England beat India to go top of Pro League
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The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Culling of infected cows leads to shortened 19th stage of Tour de France
The 19th stage of the Tour de France was shortened on Friday after cows infected by a contagious disease were culled in an area along the mountainous route. The stage from Albertville to La Plagne was meant to be 129.9 kilometers (80.5 miles) long but trimmed to 93.1 kilometers (57.7 miles), according to the official Tour website's stage map on Friday. Two of the five climbs were removed, including the 13.7 kilometer Col des Saisies — where an outbreak of nodular dermatitis affected a herd of cows, race organizer ASO said. 'The discovery of an outbreak of contagious nodular dermatitis (lumpy skin) affecting cattle in a herd located specifically in the Col des Saisies necessitated the culling of the animals,' ASO said in a statement. 'Given the consternation of the breeders concerned, and in order to maintain the calm of the race, it was decided, in agreement with the authorities, to modify the route of the 19th stage and not to cross the Col des Saisies.' The start time of the stage was pushed back by one hour to 2:30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT), with an expected finishing time of around 5:30 p.m. Three-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia led overall heading into the stage, with two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark 4 minutes, 26 seconds behind him in second place. Stage 19 represented Vingegaard's last realistic chance of overtaking Pogačar and taking the yellow jersey, with the race finishing on Sunday. Vingegaard and his Visma–Lease a Bike team had not been able to take time off Pogačar in this year's mountain stages. ___
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Maro Itoje issues rallying cry to Lions ahead of second Test: ‘Not all games are equal'
Maro Itoje has warned the British and Irish Lions not to take the Wallabies lightly as they bid to 'do something special' in the second Test in Melbourne. The Lions are hoping to seal the series at the MCG on Saturday after beating Australia rugby in Brisbane last weekend to take a 1-0 lead after an excellent first-half performance. They are strong favourites to win in Melbourne and win the quadrennial affair with a game to spare, though are bracing for a Wallabies backlash after a slow start from Joe Schmidt 's side a week ago. The return of Will Skelton, a former teammate of Itoje's at Saracens, and Rob Valetini are significant boosts for the home side as they bid to match the Lions physically. A crowd of 90,000 or more is expected at the MCG and Itoje believes his side have to be ready for both their opposition and the occasion. 'When you wear this jersey and represent the Lions you know it comes with huge honour and a sense of responsibility, and we know we are not playing a pub team.' Itoje emphasised. 'The Wallabies are a proper team, I played them last year in the autumn [with England] and we lost to them when we were supposed to win. They are a team that can punish you if you don't approach the game properly. 'When you spend time in Melbourne and speak to the locals, they hold the MCG in a really special regard. It's a real opportunity and privilege for us to play there in what will be an amazing stadium and crowd. If it reaches full capacity, it'll definitely be the biggest stadium I've played in. It's something we're looking to relish." The Lions were visited this week by Martin Johnson, who presented the Test side with their shirts having led the touring side on two tours. Fellow England lock Itoje has often saved his best for Lions series and World Cup knockout games, with the 30-year-old long established as a big-match performer. While this will be his 32nd start of a long season, the lock is ready to go again and admits that games like this bring another level out of him. 'As a professional athlete, there's always focus to what you do, but not all games are equal,' Itoje explained. 'Not all games mean the same thing. And this game, last week, these games aren't equal to normal games of rugby. They're special. So naturally, there's a higher level of focus. It requires a higher level of intensity and a higher level of diligence to what you want to do. 'I guess these sort of games are almost the reason why you want to play rugby. You want to play rugby and be a part of these huge occasions maybe a little bit of jeopardy on the line, but more so the opportunity to do something special, the opportunity to do something that lives long in the memory, and create special memories with your friends and colleagues and family.'
