Jack Nowell has ruled himself out of England’s plans ahead of the World Cup in France later this year.
Nowell, who is currently recovering from a knee injury, looks set to join European champions La Rochelle ahead of next season.
And 30-year-old Nowell has decided to take himself out of the selection frame, effectively signalling an end to his 46-cap England career.
England’s current selection policy dictates that players plying their trade overseas are not considered for Test duty.
“I am not doing the World Cup, no World Cup. I am just going to chill and get my knee sorted,” Nowell told the RugbyPass Offload podcast.
“It was a hard decision not to put myself in for selection for the World Cup, but I thought it was probably one that I had to make for myself and my family as well.
“We are going to make the most of being back home in Cornwall, probably spend the next few weeks there and we have got our testimonial tournament at Sandy Park on June 3.
“I was in contact with (England head coach Steve Borthwick) ‘Borthers’ and he let me know I wasn’t going to be involved in the Six Nations, which was completely fair enough. New coach, new ideas.
“I was happy with that, it was my last year at the club (Exeter), so I got to really focus on doing my best for the club and try and focus on getting us into the big games at the end of the season.
“When you do sign abroad, you have an option of signing pre-World Cup or post-World Cup. For me, I made the decision that it was probably best for me and my family to sign a pre-World Cup contract.”
Borthwick turned to the likes of Anthony Watson, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Henry Arundell during the Six Nations, with wing a hugely-competitive area.
Nowell added: “I am sure it would be a bit different if I was talking to Steve all the time and I have spoken to him since then to tell him my decision.
“I think I was in his World Cup plans, especially for the first get-togethers as a big squad, but I decided not to do that and make sure my family get settled in France and make sure I get settled in France.
“As much as I would like to have done this one (World Cup) and given it a good crack, sometimes you have got to read between the lines and understand you are probably not in the coach’s favour.
“Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have fought for my position and got myself back into playing, but family comes first for me.”
A laid-back temperament is sure to help Sprewell as he bids to give Jessica Harrington a maiden Derby victory.
That is the message from the County Kildare handler, whose three-year-old son of Churchill is charting a course to the Epsom Classic on Saturday week.
Sprewell has blossomed this term, winning both starts, including an impressive three-length victory in the Group Three Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown.
“I’ve been delighted with him,” said Harrington. “We knew he would come on over the winter and he has run two good, solid races since.
“He came out of Leopardstown very well. He definitely stepped forward from there again and we are looking forward to Saturday week.
“I think the step up to a mile and a half will definitely suit him. He ran through the line very strong and he’s a very nice, relaxed horse, which is the main thing.
“Nothing seems to faze him and I think going the mile and a half will suit him, because I think he will settle well, which he has done in both of his races this year.”
Harrington has previously been better known for training jumping stars such as Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Sizing John, Champion Hurdler Jezki and Champion Chaser Moscow Flyer.
Yet in recent times she has acquired more Flat horses – and quality ones at that.
She has won the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot with Alpine Star and Alpha Centauri, who also took top-class success in the Falmouth, Irish 1,000 Guineas and the Prix Jacques le Marois, while Millisle landed the Cheveley Park and Albigna the Prix Marcel Boussac.
She is no stranger to Classic glory, annexing the Irish Oaks last season with Magical Lagoon before a tough period in her personal life following a breast cancer diagnosis in October.
On a conference call to promote the Betfred-sponsored blue riband, Harrington added: “Things are great and I’m lucky enough.
“I’ve finished the worst part of it probably now, the chemotherapy, and we are just going onto the next stage now. It will take a bit longer, but I’ll be out and about very shortly.
“I’ve been very lucky enough to have a great support team. My daughter Kate and my son-in-law and my other daughter Emma, they’ve been around all winter, keeping things going.
“I did my best to get out every single day I could to look at the horses, because that was the best therapy I reckoned I had, because it was just lovely looking at the horses every day.
“I went racing last Friday at Leopardstown, but I go when it is nice and near when I can.
“I will most likely be watching the Derby at home, but I just don’t know. I’ll see how I get on.”
Harrington has only had one runner in the Derby before, with 150-1 chance Gold Maze finishing ninth to Serpentine, a renewal run during the Covid pandemic in July 2020.
Sprewell goes to Epsom with a greater degree of confidence behind him as a general 12-1 chance and the 76-year-old feels his rapid progress this year, after two runs as a juvenile, will stand him in good stead.
“He’s done everything we hoped he would do,” said Harrington. “We were fairly confident going to Naas for the conditions race, rather than going for a maiden. He did that well and he learned a bit that day.
