Britain’s Tarling abandons Giro after barrier crash

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After crashing on stage 16, Britain’s Josh Tarling was forced to resign from the Giro d’Italia.

Tarling, a 21-year-old Ineos Grenadiers rider, slid into a barrier early on Tuesday’s stage after colliding heavily on a wet surface.

The Welsh rider’s success came when he won the stage two time trial and his first Grand Tour stage victory.

On stage 10, Tarling finished second, seven seconds behind Dutchman Daan Hoole, who had previously been successful in the race’s second time trial.

As the race resumed in heavy rain on Monday’s second rest day, Tarling was a part of a seven-rider breakaway that had a 30-second lead over the peleton.

The Welshman’s body struck the barrier as his bike slid out of a roundabout.

The 2023 European time trial champion was confirmed by Ineos Grenadiers.

Following a collision on the current stage, Josh Tarling, according to the team, has regrettably had to leave the Giro d’Italia.

He is being evaluated further by our team doctor, who is with him. As soon as possible, we’ll keep you informed of his condition.

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Zaniolo accused of ‘provocative behaviour’ by Roma

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Nicolo Zaniolo, a former Aston Villa midfielder, has been accused of inciting Roma’s youth team players, with two of them reportedly “struck” following a game on Monday.

Following Fiorentina’s Under-20s’ victory over Roma in the Italian Primavera semi-final, the alleged incident occurred.

Zaniolo, who left Roma in 2023 and signed for Fiorentina on loan from Galatasaray in February, was present for the game.

Roma claimed that Zaniolo “engaged in provocative behavior toward some of the Giallorossi youth players” after the match.

Two Primavera players reportedly received physical injuries during the altercation, according to a club statement.

Any aggressive behavior or behavior that conflicts with AS Roma’s values is a force to condemn with all impunity.

In response to the allegations made in a statement from Fiorentina, Zaniolo said: “At the end of the game, I went down to the locker room to congratulate the Fiorentina boys, and then I went to the Roma locker room to say hello and congratulate them on the season.

They started insulting me at a certain point, so I decided to leave to prevent the situation from deteriorating.

Roma’s claim that two of their players were struck by the 25-year-old did not get through to the 25-year-old.

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Lions consider golden-point extra-time proposal

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If Australia wins the third Test of the year in a draw, the British and Irish Lions board will consider adding sudden death to the score.

Phil Waugh, the head of Rugby Australia, revealed that he had suggested playing “golden point” extra time, which would allow the first team to win, during meetings in London.

After the Lions and New Zealand won the series, which ended 15-15, captain Sam Warburton argued that it was “a bit of an anticlimax for the players.”

No-one wants to kiss your sister, according to former New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen, who compared the draw to “a bit like kissing your sister.”

“We’ve had some really fruitful discussions,” she said. Whether it’s a drawn series or whether it’s decided by golden point or extra time, that’s up to the Lions board, Waugh told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“Our preference is to put the fans at the center of everything we’re doing,” according to our spokesperson. “I think that everyone’s familiarity with “golden point” and interest in that in our market is a good indicator.

“We will be making sure both parties’ minds are at ease,” he says. But I believe that’s certainly very appealing if you’re thinking about some fan engagement.

This year, Super Rugby Pacific introduced the “golden point,” where a draw is made after 10 minutes of extra time is played if the teams are level at full-time and there is no winning score.

Western Force and New Zealand’s Hurricanes drew 17-17 in extra time, with no extra points in extra time.

Two 10-minute periods of standard extra time are played during Super Rugby Pacific knockout games.

Confirmation of a red card for the next 20 minutes.

Sonny Bill Williams hits Anthony WatsonImages courtesy of Getty

Waugh confirmed that both teams had agreed to use the 20-minute red card throughout the series.

The offending team can replace the red-carded player after 20 minutes, when the rule reduces the number to 14.

Following a trial at the Autumn Nations Cup in November, the Six Nations team for the first time this year used 20-minute red cards.

Garry Ringrose, an Ireland international who will travel with the Lions this summer, was sent a 20-minute red card in the first half for Wales.

Bundee Aki assumed the role of Ringrose in the 20th minute, and she immediately assumed her place.

We’ve been very vocal about our support for the 20-minute red card, Walsh continued.

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How Schmid screengrab reignited putter debate

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His best PGA Tour appearance so far, Matti Schmid, from Germany, addressed his ball in a crucial tap-in on Sunday in second place at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

The television cameras captured the club’s upper reaches in one word. The thumb was resting on top of the grip on a clenched left hand. His thumb’s knuckle creased around his blue-patterned shirt.

