Road World Championships: Days 1 and 2 Final KM

The Road World Championships has started in Doha, Qatar and it’s everything we worried it would be.  The heat is brutal. We’ve seen more vomiting and collapses over the finish line than we would ever wish to see. There have been incidents on closed roads that just should not happen anywhere, let alone at a flagship event.  Add to this the fact there are hardly any fans in evidence and yes, we are angry it was ever allowed to go ahead.

Yet, the riders are there. They have trained hard and are ready to compete. Women and men who will race through an inferno in pursuit of their rainbow dream. We may not agree with the venue or the politics, but surely they have every right to be celebrated. After all, if we don’t cheer from the sofa, who the heck will?
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Tour de France stage 6: Stybar surprises, Tony tumbles

A seemingly benign stage finished with contrasting emotions for Etixx-Quick Step. Joy for victor Zdenek Stybar, who judged his efforts to perfection to power away from the other sprinters in the last 500 metres. Tears for teammate and race leader Tony Martin, who locked wheels and fell heavily on the final ramp, breaking his collarbone.
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