“He made a big step forward when we sent him to Leopardstown and he hit the line very strong that day, having come round the outside.”
“I think he will improve for racing,” she added. “He’s a fine, big horse.
“We are very happy with the temperament he’s got so far. He’s a laid-back horse and he’s very straightforward, and each time he’s run, he’s walked round the parade ring in a very relaxed manner.
“I know there will be much more hype and buzz in Epsom, but so far he has been very good.”
Physically and mentally, the difference between last year and this has been startling.
She added: “We always thought he would be a better three-year-old than a two-year-old. He never looked like a two-year-old. He was big and backward-looking all the way through last summer.
“He had to grow into himself and then seemed to get organised mentally. He had to grow up mentally more than anything else, he was very babyish last year.”
Those looking to pick holes in his form will point to the ground conditions. All four previous runs have some with plenty of ease and not once has the word ‘good’ entered the going description.
However, Sprewell’s conditioner feels this is something of an outlier and should they race on quick ground at Epsom, she believes it will not be a major factor.
Harrington said: “I think they will all go on it once. He is a low-moving horse, he is a very good-moving horse and I see no reason why he won’t run very well on it.
“It is just out of circumstances he’s run on soft ground, because it was a wet autumn in Ireland last year and it has been a wet spring.”
The Mohamed Khalid Mohamed Abdulrahim-owned colt has ticked every box thus far. Shane Foley’s mount will, of course, have to overcome Epsom’s idiosyncrasies of cambers and undulations, but Sprewell has plenty of the right attributes.
“He is a very well-balanced horse, so I’m hoping he will cope with it fine,” said Harrington.
“It would be very special to win the Derby. It’s on the bucket list. It is great to go there with a horse that’s got a chance. It’s very exciting.”
David Probert is set for a swift return to action having escaped serious injury when kicked at Windsor on Monday night.
The incident occurred in the parade ring before the 5.35 race where Probert was due to ride Bits And Bobs for Andrew Balding and having been kicked by his intended mount, green screens were put in place while he was attended to before being taken to the nearby Slough hospital.
However, there appears to be no lasting damage, with Probert tweeting on Monday night that his X-rays had come back all clear and that he was simply sore and bruised.
He intends to return to the saddle on Wednesday where he has a full book of rides at Kempton’s evening all-weather meeting.
“I’ve spoken to David this morning and he is just bruised. All being well he will be back tomorrow,” said Neil Allan, the jockey’s agent.
“He won’t be riding today because he is bruised, but he was in good spirits when I spoke to him this morning.”
LeBron James paid tribute to the Denver Nuggets after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept in the Western Conference finals.
The 38-year-old said he and teammate Anthony Davis are in agreement that Denver was the best team they had faced while playing together with the Lakers.
Despite 40 points from James, 31 of which came before halftime for his highest scoring total in a half in a playoff game in his illustrious career, the Lakers lost a close Game 4 contest.
Denver prevailed 113-111 with Nikola Jokic having 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists and Jamal Murray adding 25 points as they clinched an historic 4-0 series win.
The Nuggets claimed their first Western Conference title in the team’s 47-year existence and will face either the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics for the league championship
"Me and AD were just talking in the locker room and we came to the consensus this is one of the best teams, if not the best team, we’ve played together for all four years," James said about the Nuggets.
"Just well-orchestrated, well put together. They have scoring. They have shooting. They have playmaking. They have smarts. They have length. They have depth.
"And one thing about their team, when you have a guy like Jokic, who as big as he is but also as cerebral as he is, you can’t really make many mistakes versus a guy like that."
James, who was 15-of-25 shooting, prompted a wave of coverage after Game 4 by suggesting he was considering basketball retirement.
After saying he had a lot to think about in the post-game news conference, he was asked to clarify his comments by ESPN.
Asked what he would be thinking about, James replied: "If I want to continue to play. I got to think about it.
"It was a very challenging season for me, for our ballclub, and obviously we know whatever went on early on [the Lakers started 2-10 start]. It was cool, a pretty cool ride.
"We'll see what happens going forward. I don't know. I don't like to say it's a successful year, because I don't play for anything besides winning championships. I don't get a kick out of making a conference [finals] appearance.
"I've done it a lot, and it's not fun to me to not be able to be a part of getting to the [NBA] Finals."
Davis had 21 points for the Lakers and all five starters reached double figures, but a seemingly comfortable 73-58 halftime lead swiftly evaporated as Denver outscored them 28-10 to start the second half.
