL's Van Uden tried to go long with his sprint after being left with a slight gap as the road straightened out, but Kooij kept his cool to take the win while the Ineos Grenadiers' Turner held off Mads Pedersen for the last step on the podium. A small crash in the peloton with around one kilometre left to go neutralised the times for the overall standings, allowing the general classification contenders to sit up. Del Toro leads by 33 seconds from his UAE Team Emirates team-mate Juan Ayuso with Bahrain-Victorious rider Antonio Tiberi third. Bonus seconds saw Wednesday's stage winner Richard Carapaz move up to fourth, on the same time as Kooij's team-mate Simon Yates in fifth, one minute and 11 seconds off pink. "It's really nice to see Olav finishing it off after a really good lead out, I have to say," Van Aert said after the race, "We used our horsepower and he has the kick." Kooij added: "Only Wout can do such a long lead out like today's. I got an extraordinary support. I have to thank my teammates, also the rest of the team did a fantastic job." Friday's stage 13 will take the riders 180km from Rovigo to Vicenza.