Was his chest also in contact with his knuckle, as the image suggested? Was it firmly pressed against his sternum if so? A fixed anchor point had he been discovered? He broke the law, right? Or was everything okay?

What is stated in the regulation?

A player must not “do it ‘directly’, by holding the club or by holding my hand against any part of the body,” according to Rule 10.1 of the Golf Rules.

Schmid acknowledged that the image was a “bad look” when I showed a screengrab of it to a leading referee who was unaware of the daylight between his left thumb and his shirt.

There is no violation of this rule if the player’s club, gripping hand, or forearm is only merely touching their body or clothing during the stroke, without being held against the body, he added.

What makes this controversial?

Despite legislation being put into effect almost ten years ago, the question of “anchored” continues to be one of the murkiest in the industry.

It actually seems to be getting more and more relevant.

With a second-place finish behind Ben Griffin, Schmid led the putting charts at Colonial. The two-time former European Amateur champion moved up to 55th in the FedEx Cup standings after gaining more than eight strokes with his prowess on the greens with his prowess.

All of this is not to say that the 27-year-old’s actions violated any laws. His stroke may have a sufficient amount of lateral movement to suggest that he is not stabilizing to a fixed point.

However, the topic of interest in professional locker rooms continues to be.

The referee I spoke to continued, “He’s probably OK.” He’s probably just touching the shirt material, but what he’s trying to achieve is to be as close to his chest as possible, which in turn results in player integrity.

Under the condition of anonymity, another official who refers to the DP World Tour said, “It is incredibly difficult to enforce.”

We spoke with a few players who we thought were breaking the rule, and they are all pleased to report that they have since resumed their shorter putters.

What previous instances have there been?

Following a string of major victories won by golfers using extended putter shafts, the rule was made effective in 2016.

Ernie Els and Keegan Bradley both won the 2011 US Open with their midriffs, and Keegan Bradley did the same for his subsequent Open success. Adam Scott won a year later at the Masters and Webb Simpson won a broom-handle major at the 2012 US Open. The Aussie uses the long putter even though there is still daylight between his body and his stroke.

Nine years ago, anchoring was prohibited due to the “fundamental characteristics of the putting stroke.”

Because it moves the hit, an extended shaft can be clamped against a forearm (as does US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau does).

However, some players believe even this method makes putting “too easy” to do.

Additionally, there are many more opponents who opt for longer implements and avoid convention. The likes of Akshay Bhatia, Si Woo Kim, and Lucas Glover make the most of these potentially contentious clubs, along with Schmid.

Bernhard Langer and Scott McCarron have long endured having their techniques questioned on the Seniors tour, and Eugenio Chacarra’s victory in the Indian Open on the DP World Tour in March attracted attention.

The rules have been vehemently refrained by Langer and McCarron.

According to Langer, “I personally don’t understand it because I’m a man of integrity, and breaking rules and being known as cheating is the last thing I want to do.”

Because I have control over my hand, I can tell when I’m anchoring and when I’m not. You can see it going sideways.

I’m not anchoring or touching any part of my body when my knuckle is away from the body, and I know I’m in compliance with the rules.

The issue is that it frequently is impossible to enforce and is not even apparent to the eye.

It means that a problem as fundamental as the putting stroke is obscured by more grey areas than a flotilla of battleships, which is highly unsatisfying and unfair on Schmid given how brilliantly dominant they are on the greens are they.

Eddie Pepperell, winner of the DP World Tour, says it’s “quite simple” to find a solution.

He remarked on the podcast Chipping Forecast that “insist on the putter being the shortest club in the bag.”

Some referees concur.

One official said, “The simple solution is to limit the putter’s maximum length and then finish with it.”

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Azarenka’s 48-minute ‘double bagel’ sets records

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French Open 2025

Location: Roland Garros, May 25 – June

Victoria Azarenka defeated Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer in the final round of the French Open, moving into the second round with a 48-minute “double bagel” victory.

The Belarusian won a Grand Slam main-draw match with a score of 6-0 6-0, making him the 35th player in the Open era.

She also becomes the first woman to win a Grand Slam double bagel in three different eras without losing a game.

Wickmayer, who is currently ranked outside the top 1,000 in the world and has declared she will retire this summer, only managed one game point in the contest.

Wickmayer was undone by 26 errors that were unforced, while Azarenka, a two-time major winner, won 15 of the 66 points on offer.

Since 2000, only Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters have won more Grand Slam matches than Azarenka’s five with a score of 6-0 6-0.

Since the 2016 Australian Open, she has won one double bagel at a major.

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