Jokic’s eighth triple-double of this year’s playoffs broke a tie he shared with Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain for the most in a single postseason.
Denver will face either Miami or Boston in the Finals. The eighth-seeded Heat own a 3-0 lead in the East finals ahead of Game 4 on Tuesday.
Last year’s Derby hero Desert Crown will make his eagerly-awaited return to action after 355 days on the sidelines in Thursday’s Racehorse Lotto Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown.
Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the Saeed Suhail-owned colt is unbeaten in three racecourse appearances.
A Nottingham maiden win at two was impressive by any standards, but he stepped up on that to win the Dante at York on his first outing at three and he looked to have the world at his feet when toying with the Derby field at Epsom.
Richard Kingscote was on board that day and maintains the partnership on a horse who has been off the track since due to injury.
Nursed along by Stoute, he is now ready to return in a race which the trainer has traditionally used as a starting point for his best middle distance horses such as Pilsudski, Notnowcato and Workforce.
Stoute also runs Solid Stone, in the same ownership, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore.
Desert Crown faces far from a penalty kick as another long-absent star returns to action in Hukum. Trained by Owen Burrows, he was last seen winning the Coronation Cup at the Derby meeting but in doing so he picked up an injury which has kept him off the track since.
Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Royal Ascot winner Claymore, David Simcock’s Cash and the Keith Dalgleish-trained Chichester returns complete the field.
Frankie Dettori has the ride on Enemy in the Racehorse Lotto Henry II Stakes. Nate The Great, Roberto Escobarr, Sleeping Lion and Princess Anne, trained in France by Hiroo Shimizu, are the other contenders.
Some very highly rated juveniles go to post for the Racehorse Lotto National Stakes, led by James Tate’s Blue Storm.
The Newmarket race he won on debut could hardly have worked out any better, as Tate explained: “Blue Storm was very taking up at Newmarket. He has been very natural at home and has showed up well all winter.
“We gave him one piece of work just before the Craven meeting, which he showed up nicely in before winning at Newmarket.
“Generally speaking my two-year-olds come on a lot from their first run to their second and if he follows that rule, we have every reason to be excited.
“What is even better is that the second, third, fourth and fifth have all won since, so the form looks great.
“There are not too many negatives and lots of reasons to be optimistic.”
Richard Hannon’s Dapper Valley, Hugo Palmer’s Chester winner Hackman and Charlie Appleby’s On Point all carry tall reputations into the 10-runner contest.
Lebron James cast doubt on his future with the Los Angeles Lakers after their season-ending defeat by the Denver Nuggets.
The 38-year-old, the top scorer in NBA history, even sparked rumours of retirement following the 113-111 loss in game four of the Western Conference finals.
“We’ll see what happens going forward,” James said at his post-game press conference.
“I don’t know. I don’t know. I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just for me personally going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.
“It was a very challenging season for me, for our club. It was a pretty cool ride, but I don’t know.
“I don’t get a kick out of making a Conference appearance. I’ve done it a lot and it’s not fun to me to not be a part of getting to the (NBA) finals.”
James scored 40 points against the Nuggets but missed two shots to tie the game in the dying seconds.
He has previously revealed a desire to play alongside his son Bronny, 18, who currently plays college basketball for the University of Southern California and will be eligible for the NBA next year.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves for his first career playoff shutout, and the Florida Panthers moved a win away from a surprising spot in the Stanley Cup Final with Monday’s 1-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Bobrovsky made Sam Bennett’s power-play goal midway through the second period hold up as Florida took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The Panthers are aiming to become only the fourth No. 8 seed in a conference to reach the Stanley Cup Final since the NHL adopted a 16-team postseason in 1979-80.
Florida, whose lone Final appearance came in 1996, can finish off the series at home on Wednesday. In the history of the NHL playoffs, teams with a 3-0 lead have advanced in 200 of the previous 204 occurrences.
The Panthers won Game 3 despite being outshot by a 32-17 margin and losing captain Alexsander Barkov to a lower-body injury in the first period. Bobrovsky came up with 14 saves in the second period and 11 in the third, in which the Panthers managed only two shots on goal.
Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists as the Denver Nuggets advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history with a 113-111 comeback win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday to complete a four-game sweep of the Western Conference finals.
Top-seeded Denver overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to claim its first Western Conference title in its 47-year existence and will face either the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics for the league championship. The eighth-seeded Heat own a 3-0 lead in the East finals.