The Guardian
24 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Wood you believe it? The footballer who made Euro trophy cases on the Wirral
On the Wirral, to the west of Birkenhead and behind a hospital and a Toby Carvery, is Arrowe Park, a 250-acre country park. This is one of the many fields of play for Yana Daniëls, a footballer and a carpenter, and one of the more solitary and spacious. There is something to be said of the similarities between the art of carpentry and Daniels' sport, of the precision born out of graft and execution, although crafted by hand rather than foot. But perhaps more to be said about the balance of life, control and chance. This year Daniëls, who has left Liverpool at the end of her contract and has 45 caps for Belgium, has spent time making her own contribution to Euro 2025. She did not make the Belgium squad to feature in the tournament but instead she has handcrafted the boxes for every player-of-the-match trophy in a converted Wirral garage, with wood from Arrowe Park. Each box is engraved with the matchday number, date and venue, above a proudly printed 'Made by Yana Daniëls'. Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmatí and Chloe Kelly are among those who have been handed them in Switzerland. 'The front lid slides in and out through a groove and the entire box is made from sustainable wood, no hinges or screws,' says Daniëls, who set up her own business a year and a half ago. 'It's 100% sustainable, which is something I care deeply about.' Perhaps more than most footballers, the former Belgium international has had to plan ahead. A decade on from a career-threatening injury, we speak after she has done an intense training session followed by an hour-and-a-half commute back home. 'I realised how quickly things can change, from playing to not having a football job. I think that helped me think about future plans,' says Daniëls, a self-professed 'planning geek' who studied agro-biotechnology at university. 'When you get older you start to realise: 'How long will I play on for? Will I need to find a normal job?' Your body gets tired, the young players come up, and they are really good. You start doubting yourself. You know one day you have to retire. I think that scares a lot of people.' Carpentry was an interest developed through DIY requests for the changing rooms at Liverpool as well as from many teammates. A table for a physio's front room, wall decor for Laura Coombs, placemats for Gilly Flaherty and personalised racks for her teammates' boots were all made, mainly from wood sourced from Arrowe Park. Some days the wood might be from other local parks, and on others, Daniels would get a message from a friend saying: 'Tree chopped down, it's here, come get it.' Across her career Daniels has played in nearly every position and was called 'a manager's dream' by the then Liverpool manager, Matt Beard. Off the pitch, it seems as if the carpentry has helped her. 'Sometimes we are locked in a football world which can be quite brutal,' she says. 'Football is a business. Sometimes, you're just a little number and you can be replaced the next day if they want.' The 33-year-old has had to be resourceful throughout her life. Growing up, she remembers fondly the chalet she holidayed in as a child – handmade with local wood by her parents – as a core memory of creation and comfort. But it has not all been plain sailing. In 2015 she spent six months working as a zookeeper while recovering from a lateral cruciate ligament tear, an injury that kept her sidelined for two years. After the contract with Liverpool ran out this summer, she travelled across eight European countries in a hand-refurbished campervan with her partner and long-time teammate Jasmine Matthews, accompanied by their cockapoo, Alfie. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion The financial reality of women's football is changing but we are witnessing the first generation who can make any kind of living playing the game. Most leave it with little financial security. 'It has changed in the last two or three years; the money is going up. Even an 18-year-old can have a full-time income,' she says. 'We were never able to live that way, so we knew we had to have a backup plan. 'It's a totally different mindset for young players now. They are fully invested in football and that's the only thing they do. But I think it's so important that you don't just focus on football. I think you can get quite isolated.' Daniëls' company, The Woodcycle, has benefited from a development programme that aims to help female players with their careers after retirement. The programme, called The Second Half, has benefited from the collaboration and guidance of people in the game such as Karen Carney and Kim Little. 'It's about having the right team around you,' Daniëls says. 'It's nice that ex-players can prove that you can do so much more than just football. They helped me massively, but I was surprised by the number of people who wanted to help. 'You're quite independent as a footballer, and then you need to share your ideas outside of it. It is hard at the start, but once you open up, there are a lot of people willing to help.'
