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Tadej Pogacar wins 2nd straight Tour de France
PARIS (AP) -- Tadej Pogacar won the Tour de France for a second straight year after a mostly ceremonial final stage to the Champs-Elysees on Sunday in cycling's biggest race.
The Slovenian rider with UAE Team Emirates successfully defended his huge lead of 5 minutes, 20 seconds over second-place Jonas Vingegaard.
The 22-year-old Pogacar won his first title last September when he became the Tour's youngest champion in 116 years. He is now the youngest double winner of the race.
Wout van Aert won the 21st stage in a mass sprint. That prevented Mark Cavendish from beating Belgian great Eddy Merckx's record of 34 stage wins which the British sprinter equaled earlier in the race.
The mostly flat 108-kilometer (67-mile) leg began in Chatou just outside Paris and concluded with eight laps up and down the famed avenue.
Richard Carapaz finished third overall, 7:03 off the pace.
Pogacar and his teammates rode at the front of the pack together as they reached the Champs-Elysees, and the Slovenia champion raised his fist in the air in celebration.
Pogacar's gesture acted as a signal for those fighting for a prestigious stage win as the first accelerations took place. But the attackers' efforts did not pay off and the stage ended in a mass sprint.
Cavendish, who consoled himself with the best sprinter's green jersey, banged his handlebar in frustration after van Aert edged Jasper Philipsen to the line. Cavendish was third.
Original 9 leads class at International Tennis Hall
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) -- A group of trailblazing women known as the "Original 9" now officially have a place in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The nine teamed with Philip Morris' Virginia Slims cigarette brand to launch the tour in the early 1970s and bring more prize money to the women's game.
On Saturday night, that grassroots action led to their enshrinement on the grass courts of the Hall as part of the class of 2021.
They joined a class that included former Australian star Lleyton Hewitt from the player category and Dennis Van der Meer, who was inducted posthumously, as a contributor.
"We wanted any girl in the world, if she was good enough, to have a place to compete," Billie Jean King told the crowd with fog rolling around.
"To be recognized for their accomplishments -- not just their looks -- and most of all to be able to make a living playing professional tennis," she said.
Hewitt was unable to attend because of travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is expected to be honored, in-person, next year.
The Original 9 each signed $1 contracts to start the tour of their own.
King, then 26-years-old, led the charge along with Rosie Casals, Valerie Ziegenfuss, Jane "Peaches" Bartkowicz, Kerry Melville Reid, Julie Heldman, Nancy Richey (class of '03), Kristy Pigeon and Judy Tegart Dalton.
"History wasn't on our side, but I think we made a lot of things happen," Casals said.
Also, the Hall inducted its class of 2020: Croatia's Goran Ivaniöevic and Spaniard Conchita Martinez. Last year's enshrinement was postponed due to the pandemic.
"I started doubting it a little bit as years went by. I think this was my last chance to get inducted," Martinez said. "I was nominated many, many years ago. I'm very, very grateful to be inducted."
Yankee Stadium fan banned from all MLB parks
NEW YORK (AP) -- The fan who hit Boston Red Sox left fielder Alex Verdugo with a baseball thrown from the Yankee Stadium stands has been banned for life from attending big league games.
The decision was confirmed Sunday by spokesmen for both the New York Yankees and Major League Baseball.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora briefly pulled his team off the field in the sixth inning Saturday night after Verdugo was struck in the back by a ball thrown from the left-field seats. He did not appear to be hurt.
An angry Verdugo shouted at fans and was restrained by first-base coach Tom Goodwin as the game was held up in a driving rain. The fan was ejected from the ballpark.
"While the Yankees appreciate the spirit and passion of our fans in our various rivalries -- especially with the Red Sox - reckless, disorderly and dangerous behavior that puts the safety of players, field staff or fellow fans in jeopardy will not be tolerated," the Yankees said in a statement Sunday.
"There is absolutely no place for it at Yankee Stadium. The safety of everyone at Yankee Stadium, including guests in the stands and players on the field, will always be the top priority for the Yankees organization every time we open our doors."
Verdugo said he tossed the ball into the stands to a young Red Sox fan, but a Yankees fan intercepted it and threw it back onto the field, hitting the outfielder.
"It's awful, embarrassing, unacceptable," New York manager Aaron Boone said afterward.
Verdugo returned to left field when play resumed following a discussion with umpires near Boston's dugout.
"It felt like it was targeted towards me and it don't sit well with me," he said.
New York won 3-1 in a game called after six innings due to heavy rain.
NJ.com reported Sunday the fan was not arrested.