Jokic made history as well by recording his eighth triple-double of this year’s playoffs to break a tie he shared with Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain for the most in a single postseason. The two-time NBA MVP also hit the eventual game-winning shot when his layup with 52 seconds remaining snapped a 111-111 tie.
The Lakers had built a seemingly comfortable 73-58 halftime lead behind 31 points from LeBron James, his highest scoring total in a half in a playoff game in his illustrious career.
Los Angeles came out cold in the third quarter, however, making just one field goal over the first 4-and-a-half minutes as the Nuggets steadily cut into their deficit. Denver outscored the Lakers 28-10 to start the second half and grabbed an 86-83 lead on Michael Porter’s tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3:34 remaining in the period.
Jokic’s 3-pointer with 2:50 left to play extended Denver’s advantage to 110-104, but the Lakers’ Austin Reaves answered with a triple on the ensuing possession to spark a 7-1 run that tied the game at 111-111 entering the final minute.
After Jokic’s layup put the Nuggets back in front, James missed a 20-footer and had his final attempt blocked by Aaron Gordon right before time expired.
James finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists but shot just 4 of 12 from the field in the second half.
James DeGale made history by claiming the vacant IBF super-middleweight title with a thrilling unanimous decision victory over Andre Dirrell in Boston eight years ago.
DeGale became the first person to win Olympic gold and a world crown in the professional ranks for Britain after withstanding a fierce comeback from his American opponent.
The Londoner appeared on course for a sensational early stoppage after dropping Dirrell twice in the second round, with the first knockdown coming from a brutal overhand left.
Dirrell weathered the storm in the early rounds as DeGale, who won middleweight gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, looked for the knockout and even came on strong in the second half of the fight.
But DeGale finished strongly and two judges scored the fight 114-112 in his favour, with the third of 117-109 seemingly a bit harsh on Dirrell.
After improving his record to 21-1 (14KOs), DeGale said: “I’ve finally done it. It’s an unbelievable feeling, I’m world champ. I made history!
“I will take on any super-middleweight in the world, I’m hard to beat when I’m at my best.
“(Dirrell) is a very, very good opponent, he’s very talented, he’s hard to beat, if anything it’s me and him second and third in the rankings. Andre Ward’s there and there’s me and him. There’s no other super-middleweight that would beat me on my day.”
DeGale held the title until 2017 when he lost it to Caleb Truax before regaining it in a rematch with the American the following year.
He retired from professional boxing after a defeat by Chris Eubank Jr in February 2019.
A new campaign aimed to transform the way children and young people are coached in sport and physical activity by prioritising enjoyment has been launched to help increase activity levels.
Sport England’s latest Active Lives Children survey found only 47 per cent of children who regularly exercise strongly agree they enjoy taking part, which was down from the pre-pandemic level of 51 per cent.
The survey, published in December 2022, also showed 53 per cent felt they do not get enough exercise.
The launch of the ‘Play Their Way’ campaign by the Children’s Coaching Collaborative will be led by the 17 partner organisations and is funded by Sport England and the National Lottery.
Research shows enjoyment is one of the biggest motivators for children and young people to help them get active.
The Play Their Way campaign will be dedicated to ensuring children have the best possible experience in sport and activity through a ‘child first’ approach taken on board by England’s 2.6million coaches to build a grassroots movement which is hoped will in turn keep youngsters staying active through the rest of their life.
View this post on InstagramA launch event is being held on Tuesday in south London at Peckham BMX Club, which has coached and supported more than 2,000 young people since opening in 2004 – including 2020 Olympic silver medallist Kye Whyte.
Sport England chief executive Tim Hollingsworth said: “Positive experiences for children and young people are at the heart of Sport England’s ‘Uniting the Movement’ strategy – and child-first coaching is an important part of this.
“Our research tells us that for children, fun is the primary reason for taking part in sport and activity. They will want to take part if they enjoy it.
“It is vital that we put fun and enjoyment at the centre of sport and activity, and give our children and young people the chance to shape their sporting experiences to boost activity levels.”
Head of coaching and policy at UK Coaching Heather Douglas added: “Coaches play such an important role in the development of children and young people’s lives, often in difficult circumstances, and can have a profound effect on the positive experiences they have in sport and physical activity
“We know that child-first coaching and giving children a choice and a voice in the way they are coached works, and that many of our coaches are out there doing this already.
“This campaign is about helping more coaches do more of this and through ‘Play Their Way’ we will be providing them with resources and support to help transform the way our children and young people are coached.”
