馃嚦馃嚘NamibiaSouthern Africa
Vingegaard targets Giro d鈥橧talia and Tour de France double, Pellizzari offers home hopes
via The Namibian6 min read
Jonas Vingegaard is set to make his Giro d鈥橧talia debut on Friday, aiming to win both the Italian Grand Tour and the Tour de France in the same year, a feat previously achieved by his rival Tadej Pogacar. Vingegaard, a two-time Tour winner, is considered the favorite for the Giro, with Pogacar not participating this year. The 29-year-old, riding for Visma-Lease a Bike, has had a strong season, winning stage races in Paris-Nice and the Tour of Catalonia. His climbing abilities are well-suited for the challenging three-week route. Vingegaard also seeks to become the eighth man to complete the triple crown of the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta a Espana, a goal he stated would "make a little bit of history." The field for the Giro is strong, though it will be missing last year's podium finishers and other notable riders like Richard Carapaz and Joao Alemeida. The race will feature seven summit finishes and a crucial individual time trial in stage 10. Giulio Pellizzari, the Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe leader, is expected to provide strong competition on home turf, offering Italian fans hope for a local winner. Pellizzari, who finished sixth in the Giro and Vuelta last season, has shown promising form this year, including a stage race win at the Tour of the Alps.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
Belgium played to a scoreless draw against Iran, a match that saw the Red Devils reduced to 10 men and facing potential group-stage elimination for a second consecutive World Cup. Despite controlling possession, Belgium, with players like Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, struggled to create clear opportunities. Iran, in contrast, had the game's best chances, including a Mehdi Taremi goal disallowed for offside by VAR. Nathan Ngoy of Belgium was sent off in the second half for fouling Taremi after a misplaced backpass. This result means all three games in Group G have ended in draws, leaving Belgium with two points ahead of their final group match against New Zealand. Iran will need at least a point against Egypt. Protesters from Los Angeles' Persian exile community demonstrated outside the stadium against Iran's regime, and the Iranian anthem was met with boos and whistles inside the venue.
Tadej Pogacar secured his third stage victory this week, sealing overall success in the Tour of Switzerland. The world champion caught French climber Lenny Martinez 800 meters from the finish line after a 152km mountainous stage. Pogacar gradually closed a 1 minute 30 second lead held by Martinez, ultimately winning by seven seconds. The 27-year-old Slovenian expressed satisfaction with testing his legs and lungs on the climb. Martinez, 22, who was part of an 11-man breakaway, acknowledged Pogacar's strength and insatiable will to win. This marks Pogacar's first victory at the Tour of Switzerland, meaning he has now won six of the seven most historic week-long stage races. His overall margin of victory ahead of Ecuador's Richard Carapaz was 6 minutes 32 seconds. Pogacar has 13 wins from 16 race days this year, setting a strong precedent for his bid for a record-equalling fifth Tour de France victory next month.
Fifteen-year-old cricket player Vaibhav Sooryavanshi achieved the fastest half-century in List A history, reaching the milestone in just 11 balls during an India A match against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla. The Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI praised the teenager for his performance. Sooryavanshi scored 94 runs off 29 deliveries, contributing to India A's total of 377-9. This left-handed batsman's 11-ball fifty established a new record for the quickest half-century in the 50-over format. Sooryavanshi was selected for India鈥檚 T20 squad for tours to Ireland and England, and the Asian Games, following his success in the Indian Premier League where he was the leading run-scorer for Rajasthan Royals with 776 runs, including one century and five half-centuries.