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Rally of Gods: Punishing four-day Acropolis Rally kicks off in the Greek capital amid heatwave

Rally of Gods: Punishing four-day Acropolis Rally kicks off in the Greek capital amid heatwave

Washington Post2 days ago

ATHENS, Greece — It's dubbed the 'Rally of Gods' — a punishing, four-day event on the World Rally Championship circuit that will take 69 crews from 31 countries across rough, treacherous terrain in Greece.
Known for its brutal combination of dust and heat on its twisty, mountainous stages, the Acropolis Rally started on Thursday afternoon with a special stage in the very center of Athens. Unlike much of the rest of the rally, the start will see the cars sliding on city streets outside Greece's parliament building near the foot of the Acropolis.

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Bret Bielema calls out Kirby Smart, Georgia for tampering
Bret Bielema calls out Kirby Smart, Georgia for tampering

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Bret Bielema calls out Kirby Smart, Georgia for tampering

The post Bret Bielema calls out Kirby Smart, Georgia for tampering appeared first on ClutchPoints. When a college football player receives communication from another team about playing for said team before the player has entered the transfer portal, it is called tampering. Tampering is a big problem in college sports, and it is against the rules. However, it's abundantly clear that it happens all the time, and there are rarely any punishments for it. For example, Illinois football head coach Bret Bielema is pretty confident that Kirby Smart and Georgia tampered with his running back Josh McCray. Advertisement Josh McCray was one of the best players on the Illinois football team last season, but he now resides in Athens, Georgia. He entered the transfer portal this past offseason, and it didn't take him very long to land with the Bulldogs. 'We did lose a guy to Georgia,' Bielema said during a recent episode of The Triple Option. 'Somehow, he found his way to the portal and 12 hours after being in the portal, he was on a flight to Georgia. I don't know how that happened, but it's crazy. Wish Josh all the best. He took advantage of that opportunity.' McCray had over 600 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns last season for the Fighting Illini. Losing him hurts, but Bielema has a lot of confidence in this year's running back room. It reminds him of a special one that he had back in the day at Wisconsin. 'I'm very excited,' Bielema said. 'We had three guys last year that are coming back to us that are very special. And it's kind of like what I had when I was at Wisco. I had a roster one year John Clay was a fifth-rounder to Pittsburgh, big 260-pound bruiser, just a workout (warrior). Behind him was a guy by the name Montee Ball, ended up being a second-round pick to the Denver Broncos.' Advertisement Just those players would make for an incredibly stacked RB room, but Bielema wasn't finished. 'Then behind him was this young guy named James White, who was the Freshman Big Ten Player of the Year,' he continued. 'Then there was this other guy, Melvin Gordon, who became a first-rounder. Those four guys were on one roster. All four of them were just a little bit different, and that's kind of what I've got going now.' Tampering is a huge problem in college football, and Bret Bielema thinks that his team was a victim of it this offseason. However, the Illinois football team is going with a next man up mentality, and Bielema is confident that the Fighting Illini will be successful at the RB position. Related: North Carolina, Bill Belichick lands ex-Alabama commit to bolster secondary Related: Lee Corso's son is 'disappointed' by College GameDay's Ohio State selection

Nature's Calling: JW Marriott Opens On The Island Of Crete
Nature's Calling: JW Marriott Opens On The Island Of Crete