:: To learn more about the campaign, access resources and sign up to join the biggest grassroots movement to transform the way we coach our children and young people visit www.playtheirway.org
William Knibbs defied the odds to be crowned the Jamaica National Amateur Golf Champion on Sunday at the Caymanas Golf Club in St. Catherine.
Knibbs entered Sunday's final day three strokes behind leader Zandre Roye but after rounds of 74 and 72, he shot a 73 for a combined score of 219 to win by four strokes. Roye opened with a 71 on Friday and followed up with 72 on Saturday but it all fell apart on Sunday when he shot four birdies, six bogeys and three double bogeys for a score of 80 for a combined score of 223.
Knibbs was almost in disbelief that he managed to come from behind to claim victory.
"I was three strokes back after day one. I saw that there were opportunities throughout both the first two days where had I capitalized a little better I could have had better scores and been closer to the lead so today (Sunday) I just tried to avoid as many mistakes as possible and let the good golf come to me," he said while expressing his delight at winning another national title.
"It feels great to join Justin Burrowes as the second multiple-time winner of this event. I knew I was playing well coming into this week and through the first two days I was really playing well, just didn't get the most out of my game so today I came a little earlier and put in a little extra practice and try to grind out a good result today."
Last year's champion Oshae Haye, who was in fifth place going into the final day ended in third place with a score of 238 (81, 80, 77).
Three golfers Dr. Mark Newnham, Sean Morris and William Lee tied for fourth place after posting 241 each over the three days.
Michele McCreath was crowned the female champion for the first time. She was the only entrant in the female category.
"Absolutely" happy to win even though "it was a challenge. The course was very difficult and the conditions were very tight but it does feel wonderful at this stage of my career in golf to be winning."
Robert Chin won the Men Super Senior section with scores of 80, 78 and another 78 in the final round for a total score of 236. Mike Gleichman came from behind to grab second place after ending on 239 (84, 80 and 78), while Dorrel Allen was third on four strokes back on 240 (88, 75, 77).
The NFL Draft will be held in Green Bay for the first time in 2025, the league announced Monday during its spring meetings.
Events will take place inside and around Lambeau Field and Titletown, a complex with shops, activities and restaurants located near the iconic home of the Packers.
"The draft has become a prominent offseason event hosted in different cities with spectacular locations across the country, and we are excited to work with the Packers and Discover Green Bay to bring the 2025 NFL Draft to Green Bay and iconic Lambeau field," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said.
The NFL Draft was held in New York City from 1965-2014, then took place in Chicago (2015-16), Philadelphia (2017), Dallas (2018), Nashville (2019), Las Vegas (2022) and Kansas City (2023).
"This is an incredible day for the Packers, greater Green Bay and the entire state of Wisconsin as we are excited and honored to be selected to host the 2025 NFL Draft," Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy said.
"The Packers have a rich and proud history that goes back to the early days of the NFL and are the only community owned team.
“That connection to our league's heritage combined with the great passion Packers fans will bring will make the draft a memorable event for those in attendance and NFL fans watching around the world.”
NFL owners approved a rule change that they hope will prevent a repeat of what happened in last season’s NFC championship game.
The bylaw passed on Monday allows NFL teams to designate an inactive third quarterback who can play if the first two QBs are injured during a game.
The third QB will not count against the limit of active players and will only be activated if either of the first two quarterbacks are injured or disqualified – not due to a benching for poor play.
If either of the first two QBs are later cleared to return by the team’s medical staff, the emergency quarterback must then come out.
This rule amendment had been discussed after the San Francisco 49ers’ only two active quarterbacks were injured in January’s NFC title game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brock Purdy injured his elbow and his backup Josh Johnson suffered a concussion, forcing Purdy to return.
Purdy, though, wasn’t a threat to throw, and without a functioning quarterback the 49ers couldn’t get anything going offensively and suffered a 31-7 loss.
For a league that prides itself on excitement, the highly anticipated game was a bore when San Francisco had the ball, but this new rule should make games more competitive if the first two quarterbacks were to get injured.
Tiger Woods has officially withdrawn from next month’s US Open at Los Angeles Country Club.
Woods pulled out of the Masters during the third round in April, saying at the time it was due to plantar fasciitis.
However, the 47-year-old then had a subtalar fusion procedure in New York to address the problem caused by a previous fracture of his talus, a bone in the ankle joint.
The 15-time major winner did not contest last week’s US PGA Championship at Oak Hill and the USGA confirmed he will also miss the US Open while announcing that 33 more players are now exempt for the year’s third major.
Twenty five of those players earned their place courtesy of being ranked in the world’s top 60, including world number 18 Tyrrell Hatton and major winners Patrick Reed and Jason Day.
