Roldan wins stage two as Faulkner takes overall lead
Canada's Mara Roldan won stage two of the Lloyd's Tour of Britain Women as Kristen Faulkner of the United States took the leader's green jersey. Roldan, 21, of Team Picnic-Post NL broke away with 14km to go on the short steep climbs into Saltburn.Britain's 19-year-old Cat Ferguson finished fifth for the second day in a row to move up to fourth in the general classification, just 14 seconds down.Ferguson, who rides for the Movistar World Tour team, and is considered one of the brightest talents in the sport, remains in the white young rider's jersey. Rolden finished the stage just ahead of pursuer Riejanne Markus of Lidl-Trek and a small group, including Ferguson, after the peloton split on the final circuit, which included the gruelling category one climbs on Saltburn bank.Olympic road race champion Faulkner, of EF Education-Oatly, leads Markus by four seconds overall.Two-time Tour of Britain winner Lizzie Deignan of Lidl-Trek is 16th - two minutes seven seconds down in the GC.
Drama right from the off
After just one kilometre of a frantic official start in sodden conditions at Hartlepool Docks, the green jersey wearer Kim le Court of AG Insurance-Soudal hit the tarmac with two other riders, and took several minutes to gingerly return to the peloton. Thursday's winner of stage one now sits 21st in the GC after finishing nearly three minutes down in Saltburn. There were several sketchy moments as the weather started to improve as the race moved down the coast, including a busy day for the British continental CJ O'Shea team, who experienced a bike change, and separate front and rear punctures for their riders.A miserable day was capped for AG Insurance-Soudal by the retirement of Gladys Verhulst-Wild of the Netherlands, who vaulted off her bike and landed deep in the undergrowth late in the stage following a high-speed downhill crash with Liv AlUla-Jayco's Josie Talbot of Australia.
Stage two result1. Mara Roldan (Can/Team Picnic-PostNL) 2hrs 57mins 38secs2. Riejanne Markus (Ned/Lidl-Trek) +12secs3. Ally Wollaston (Aus/FDJ-Suez) +18secs4. Megan Jastrab (USA/Team Picnic-PostNL) Same time5. Cat Ferguson (GB/Movistar Team)6. Karlijn Swinkels (Ned/UAE-Team ADQ)7. Cecilie Uttrup-Ludwig (Den/Canyon Sram-Zondacrypto)8. Sarah Van Dam (Can/Ceratizit)9. Kristen Faulkner (USA/EF Education-Oatly)10, Quinty Ton (Ned/Liv AlUla-Jayco) +22secsGeneral classification after stage two1. Kristen Faulkner (USA/EF Education-Oatly) 4hrs 57mins 3secs2. Riejanne Markus (Ned/Lidl-Trek) +4secs3. Ally Wollaston (Aus/FDJ-Suez) +12secs4. Cat Ferguson (GB/Movistar Team) +14secs5. Karlijn Swinkels (Ned/UAE Team ADQ) +14secs6. Megan Jastrab (USA/Team Picnic-PostNL) +16secs7. Sarah Van Dam (Can/Ceratizit) Same time8. Cecilie Uttrup-Ludwig (Den/Canyon Sram-Zondacrypto)9. Quinty Ton (Ned/Liv AlUla-Jayco) +20secs10. Anna Henderson (GB/Lidl-Trek) Same time
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Jack Draper's hopes of home final dashed by big-serving Jiri Lehecka at Queen's
Jack Draper failed in his bid to be crowned the new British king of Queen's Club after a three-set defeat by Jiri Lehecka in the semi-final. Lehecka became the first Czech finalist since Ivan Lendl 35 years ago after a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory. It was a tough loss for Draper on home soil with the British number one angrily smashing his racket and damaging a digital advertising hoarding as the match slipped away. But it has been a successful week for the 23-year-old, with his run to the last four earning him a top-four seeding at Wimbledon. "It means a lot," said Lehecka. "You don't meet a player like Jack every day, he's an amazing competitor." One poor service game at the start, punctuated by two aces and a double fault on break point, ultimately cost Draper the first set. He did not get a sniff on the Lehecka serve, with his fellow 23-year-old regularly sending down aces approaching 140mph. In the second Draper began making inroads, a stunning flicked backhand cross-court winner helping bring up his first break points. But Lehecka repelled all four to hold for 2-2, with Draper beginning to cut a frustrated figure on the baseline. With singer Jon Bon Jovi watching from the posh seats, the tension was briefly lifted with a blast of his biggest hit 'Livin' on a Prayer' at the change over. Draper re-emerged in a blaze of glory, an ace sealing a hold to love before a winner down the line levelled the match. Lehecka forced a break point at 4-4 but netted after a long, tense exchange and Draper survived. However, Lehecka was looking the stronger and, after a comfortable hold, snatched the break for 6-5 with a stunning backhand winner. Draper smashed his racket in anger, earning a code violation, before Lehecka finished the job to win in two hours and seven minutes, ensuring Britain's wait for a first Queen's winner since Andy Murray in 2016 goes on.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Watch: Nottingham Open semi-finals - Yastremska through to final, Kessler vs Sramkova next
