Archive July 4, 2025

Tim Mayer, an American, has announced that he intends to run for president of the FIA-governing body for motorsport.

The 59-year-old will challenge Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who fired him as a Formula 1 steward in November.

Mayer claimed that while the FIA could “do better for the member clubs, for the motorsport community” than he had made his decision to run in the December election was “not personal.”

Mayer has extensive experience in motorsport, having spent 15 years serving as a race steward in F1 and holding senior positions in US championships like Indycar, International Motor Sports Association, and American Le Mans.

“Whether it’s small clubs in under-served areas or the Formula 1 track, I can add value to our stakeholders,” he said. “I feel at ease in both places.”

And I’ve spent the last six months learning about mobility and what it means as much as I love motorsport.

In December 2021, Ben Sulayem was elected president.

Following a crowd invasion at the conclusion of the US Grand Prix last year, he fired Mayer last year after representing the Circuit of the Americas in a “right of review” hearing.

Mayer claimed that the Emirati had felt a “personal attack on him” was part of the right-of-review hearing.

Eddie Hearn claims that Chris Eubank Jr.’s team has not requested changes to the weight schedule for their September rematch with Conor Benn, and that he would be reluctant to do so if it did happen.

The Matchroom promoter confirmed that the rematch will be fought under the exact same circumstances as their April fight, which will have a 160-pound middleweight limit and a rehydration clause, as stipulated in a two-fight contract reached a prior agreement.

In their much-anticipated grudge match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Eubank defeated Benn, the most recent incident in a conflict that dates back to the time when their legendary fathers first squared off.

The venue has not yet been determined, but the rematch will take place on September 20 in London.

First of all, Hearn told BBC Sport, “Team Eubank] wouldn’t approach me because of our contract with Saudi Arabia,” but the situation is that the terms are identical to the first fight.

Hearn asked Benn if the terms for the various terms would be taken into account. Hearn said he would not want to weigh more than the 160 pounds needed for middleweight.

In the weeks leading up to their first fight, Eubank’s weight was a contentious issue. He was overweight during fight week, and he was fined £35,000, but he was still within the 10lb rehydration cap on fight morning.

Hearn believes the debate has been overstated despite reports that Eubank used a sauna to reduce weight that the British Boxing Board of Control will hold a hearing this month.

“People don’t realize Chris Eubank had a big jacket and a lot of clothing when he rehydrated.” And he was probably three pounds under, weighing a half a pound less. Hearn continued, “It wasn’t a problem at all.”

Hearn believes the rematch, which Benn quickly demanded despite losing by a unanimous vote in April, is a sign of his growing confidence.

Hearn said, “I believe he chose to fight because he thinks he can win it this time.”

He was physically too small to play, but despite having tenacity and ability, he still won the game.

Conor Benn’s “long-term] goal is to win a welterweight world title, but that can’t be done.”

The first fight featured a lot of drama, with Chris Eubank Sr. making a surprise appearance on fight night from Benn’s failed doping tests to egg-slaps, last-minute fines, and more drama from Benn’s failed doping tests.

Hearn thinks the sequel could be even bigger if Nigel Benn and Eubank Sr, the fighters’ renowned fathers, got involved right away.

The difference may be that Eubank Sr is a part of the promotion, “Hearn said.” Never will be the same as the one hour prior to the opening fight. There will be a similar fight in the end. “I believe it will be the 13th round back again.”

Following Turki Alalshikh’s confirmation of the fight on social media, Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority chairman, Turki Alalshikh, made the rematch announcement.

“Eubank was the first to catch everyone by surprise,” the announcement. Without giving a damn about it, Turki made the announcement. After the announcement, [Team Eubank] reached out to me a little perplexed], “Hearn said.

Hearn is confident that the fight will go ahead, even though he and his team have not yet responded to a BBC Sport request for comment.

The 112th edition of the Tour de France gets under way in Lille on Saturday with the three-week race ending on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday, 27 July.

The riders will tackle six mountain stages including trips to the Pyrenees and Alps during the gruelling 3,320km (2,063-mile) race.