Woods feared his leg would have to be amputated due to the serious injuries he suffered in a car accident in Los Angeles in February 2021.
He made a remarkable return to action 14 months later and finished 47th in the Masters, but withdrew from the US PGA following a third-round 79 and skipped the US Open before missing the cut in the 150th Open at St Andrews.
Woods will hope to defy the odds to compete in July’s Open at Royal Liverpool, where he won a third Open title in 2006 in his first tournament since the death of his father Earl two months earlier.
Mark Cavendish will retire from professional cycling at the end of the current season.
Cavendish, who celebrated his 38th birthday on Sunday, made the announcement at a press conference on the rest day of this year’s Giro D’Italia.
The Manxman boasts 53 Grand Tour stage victories and a world title, and is still set to compete at the Tour de France in July, where he could break the record of 34 stage wins he currently shares with Eddy Merckx.
Cavendish said: “I’ve absolutely loved racing every kilometre of this race so far, so I feel it’s the perfect time to say it’s my final Giro d’Italia and 2023 will be my final season as a professional cyclist.
“Yesterday I celebrated my 38th birthday. Like many others I’ve been struggling with sickness during the race as well as the effects of some unfortunate crashes. To get me through, I can’t thank this group of friends enough.
“Cycling has been my life for over 25 years. I have lived an absolute dream and the bike has given me the opportunity to see the world and meet some incredible people.
“It’s taught me so much about life – dedication, loyalty, companionship, teamwork, sacrifice, humility and perseverance – all things that now, as a father, I can show my children.”
Geraint Thomas, his long-time friend and team-mate who won the 2018 Tour de France, called Cavendish “the greatest sprinter of all time” and said he struggled to believe his retirement news.
“He told me at the start of the Giro,” said Thomas. “I didn’t really believe him. I kind of thought he would keep going.
“He has had an incredible career and I am really proud to have been a team-mate of his for a long time.
“He is the greatest sprinter of all time when you see his record. But he hasn’t finished ye, and has got to get the record at the Tour (de France) and hopefully win a stage here.”
British Cycling performance director Stephen Park also paid tribute to Cavendish, saying in a statement: “On behalf of British Cycling, I would like to congratulate Mark on a truly outstanding career.
“Cav is without doubt the sport’s greatest sprinter and will be remembered by fans across the world for his 53 Grand Tour stage wins, and I’m sure that we will all be cheering him on as he looks to add to that total in his final months of racing.”
Cavendish won his first world title in the Madison in 2005 in Los Angeles, and within three years had claimed four Tour de France stage wins, as well as two at the Giro d’Italia, to become Britain’s leading Grand Tour cyclist at the age of just 22.
As well as his Grand Tour exploits, Cavendish won a silver medal in the omnium at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and gold in the scratch race at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, representing the Isle of Man.
And he fulfilled a childhood dream in 2011 when he won the road World Championship in Copenhagen, becoming the first British man to do so since Tom Simpson in 1965, a year which also saw him crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Park added: “Professional and passionate, Cav has been a real asset to our team over the years and will be remembered as both a peerless rider and a fantastic teammate with time for everyone.
“We wish him the very best of luck both for the rest of his final season in the peloton and in the next stage of his career.”
Sean Maitland is ready to help Saracens claim the Gallagher Premiership title on Saturday after his prolonged contract saga ended an unsettling period.
Maitland was about to prepare his departure speech for the club’s leavers’ event on April 28 because of the uncertainty over whether he would still be at StoneX Stadium next season.
It was a fraught time for the Scotland wing and his family due to the Premiership’s reduced salary cap making contracts harder to come by, but Saracens have chosen to retain his clinical finishing skills.
“It was lastminute.com. Again! The last two have been quite similar. The market is probably not the best at the moment, especially for a 34-year-old winger,” Maitland said.
“It’s a bit complicated with the salary cap and everything that’s going on in rugby.
“It doesn’t just involve me. I’m just so happy because I have a young family and my kids get to stay in the same school and in the same house for another year.
“Some things helped me – little micro-chats with my wife, small chats about the future and what could happen, keeping her updated about things here and at other clubs.
“I’m very grateful it’s sorted and I can just worry about playing rugby. To move from this club which I love would have been pretty difficult.”
The climax to the season against Sale at Twickenham on Saturday will be the last Saracens appearances for Jackson Wray, Duncan Taylor, Max Malins and Ruben de Haas.
