Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig’s win on the third stage of the inaugural Tour de France Femme yesterday was the perfect tonic for her Team Française des Jeux after a brutal Monday in the saddle that sidelined teammate Marta Cavalli after a horror crash.
In the history of the men’s race, you’d struggle to find an instance of cycling more reckless than the example of Australian rider Nicole Frain in Stage 2 as she tried to weave through a crash scene in full fur.
Frain poleaxed Cavalli, leaving her motionless on the ground (see video below) as she flew herself. But while Frain was able to complete the stage, Cavalli’s race was definitively over.
Explosive sprint
Ludwig, who lost 98 seconds due to a crash on Monday, was understandably keen to rekindle some team spirit and when she broke free from a pack of ten just 100 meters from the end, there was no one to match her pace .
Complete with a Dannebrog on the jersey, it was another occasion for Denmark to celebrate as Ludwig won the race by two seconds to place her 10th overall, 108 seconds behind leader Marianne Vos.
“It was a fucking crap day yesterday,” Ludwig said. “But to win in this shirt, it doesn’t get better. What a winner: this is for the team … they did a good job yesterday and they kept believing in me.”
The Tour de France Femme concludes this Sunday after two full-on mountain stages that are expected to really test the field.
FCM guaranteed the Europa League group place … but they want more
FC Midtjylland yesterday eliminated Cypriot side AEK Larnaca to advance to the penultimate qualifying round for the Champions League, but it was a close affair, with the Danish side eventually winning 4-3 on penalties. The win guarantees FCM a place in the Europa League group stage, regardless of the result of their next game against Benfica. After a 1-1 draw at home last week, the game in Cyprus again ended a goal apiece and extra time failed to find a winner, despite Larnaca hitting the woodwork in the 116th minute. Against Benfica, the first leg in Lisbon is on August 2 and the second leg on August 9. Should FCM win, they will join FC Copenhagen in the playoffs, where, unlike FCK, they will not be drawn against a league champion. Should they lose against Benfica or in the playoffs, they will qualify for the Europa League group stage.
Vingegaard is shooting up the world rankings … but he will always be Denmark’s #1
Jonas Vingegaard is now fourth in the UCI world rankings, after the Slovenian duo Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic and the Dutch sprinter Wout van Aert. The list is rarely cited by the media, but it is noteworthy that Vingegaard’s team Jumbo-Visma now has three of the top four positions. In related news, Vingegaard is expected on the balcony of Copenhagen City Hall at 1:45 p.m. and then in Tivoli at 4:00 p.m., where the amusement park has set a limit of 25,000 guests for the occasion. It has been reported that Vingegaard won 3.7 million kroner for winning the Tour de France, plus 186,000 kroner for taking the King of the Mountains jersey and his slice of the Jumbo-Visma bonus.
Eriksen enjoys first training with the Red Devils
Christian Eriksen yesterday completed his first training session with his new club Manchester United, which he officially joined on July 15. It is expected that he could make his debut in a closed-door friendly against Welsh outfit Wrexham and then play against either Atlético Madrid or Rayo Vallecano on Saturday or Sunday.
Semi performance after a stroke of luck in obstacles
Mette Graversgaard made the final 24 of the 100m hurdles at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, which concluded in Eugene at the weekend – the closest Denmark came to a medal. She finished last in her semi in a time of 13.05 seconds – a hundredth of a second slower than in the heats – and qualified only because the defending world champion fell. Graversgaard was also part of the women’s 4 x 100 meter relay team that set a new national record, but failed to make the final and finished sixth in their heat.
Mag’s run ends in French GP
Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen was forced to retire at the French Grand Prix after 40 laps, while Haas co-driver Mick Schumacher could only manage a poor 15th place. Their failure ended a two-race streak in which both drivers finished in the points. Magnussen remains 11th in the overall standings, with Schmacher back in 15th – fittingly the same position he finished in at Le Castellet.
The Dane holds on to the UFC spot with a brave victory
MMA fighter Nicholas Dalby, 37, scored a respectable victory in the UFC, the sport’s highest level, in London at the weekend. He got the better of Claudio Silva of Brazil on points after all three judges agreed he was the winner. A defeat likely would have cost him his spot in the UFC. Another Dane at the same meeting, Damir Hadzovic, lost his match to Mark Diakiese from Great Britain.
If only Denmark’s only entry to the British Open could turn back the clock…
Either the golfers have gotten a lot better, or St. The Andrews course became easier to play as the final score by Nicolai Højgaard, the only Danish entry in the British Open, would have been enough to win the 1946 edition at the ‘Old’. Route’. Højgaard first made the cut thanks to an impressive second-round 67 – five under par – and then an even-par performance over the closing rounds saw him finish in a tie for 53rd at -4, some 16 shots behind winner Cameron Smith. The Dane took home prize money of just over 35,000 US dollars.
Source: The Nordic Page
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