There will also be two individual time trials, with the second featuring the steep climb up to the Altiport in Peyragudes.

BBC Sport looks at all 21 stages of La Grande Boucle analysing where it could be won and lost.

The Grand Depart takes place in France for the first time since 2021 with a relatively flat route around Lille served up for starters.

That should mean the sprinters will get an early opportunity to take centre stage on the final straight below the Citadel.

The second stage is also the longest in this year’s race covering 209.1km with the peloton making their way through the countryside of the Hauts-de-France region, heading towards the Strait of Dover.

This should be another good chance for the Tour’s fast men to shine.

Both Amiens and Rouen have been the preserve of sprinters in previous editions of the Tour but that will not be the case this time around.

The first of two individual time trials arrives on wide and completely flat roads of Caen.

Six categorised climbs and more than 3,400m of vertical gain mean this is regarded as the most challenging flat stage in the Tour’s recent history.

The race passes through the home village of five-time winner Bernard Hinault during a relatively tame opening 175km of stage seven.

However, expect bedlam as the finishing line approaches with a closing circuit that mirrors the 2021 stage.

When you think of Chateauroux one rider immediately springs to mind – Mark Cavendish.

The first of the Manx Missile’s record 35 stage wins arrived in the city in 2008 and he repeated that success on the Avenue de la Chatre in 2011 and 2021.

While the 4,400m of elevation gain across seven category-two climbs and a category-three ascent is likely to put the sprinters in trouble almost from the start, the general classification contenders are likely to keep their powder dry on a stage that looks made for the breakaway specialists.

There will likely be a strong posse of home riders trying to get in any group heading up the road with the objective of becoming the first French stage winner on Bastille Day since Warren Barguil in 2017.

The first real big day in the mountains could see fireworks in the GC race.

The route up to the ski resort at Hautacam on the roads above Lourdes takes the peloton on the route where five-time champion Miguel Indurain tore the race (and his rivals) apart in 1994.

An individual time trial takes the riders from the valley floor up to the runway of Altiport 007 in Peyragudes.

After a flat start, there will be over 8km uphill and no hiding place for the GC favourites in the race of truth.

A classic and mouth-watering mountain stage in the Pyrenees arrives at the end of week two.

Nearly 5,000m of elevation gain is packed into climbs up the mighty hors-categorie Tourmalet followed by the Col d’Aspin and Col de Peyresourde.

On a day when the GC riders will be need to be at their very best, the strongest climbers will have their focus on the fight for the King of the Mountains jersey and hope to contest the stage on the pull up to the ski resort of Luchon-Superbagneres.

A transitional stage arrives as the race heads from the Pyrenees towards the Alps, which looks suited to the strongman sprinters who can cope with some climbing.

Stage 16 is a flat route until one of the most legendary mountains in Tour history comes into view at the end with the potential to turn the race on its head.

With no categorised climbs all day before Mont Ventoux, and the intermediate sprint featuring 112km into the stage, it would be no surprise if the peloton remains largely intact until then.

With two big Alpine tests still to come the GC teams will probably play second fiddle to the sprint teams when it comes to trying to rein in any breakaways.

This year’s queen stage comes with more than 5,500m of elevation across 171.5km of racing and three legendary climbs which makes it arguably the toughest run of the entire Tour.

All three ascents fall under the hors categorie, with the Col du Glandon, a 21.7km drag with with sections at double digits just for starters.

The last real mountain stage represents the final opportunity for those high in the GC standings to make a play for the yellow jersey.

The route from Albertville to La Plagne covers almost 130km, and includes five leg-sapping ascents.

Plenty of points will be up for grabs again in the race for the the polka-dot jersey points available but this is really a last-chance saloon in terms of the overall race.

The penultimate stage sees the race snake over the hills of the Jura towards Pontarlier.

The Tour returns to it’s traditional Paris finish after relocating to Nice last year due to the Olympics.

However, it does so with a twist, given the cobbled climb up to the Sacre-Cœur Basilica features three times in a throwback to the road race in the 2024 Paris Games.