Highlighting the precarious nature of the current landscape of English club rugby, Maitland did not know if he would be joining them out of the door, thereby ending his seven-year spell in north London.
“Before the London Irish game (April 23) I said to (performance director) Phil Morrow: ‘Am I preparing a leaver’s speech for next Friday?’. He looked at me and said: ‘We’ve got a bit of stuff to sort out’,” Maitland said.
“I didn’t hear anything on the Monday or Tuesday, and on Wednesday I was with my son knowing Friday was the leavers’ dinner and I still didn’t know what was happening.
“I got a call to come in and I had my wee son with me thinking: ‘I’m going to be told this is my last time here’.
“I sat down with Phil and (director of rugby) Mark McCall and they said: ‘Mate, we want to give you another year’. It was special.
“The game has given me so much over the last 15 or 16 years. I was accepting the fact this was my last year and wanted to go out on a high winning the Premiership, but one more year and the dream keeps going on.”
Maitland has benefited from Saracens adopting a more adventurous approach to attack shaped by last season’s Premiership final loss to Leicester and that experience – the Tigers won through a last-gasp Freddie Burns drop goal – also underlined how winning and losing can be balanced on a knife edge.
“The whole season has been special, the way we have changed how we are playing, scoring tries. To win the final would top a really special year,” Maitland said.
“But as we know from last season it’s a one-off game and anything can happen – decisions, yellow cards, red cards – and Sale are a great team.”
Owen Burrows will walk the course at Sandown on Thursday before deciding whether or not to allow Hukum to run in the Racehorse Lotto Brigadier Gerard Stakes.
Hukum is set to face a field that includes Desert Crown, last year’s Derby winner – who is similarly due to make his return from a long absence – in a mouthwatering renewal of the 10-furlong Group Three contest.
However, the Lambourn trainer hinted that if there is not enough moisture in the ground, he could withdraw his six-year-old, who is scheduled to make his comeback after an injury which has sidelined him for 11 months.
Burrows went from the high of winning the Coronation Cup, a first Group One success at Epsom in June, to despair in the space of a few hours, when Hukum was found to be lame after returning home.
A year-older full-brother to the brilliant Baaeed, Hukum picked up a hind leg injury which required three screws to be inserted and it seemed likely he would be retired to stud.
However, he has made a remarkable recovery and Burrows is keen not to take any unnecessary risks with Sheikha Hissa’s Shadwell-owned colt.
“Hopefully he can get back on the track,” said the handler. “He seemed to have improved again from the year before and then he got that injury. It was hugely disappointing, but it doesn’t do to dwell on things.
“It was a pretty straightforward injury. If he was a two- or three-year-old, then he would definitely have come back. There would have been no issue.
“But with him just winning a Group One, my automatic thought was that he would head off to stud.
“But Sheikha Hissa quite sportingly said that if there was a good chance of getting him back, then she’d be happy to give him a chance. Touch wood he’s had plenty of time and we have had a nice preparation with him.”
Though a winner of over £630,000 and successful in nine of his 15 starts, any plans to defend his Coronation Cup title on his first outing of the season were scratched.
Yet Burrows is well aware of the task Hukum faces on his return, which is a stepping stone to a potential run at Royal Ascot.
“We thought it was probably a bit strong to go straight back into a Group One, so this is going to definitely be a prep run.
“He needs to get out now. It is slightly concerning that we are drying up so quick, though.
“I wouldn’t risk him on proper fast ground. Sandown’s clerk of the course, Andrew Cooper, normally does a great job producing safe ground.
“I’ll get there sharp and I said to Richard Hills (Shadwell’s racing manager) this morning that we will have a walk of the track and all being well, if we are happy, then he will take his chance
“It’s pretty obvious the task we face, though. Desert Crown was a pretty impressive Derby and Dante winner last year. There doesn’t appear to be many chinks in his armour.
“He looks a relaxed horse who looks pretty solid, so it is a massive ask, but it is all about getting our fella on the track and getting a run into him.
“The Hardwicke would probably be the next plan, but I wouldn’t be risking him on fast ground through the summer, so the back-end races and an autumn campaign could be on the agenda.”
The Jockey Club has lodged an application to the High Court seeking an injunction to prohibit acts intended to disrupt the Derby Festival, which takes place at Epsom on June 2 and 3.
The Jockey Club, which owns Epsom Downs alongside many other high-profile tracks, says it has been forced to take action after activists from Animal Rising continued to make it “explicitly clear” that they intend to breach security at the Surrey racecourse to stage a disruptive protest.