Update: Date: 11:10 BST Title: Defending champion Boulter loses in Nottingham Content: Two-time defending champion Katie Boulter's run at the Nottingham Open was ended in a dramatic loss to American McCartney Kessler at the quarter-final stage. Against the world number 42 Boulter found herself 4-2 up in the deciding set but lost 6-3 3-6 6-4 after two hours and nine minutes. British number two Boulter had won the past two Nottingham Open titles and was on a 12-match winning run at the Wimbledon warm-up tournament. She played well in the first set but took just one of 11 break points, while 25-year-old Kessler converted two of her five. In the second set Boulter wrestled back control, not conceding a single break point. But in the decider, despite being two games away from the semi-finals, she lost four straight games to be defeated at Nottingham for the first time in three years. Kessler will face Rebecca Sramkova in the last four on Saturday after the unseeded Slovak beat Czech world number 30 Linda Noskova 3-6 6-4 6-4. Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska will play Polish sixth seed Magda Linette in Saturday's other semi-final. Yastremska advanced with a 6-3 7-6 (8-6) win over Canadian fifth seed Leylah Fernandez, while Linette beat second seed Clara Tauson 6-2 7-5. Katie Boulter
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Fears for 2026 World Cup as extreme weather threatens game delays, ruining the football and forcing fans to leave early
FEARS are growing over the 2026 World Cup as extreme weather wreaks havoc. Four Club World Cup matches have been hit by delays within the first five days of the tournament being played across the United States. 11 11 11 And with a heatwave including temperatures as high as 41C set to hit next week, further problems are expected - with fans and players alike at risk. Now there is an increasing concern about the impact it could have on next summer's World Cup - hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico. CLUB WORLD CUP CHAOS So far at the Club World Cup, the matches have been delayed due to thunderstorms. Mamelodi Sundowns vs Ulsan HD was the first fixture to be impacted with kick-off delayed by more than an hour. Salzburg vs Pachuna saw a 90-minute pause during the second half in Cincinnati while Palmeiras vs Al-Ahly was halted for 40 minutes in New Jersey. Then the second half of Benfica's 6-0 thumping of Auckland City started two hours late. Both Benfica vs Auckland and Mamelodi vs Ulsan were in Orlando. And although no World Cup matches are being staged in the city, there are seven scheduled for Miami - three hours' drive south in Florida. That may well include some England games as Miami is in the eastern region for the 2026 event. Similarly, Cincinnati is not on the list of host cities for next summer - but surrounding places such as Kansas City, Atlanta and Toronto are. Club World Cup clash takes over three hours to complete due to poor weather conditions at the TQL Stadium And New Jersey, the site of the thunder and lightning when Palmeiras faced Al-Ahly, will stage eight World Cup matches - including the final. Again, like Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, the MetLife Stadium is within the eastern region England are set to be part of - along with nearby Boston and Philadelphia. Crucially, the 64-team World Cup will be staged from June 11 to July 19 - the same time as year in the same areas as the heavily-disrupted Club World Cup 12 months earlier. Due to the time difference, to make sure European fans get to watch their teams play, many of their matches will be scheduled at lunchtime and in the afternoons - the hottest parts of the day. IMPACT ON PLAYERS... Of course, the extreme weather - both heat and storms - is leaving many players and referees