Sports

Cobblestone roads of France no match for Alison Jackson, rising Canadian cycling star

Published

2 years ago

April 13, 2023

Alison Jackson of Canada celebrates moment after she crosses the finish line to win the women’s Paris Roubaix, a 145 kilometer (90 miles) one-day-race, at the velodrome in Roubaix, northern France, on April 8.Tim De Waele/The Associated Press

A few kilometres from the finish of one of the toughest bicycle races in the world, Canadian Alison Jackson looked back to see a chasing group only seconds behind. Almost close enough to touch.

The pursuers included top stars in the sport and had been closing ground quickly. It was decision time. Ease up and take the chance contesting a more crowded finish. Or go hard to stay away and risk blowing up – but maybe win it all.

Ms. Jackson and her fellow breakaway companions were survivors of a small group that had been out front about 110 kilometres of the 145-km race. They’d been bashed and bruised racing over 30 km of cobblestoned roads through northern France. But so had their pursuers. Nobody could have much left in the tank.

The leaders went for it and still had a gap as they approached the finish line of Paris-Roubaix Femmes.

“I just wanted to ride with full heart,” Ms. Jackson said a few days later from her European base in Girona, Spain. “Just had to be my own best cheerleader.”

The gambit paid off. She won a decisive sprint finish Saturday to claim the biggest victory of her career, and one of the biggest in Canadian pro cycling. She is the only North American to have won either the men’s version of the race, which dates to 1896, or the women’s, which had its third edition last weekend.

“In terms of her stature in the sport, it’s huge,” veteran cycling commentator Anthony McCrossan, who calls races for ASO, which owns the Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix and other marquee events, said in an interview.

“In terms of Canadian cycling I think it’s a pivotal point. Because I think it’s a massively inspiring moment for any Canadian girl who’s sitting there watching this and thinking, ‘I want to be Alison Jackson now, I want to ride a bike.’”

Paris-Roubaix is often called the Hell of the North. The nickname comes from the desolate landscape after the First World War, as racers rode through bomb-blasted former battlefields. But it could as easily apply to the rigours of the race itself.

“There’s no other race on the calendar like it,” said Ms. Jackson, 34, who grew up on a bison farm near Vermilion, Alta.

“These streets that we’re riding on, these cobbled streets, are so rough. It’s ridiculous that anyone would want to ride on these. Well, no one wants to ride on these, but we race on these because of the long history of the race.”

The route deliberately zigs and zags to take in stretches of cobbles dating, in some cases, to Napoleonic roads. These cobbled bits are slippery, bone-jarring and treacherous. Equipment failure is common, as are hard crashes and unpredictable moments.

Former pro and Roubaix winner Sean Kelly called it “a horrible race to ride but the most beautiful one to win.” Five-time Tour de France champion Bernard Hinault won there, but vowed never to go back.

Women didn’t get their own edition of Paris-Roubaix until 2021, disproving naysayers who claimed they weren’t up to the punishment. Their course has lengthened each year and last weekend was about 55 per cent the distance the men covered in their own race, a day later. But Mr. McCrossan dismissed any notion that the women had an easy ride.

“When you look at the power [output] of women riders and you look at their peak performance, it’s not far off the men,” the commentator said. “The intensity is certainly there and the athletic ability is certainly there.”

For fans, Roubaix is one of the most cherished spectacles in racing. It’s the toughest of tough events, which requires the right mixture of strength, tactics and luck.

To some extent riders can make their own luck. Ms. Jackson, who rides for the professional team EF Education-TIBCO-SVB, said that part of her logic in getting into the small breakaway of riders was to stay ahead of crashes and other trouble.

Still, the odds were always against her.

Long breakaways in pro cycling are usually made up of people not seen as threats to win. More often, a breakaway is a way to get the sponsor’s jersey on television, or to position a rider ahead who can offer support later to a team leader. They are generally caught, often in the final kilometres.

Fans love them anyway, because of the grit riders show. And sometimes, once in a while, they go all the way. Surprise winners are crowned. Legends are written.

With less than 500 metres left to race last Saturday, inside the velodrome that contains the finish line, the racer beside Ms. Jackson went down hard. She tumbled to her left, away from the Canadian, who stayed upright and launched her sprint seconds later. No one could answer her power to the line.

Ms. Jackson, with a stunned look on her face, had the strength to raise her arms in victory as she won by a bike-length. Moments later she hefted above her head the 12-kilogram cobblestone traditionally given to the race winner.

“A lot of times you dream about winning, but a lot of times the dream just stays as a dream,” she said. “To make it come true, on that day and in that velodrome, at such an iconic race, yeah, it’s just a really big moment for me.”

Source link

Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

Source link

Sports

Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

Source link

Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

—

Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

Source link