Last month, the Grand National at Aintree was delayed a little over 10 minutes by protesters, with attempts to disrupt the Scottish National at Ayr the following weekend thwarted by police and security staff.
Officials now fear planned disruption at Epsom may endanger participants, racegoers and horses – although they have stated they do not dismiss the right to peaceful protest and have offered Animal Rising an area near the entrance of the racecourse specifically for this purpose on Derby day.
The injunction sought would prohibit individuals from entering onto the racetrack and carrying out other acts with the intention and/or effect of disrupting the races. Such acts include intentionally causing objects to enter the racetrack, entering the parade ring, entering and/or remaining on the horses’ route to the parade ring and to the racetrack without authorisation, and intentionally endangering any person at Epsom Downs Racecourse during the two-day Derby Festival.
If the injunction is granted, individuals acting in breach of the court order could be subject to proceedings for contempt of court, which may lead to a fine and/or imprisonment.
A High Court hearing, which will rule on whether to grant the injunction, has been scheduled to take place this Friday (May 26).
Nevin Truesdale, chief executive of the Jockey Club, said in a statement: “In planning for the Derby Festival our number one priority will always be to ensure that the safety of all our equine and human participants and the thousands of racegoers who join us at Epsom Downs is not compromised.
“We respect everyone’s right to peaceful and lawful protest and with that in mind have offered Animal Rising a space for this purpose directly outside the racecourse during the Derby Festival.
“However, Animal Rising have made it explicitly clear that they intend to breach security and access the track itself in an attempt to stop racing taking place and it is our duty and obligation to do everything we can to protect everyone’s safety and prevent a repeat of the illegal and reckless protests we saw at Aintree in April.
“As such the decision to apply for an injunction is a course of action we have been forced to take and is the result of careful consideration following consultation with Surrey Police and a number of stakeholders. If successful, this would be just one of a range of robust security measures we are implementing to ensure the event can go ahead safely.
“We are proud to stage the Derby Festival and hope that the thousands of people who look forward to attending over the two days and the millions more watching at home and around the world are able to enjoy what is not only an important event for the sport but an iconic moment in the British summer and a celebration of the Thoroughbred.”
Geraint Thomas has no intentions of following Mark Cavendish by riding off into retirement any time soon as he targets Giro d’Italia success and finalising a contract extension at Ineos Grenadiers.
Welshman Thomas admits he did not quite believe his friend Cavendish would go through with his plans when he told him in confidence ahead of this year’s Giro.
Thomas, who played a key role when Cavendish won the world road race championship in 2011, hailed the Manxman as the “greatest sprinter of all time” and hopes he goes on to break the record for Tour de France stage wins later this summer.
Having previously hinted 2023 might be his final season as a professional cyclist, Thomas – who turns 37 on Thursday – remains fully focused on the challenges ahead.
“I said before the start of this tour that I just want to concentrate on the race,” Thomas told a media call during Monday’s Giro rest day.
“Talk has started with this team about extending (my contract), but I am going to cross that bridge in a couple of weeks after this race hopefully.”
Thomas, who won the 2018 Tour de France, has raced alongside Cavendish in the British Cycling set-up as well as for one season at Team Sky.
“He is the greatest sprinter of all time when you see his record and it has been an honour to ride with him,” said Thomas.
“Mark told me at the start of the Giro. I didn’t really believe him. I kind of thought he would keep going.
“He has had an incredible career. He is still racing, though, and has got to get the record at the Tour (de France) and hopefully win a stage here.”
Thomas surrendered the pink jersey to Bruno Armirail on stage 14, and heads into Tuesday’s 203-kilometre mountain course from Sabbio Chiese to Monte Bondone just over a minute off the pace and only two seconds ahead of favourite Primoz Roglic.
Thomas, though, will not take any unnecessary risks as he plots a successful path towards Rome.
“I certainly want to race, but I don’t want to just attack for the entertainment and then blow myself up and somebody else profit from it,” the Welshman said.
“We have got three mountain-top road stages and a super hard TT (time trial), so people have to try.
“We (Ineos) are obviously not leading the race because I am second, but when you look at the GC guys on top of the tree, you would say the onus is on other guys to try and gain some time back.
“But we have got our way of how we want to race and what we are thinking and hopefully that can come off.”
Thomas added: “I don’t think any of us will feel too comfortable with the situation at the moment – between me and Primoz there is only two seconds and anything can happen.
“You know for sure he is going to try to gain time and me as well, same with Joao (Almeida).
“The next three mountain stages will be interesting because we are all going to look to see if we can try to get something over the others.”
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