Forbes

time3 hours ago

  • Forbes

Nature's Calling: JW Marriott Opens On The Island Of Crete

The Greek island of Crete is no stranger to outside influences. It was, perhaps most famously, home to the ancient Minoans (2600-1150 BC), considered one of the most important civilisations of the world, and has been occupied and ruled by many, including the Ottomans and the Venetians, with the island only formally joining Greece in 1913. The latest arrival to set down roots is the American hospitality brand JW Marriott, which, this month, has opened the doors at its first address in the Mediterranean. Located close to the pretty town of Chania, on Crete's north west coast, JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa brings a sense of grandeur to this picturesque corner. The entrance to the resort gives a striking hello. (Credit: © Christos Drazos Photography | Stretching across 100 acres of prime shoreline, with 160 rooms, suites and villas, the resort's architecture was conceived by Block722, an acclaimed Athens-based architectural studio. The design echoes the complex criss-crossing of cultures that is intrinsic to the heritage of the island. The main public space (housing the lobby, the urban-style Eēxis bar and Fayi restaurant) is the most striking. Its minimalist design, consisting of chocolate-brown steel pillars, shallow water installations and bamboo-like screens on the façade, are dramatic and a contemporary riff on the pavilion-style buildings of ancient Greece. Set on the Aegean, all rooms boast glorious sea views. (Credit: © Christos Drazos Photography | The large openings in and out of the buildings, combined with large-scale glazing, means everywhere is airy and drenched in light. Across the resort, all buildings have flat roofs, which would otherwise look austere except they are softened with an abundance of planting of herbs and flowers on top of them. It's a novel extension of the hotel brand's signature JW Marriott Garden concept (a green space, usually filled with herbs and vegetables, which is found across all 30 hotels). At JW Marriott Crete, it means as you walk, the air is filled with whispers of thyme and lavender cascading on the breeze from above. The landscaping throughout the property also immerses you in nature, with boulders, rocks, and plenty of plants and flowers, all of which are currently fledging but they will soon grow to fill the walkways with pops of colour. Meanwhile, craggy olive and carob trees root you in Crete, helping the buildings to blend seamlessly into the surroundings. There is also a separate kitchen garden where produce is harvested by the chefs. The resort immerses guests in nature. (Credit: © Christos Drazos Photography | The resort not only looks good but it also boasts solid sustainable credentials—from geothermal and solar energy systems to heat recovery from air conditioning for hot water, and the use of treated grey water for irrigation. General manager, Iosif Christakis, comments: 'This commitment to environmental responsibility has guided every aspect of the resort's development, resulting in a hotel that not only seamlessly blends with its surroundings, but is also deeply shaped by them.' The interior design is pared-back with natural textures and colours. (Credit: NIK) JW Marriott is the luxury arm of Marriott Bonvoy yet the new hotel, with its bold design and sustainable ethos, has an independent spirit, rather than feeling like a cookie-cutter chain hotel. This plays out further in the interior design, also spearheaded by Block722. Suites feel sumptuous with their cream-on-cream décor: from the soft linens to stone floors; natural wood furniture to textural, sisal mats. Colour is added only from the glorious scenes outside: fling open the terrace doors to find the inky-azure Aegean beyond, as if someone has painted it across a sky-canvas—no matter how many times you look, the luminous turquoise is always pleasantly shocking to the eye. You'll also find a private plunge pool, an outdoor dining area and sunbeds with plump olive-green cushions for mindful moments. Bathrooms, meanwhile, are a treat with their egg-shaped tubs, walk-in showers, stocked with Aromatherapy Associates products, and swirly taupe marble vanities. The contemporary design language also stretches to include soft boucle headboards, Japanese-style linen lantern lights and low-slung, curvy bench-sofas for a top-tier level of comfort to the space. Planting, natural rocks and water features gie a timeless aesthetic. (Credit: © Christos Drazos Photography | Costing a reported £70 million to build, the resort will soon also open a collection of luxury villas with indoor-outdoor living, aimed at families and groups of friends (launching in July). While all rooms and suites at the hotel have stunning sea views across to the tiny islet of Palaiosouda; the villas, which are perched high above the property, have wilder, uninterrupted panoramas and are set slightly apart from the main hub of the hotel, for an elevated feel. This is a place where it is easy to stay put in the day, lounging on one of the squidgy beach beds—they are mounted somewhat precariously (although aesthetically pleasing) on rocks and connected by boardwalks—or at one of the three pools (including a kids' and adults-only). If you can muster the energy to rise from the thick cushions, you can pad down to the tiny beach to try your hand at watersports, such as kayaking or paddle-boarding. Perhaps you'll take a boat trip to visit local islands (Santorini is but a mere three-hour boat ride away). The hotel can also organize tours to visit the historic town of Chania, with its unique Venetian harbor; take you in the hills to local farms, as well as organise hikes in the nearby mountains. At JW Marriott Crete, you can delve into local experiences. (Credit: © Christos Drazos Photography | GM, Iosif Christakis, reveals that he has big plans for the resort to elevate guest experiences further. 'There's so much potential here,' he says. 'Located just off our beach, for instance, is a secret cave, dating back some 4,000 years. It will soon be ready as a special place where we will be able to offer private dining and one-off spa treatments. It's very unique, so we are also hoping to offer mindfulness experiences, such as sun-set healing rituals, for an experience you can only find here.' As it happens, 'mindful moments' is JW Marriott's tagline and the box is ticked here with guests able to take a slow hike over nearby hills, to find a hidden yoga deck for sunrise classes. At the Anoseas Spa, this also comes to the fore, especially with the traditional Cretan healing rituals, which use local thyme or lavender-laced oils to execute timeless massage practices. The decor in the spa feels especially cocooning, with curvy, rough-hewn concrete walls and pebble tiles underfoot to lead you to a sun-lit, vitality salt-pool. Inside the nearby sauna, the heat is infused with mint and eucalyptus; while the steam room has mint-infused vapour—a thoughtful way to immerse you in the destination. The Onalos seafood restaurant. (Credit: JW Marriott Crete) Also tapping into locality is the dining offering. There's a dedication to local produce across the six dining venues. Head to Suncti by the Pool for lunch, which offers light bites, such as a Dakos Bread salad, with Messinia feta cheese and plump capers from the garden; make sure you leave room for the Cretan caramalised milk tart. Anoee is one of the signature restaurants, overlooking the sea with Cretan open-fire cuisine by chef Manolis Papoutsakis. The meat-heavy menu is inspired by the mountains of the island, with standouts including Antikristo—slow-roasted lamb cooked on the traditional antikristiera (fire pit) and Keftedes (Cretan meatballs) pan-fried over open fire and served with crispy fries cooked in olive oil. Onalos, on the other hand, is a local fish restaurant with dishes such as octopus served with yellow split beans and taramosalata; there's langoustine tartare and 'Spanakorizo' with Grouper—a Greek rice with spinach emulsion, herbs and lemon. As well as an Italian eaterie, the Fayi restaurant for breakfast and all-day dining and light bites in the Eēxis bar, there is also a JW Market—a café concept, selling locally-sourced produce from small artisans. It's a delight to return home with local wine, olives and nutty olive oil, but that's not all you'll bring. There's a real sense of peace that comes from this Cretan corner of authenticity.

