Sports Digest: Lutsenko claims 1st Tour de France victory on Stage 6 - Press Herald

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CYCLING

Kazakh rider Alexey Lutsenko earned his first stage victory in his fifth Tour de France with a solo effort up Mont Aigoual on Thursday, and Adam Yates of Britain kept the overall race lead.

Yates and the Tour’s top contenders were still racing far behind the 27-year-old Lutsenko on the mountain when he crossed the line at the top with towering views of southern France. He had scouted out the final steep climb in advance of the stage, and used that knowledge to his advantage.

Yates was wearing the iconic yellow jersey for the first time Thursday. He inherited it from Julian Alaphilippe on Wednesday after the French rider was handed a time penalty that stripped him of the race lead. Alaphilippe broke racing rules by taking a drinks bottle near the end of Stage 5, a violation for which he was docked 20 seconds, putting Yates in yellow.

GOLF

LPGA: Players can ride in carts during practice rounds and caddies can use them during the tournament to cope with the extreme heat expected for the ANA Inspiration next week in the California desert.

Traditionally the first major of the season, the ANA Inspiration was moved from the first weekend in April to Sept. 10-13 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the tour to shut down for five months.

EUROPEAN TOUR: Connor Syme birdied his last three holes to shoot a 2-under 69 and join a four-way tie for the lead after the first round of the Andalucia Masters at Cadiz, Spain.

Syme started with a double bogey on the par-3 third hole but made four birdies on his back nine on a difficult Valderrama course, where only five players broke par.

Syme was tied with two-time European Tour winner Jorge Campillo of Spain, Guido Migliozzi of Italy and John Catlin of the United States.

ROAD RACING

BOSTON MARATHON: Registration is on hold while organizers try to figure out how the race will need to change in the coronavirus era.

The Boston Athletic Association said registration will not take place in September, as scheduled. A new timeline will be determined by a COVID-19 advisory group that will help the B.A.A. decide when and how large in-person road races can be held safely again. The group will be comprised of medical experts, public safety officials and representative from the government.

The world’s oldest and most prestigious annual 26.2-mile race, the Boston Marathon postponed its 124th edition from April to September because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was then canceled.

The 2021 Boston Marathon remains scheduled for April 19.

SOCCER

SPAIN: Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa and defender Santiago Arias tested positive for the coronavirus, the Spanish club said.

The players are in quarantine and will not report for the team’s first day of training on Friday.

UEFA NATIONALS LEAGUE: Spain defender Gaya scored deep into stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw against Germany as the UEFA Nations League started without fans Thrsday, ending a 10-month international break.

The Valencia defender scored in the sixth minute of injury to time to cancel out Timo Werner’s opening goal on his return to his hometown Stuttgart.

AUTO RACING:

NASCAR: NASCAR has decided it will not grant COVID-19 relief during the playoffs, meaning a positive coronavirus test will end a driver’s championship bid.

The playoffs begin Sunday at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina without a safety net for the 16 participants during the pandemic. It’s up to each driver to protect themselves from COVID-19, understanding there is no cushion for missing a race.

NASCAR at its discretion grants waivers during its regular season for illness, emergency or personal reasons. The waiver maintains playoff eligibility, if the driver qualifies, but no points are awarded while sidelined.

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