at risk of heat stroke, exhaustion, dehydration plus other health issues and injuries. Atletico Madrid star Marcos Llorente said it was "terribly hot" when his side lost 4-0 to PSG in Los Angeles when it was 32C. By next week, players could be forced to take to the field in temperatures 9C hotter. Environmental physiologist and heat stress in sport expert at the University of Roehampton Dr Chris Tyler told the BBC: "Many of the players expecting to compete in 2026 are already getting a taste of what's to come. "Such conditions will be commonplace with many of the fixtures scheduled for before 5pm to maximise TV audiences. "Extreme heat could become the tournament's most formidable opponent." 11 11 11 11 Fossil Free Football - a campaign group highlighting the impact of the climate crisis on the beautiful game - added: "Particular concern is for the fixtures in the no-shade stadium in Charlotte where a heat index of 38C (Real Madrid v Pachuca) and 41C (Benfica v Bayern) is forecast for the next two matches. "This underlines the dangers facing players and fans at this tournament and in 2026. Fifa have done very little to allay safety concerns." Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca admitted he cannot field his strongest starting XI for every game - which will be a major worry for international managers hoping to lead their countries through eight matches to World Cup glory. Maresca said: "It's not easy because of the temperature. We're going to try to rotate players." ...AND ON FANS... It is not just those on the pitch at risk, either. Fans being in stadiums when torrential rain falls or the sun is beating down could also find themselves in difficulty. Reports claim spectators at the Club World Cup have been forced to leave the stands during matches due to the heat. They also found long queues and restricted water availability at stadiums - even despite shoddy, low attendances. Sporting events are seemingly seeing play stopped to tend to fans taken ill in the crowd - with many of those due to heat-related incidents. This week at Queen's, Jack Draper's match was temporarily halted as stewards rushed to help a stricken spectator in the uncovered stands - with temperatures at 26C in West London. ...AND ON BROADCASTERS The TV companies from around the globe have spent big money to secure the rights to show World Cup matches next summer. But matches at risk of being delayed could be a nightmare for broadcast executives - and fans trying to watch the action at home. That is because if a match has to be stopped for a lengthy period, it might not finish in time before the next match kicks off due to the frantic schedule. Exact kick-off times are yet to be confirmed but at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, there were at times four matches per day kicking off every three hours at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm UK time. But at the Club World Cup, the reality was laid bare. The Benfica vs Auckland game was due to finish an hour before Chelsea vs Flamengo kicked off. However, not only did the two matches overlap but the long stoppage meant the full-time whistle ended up blowing AFTER Chelsea's 3-1 defeat had finished. Benfica gaffer Bruno Lage said: "This is the longest game of my career. "A special thanks to our fans, who have been here for five hours supporting the team. "We played as well as we could. The temperature made it very difficult." FIFA'S RESPONSE So, what have Fifa said and done in response? Well, they released a brief statement in which they claimed health is their "top priority" and medical experts have been providing guidance. The world football governing body said: "Fifa's top priority is the health of everyone involved in football, and Fifa's medical experts have been in regular contact with the clubs participating to address heat management and acclimatisation." Fifa confirmed that a drinks break to give players the chance to take on fluids and cool down will take place at 30 minutes and 75 minutes if needed. They added fans will also be permitted to bring an empty clear water bottle up to one litre into stadiums. But while that is a helpful step for fans to be able to drink water a little easier, it is hardly going to make a major difference if fans are sat in unsheltered stands in the relentless driving rain with thunder and lightning or if temperatures reach dangerous levels in excess of 35C or even 40C. 11 11 11 11