Where does Santino Ferrucci see his first IndyCar win coming?
Where does Santino Ferrucci see his first IndyCar win coming?

Yahoo

time15 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Where does Santino Ferrucci see his first IndyCar win coming?

Santino Ferrucci is on a roll in the 2025 IndyCar season. The driver of the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet secured his second podium in three races and his fourth consecutive top-five finish last Sunday at Road America. It's the kind of run worth celebrating with a beer — as Ferrucci memorably did, catching a Miller Lite tossed by a fan from the grandstands at Turn 1. But, of course, he wants more. And not beers this time, but solid results in the IndyCar Series. Advertisement 'Oh, I'm still very thirsty to get more,' Ferrucci told 'It's really nice to have a string of top-fives like that: superspeedway, short oval, road course, street course. I think it just shows our overall strength and growth. So I'm definitely looking forward to the string of races in July.' 'This was definitely the goal from the beginning of the year. I think we just started off slower than we would have liked. But now that we've hit our stride, this is what I was expecting — especially based on how we finished the 2024 season.' Expectations were high heading into 2025, especially after Ferrucci finished ninth in last year's standings, closing the season with four straight top-10s, including two fourth-place finishes at Milwaukee and a sixth at Nashville Superspeedway. However, the start of this season was rough in terms of results, with an 11th at Long Beach being his best finish prior to the streak that began at the Indianapolis 500. Yet, according to the Connecticut native, the performance was there all along. Advertisement 'We were just a bit unlucky more than anything. The way the Indy GP went, and Barber — even Long Beach — we had pace at all three events. We just had a fuel issue at Barber, hit the wall at Long Beach, which wasn't great. And then at Indy GP, we didn't run any practice or warm-up. We literally just qualified and raced. We had a couple of mechanical issues that were completely out of our control.' Ferrucci confident that he will win Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises Only two drivers have won races so far in the 2025 IndyCar season — Alex Palou with six wins for Chip Ganassi Racing and Kyle Kirkwood with three for Andretti Global. That makes it look tough for others to break through, but Ferrucci believes he's close. Advertisement 'Yes, for sure,' he said when asked if a win feels near. 'I actually thought it was going to happen at Road America with the pace we had. But with the big fuel number we had to hit at the end, it wasn't exactly ideal.' With eight races in two months coming up, Ferrucci has a clear idea of where he sees the best chances to break through. 'I think all the ovals for sure, and then Portland and Laguna Seca. I think Mid-Ohio and Toronto are going to be pretty tough — those are both survival races. But I do like my pace and what we've been learning over the last two years there, so I'll remain hopeful for those as well.' Qualifying pace still a challenge, but not a worry Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing One might argue that Ferrucci needs to improve his qualifying performance to be a true contender. Every race winner in 2025 has started inside the top 10, and six of them from the top three. Ferrucci, however, doesn't seem too concerned about one-lap pace — and he may have a point. His recent hot streak includes starts from 15th, 21st, 19th, and 18th. Advertisement 'The funny thing is I'm not overly focused on it. I was really bummed with my performance at Road America — I drove really well, but we just missed something in the setup. Detroit was more on me, and same with Thermal.' 'Trying to find the limit over one lap is very difficult, as opposed to being perfectly consistent over a race distance, which I actually find easier. So, with the way the series is, I think the races have been really strong and we've been able to pass. So I've been more focused on getting the race cars right to win on Sunday.' Full focus on getting A.J. Foyt Racing back to Victory Lane Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises Ferrucci signed a multi-year deal with A.J. Foyt Racing in September 2024 — just a month after his current teammate, David Malukas, joined the team following an opportunity at Arrow McLaren that didn't go as planned, and a partial season with Meyer Shank Racing. Advertisement Since Malukas signed with Foyt, rumors have swirled that the move could position him for a future seat at Team Penske if veteran Will Power, now in the final year of his contract, steps away. Malukas currently trails Ferrucci by ten points and three positions in the championship. When asked if he should also be considered for a top-tier ride, Ferrucci made it clear that his focus is solely on bringing success to A.J. Foyt Racing — which hasn't won a race in 12 years. 'I like to control what I can control. My focus is very much on what we're doing right now,' he said. 'What my teammate is up to is for him to answer — I don't really know how all of his stuff works. But you know, my goal at the end of the day is to deliver. I really want to bring A.J. and Larry their first win in a long time. I'm really happy where I'm at, and I'm very, very comfortable with my engineering lineup and everything else. So right now, my full focus is on my current program.' Advertisement Read Also: How a 'grumpy' Alex Palou ended up thankful for his winning strategy at Road America Winners and Losers from IndyCar's Road America weekend To read more articles visit our website.

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