Ex-Manly Warringah Sea Eagles prop Ian Roberts says it "saddens" him that several of the club's players will reportedly boycott the decision to wear a pride jersey against Sydney.
The Sea Eagles are set to face the Roosters on Thursday in a specialised rainbow strip showing their support for the LGBTQ+ community.
But it has been reported that possibly more than half-a-dozen stars are set to refuse to feature, citing they were not consulted by the club, leaving Roberts - the first rugby footballer in either code to come out as gay, in 1995, frustrated.
"LGBTIQA people have always been a part of sport but haven’t always been allowed the visibility," he said.
"Honestly, I have been trying to get the NRL to have a pride round for the past three years and it still hasn’t got the traction it deserves.
"It saddens me because they think having a float at the Mardi Gras is enough and it’s not."
The Boston Celtics have emerged as a possible trade destination for Kevin Durant, according to reports.
The 12-time All-Star forward rocked the Brooklyn Nets by requesting a trade last month, having joined the franchise in 2019.
Having won back-to-back NBA titles in 2017 and 2018 during his time with the Golden State Warriors, being named the finals' MVP on both occasions, Durant has reportedly shown signs of discontent with the Nets' failure to compete for a first-ever NBA title.
The Nets' 2022 playoff campaign was halted by a first-round defeat to the Celtics, who now appear to be in the hunt for Durant's signature.
According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics' ability to include 2021 All-star forward Jaylen Brown in any deal makes them a strong contender to acquire Durant, who is under contract until 2026.
Durant is expected to command a huge trade package, and ESPN claim Boston could offer as many as three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps alongside Brown's services.
The Miami Heat, the Phoenix Suns and the Toronto Raptors have also been credited with an interest in Durant, who led the Nets with an average of 29.9 points per game across his 2021-22 regular-season campaign, posting a 36-19 record in his 55 outings.
Muhammad Ali's championship belt from the Rumble in the Jungle - his 1974 heavyweight title bout with George Foreman - was sold at auction on Sunday for $6.18million.
The belt, won by the legendary boxer after he stopped his rival with an eighth round knockout in Zaire, was purchased by Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.
The 63-year-old has already purchased a large assortment of pop culture memorabilia, the Isray Collection, which he intends to tour across the nation.
"Proud to be the steward!" Isray tweeted, while revealing the belt would be on display next month in Chicago and then in Indianapolis in September.
Ali's belt falls short of becoming the most expensive piece of sporting memorabilia to be sold at auction.
Diego Maradona's iconic Hand of God shirt - worn during Argentina's quarter-final victory over England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup - fetched just over £7.1m ($8.9m) in May.
Gold Coast Titans have sacked former captain Kevin Proctor after the 33-year-old posted a video of himself appearing to vape at half-time during his side's NRL loss to Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
The Queensland outfit were downed 36-26 at CommBank Stadium by the Bulldogs on Sunday to keep them marooned joint-bottom of the ladder with Wests Tigers after a miserable season.
Ex-skipper Proctor - who was a non-playing member of the matchday squad as 19th man - appeared to be seen inhaling from a vape pen during the interval in a since-deleted video posted to Instagram, with the Titans trailing 26-10.
Both vaping and the use of mobile phones in dressing rooms are a breach of stadium and sport integrity rules, and Gold Coast have now opted to dismiss the second-rower out of hand, with a $15,000 fine to boot.
Proctor, a former Kiwi Test veteran and an NRL Premiership winner in 2012 with Melbourne, was a flagship purchase for the Titans when he arrived for the 2017, and held the armband until the end of last term.
His dismissal may spell the end of his first-grade career in Australia, with several sides already juggling tight salary cap restrictions.
Trayce Thompson drove in two runs and helped break the game open for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who claimed a four-game series sweep with a 7-4 win against the rival San Francisco Giants on Sunday.
Scores were tied at 4-4 following Darin Ruf's two-run homer off Clayton Kershaw in the fifth inning, as the Giants looked to deny their first sweep at Dodger Stadium since 1995.
Kershaw was ultimately pulled in the fifth, giving up five hits and striking out six over 94 pitches, before Craig Kimbrel eventually came in for his 17th save and the Dodgers' eighth consecutive win.
Jake Lamb's double drove in the go-ahead run the game up for grabs in the seventh inning, before Thompson's drive deep to right-centre scored Max Muncy with his brother and Golden State Warriors star Klay in attendance.
The Dodgers maintained their six-game lead over the New York Mets atop the National League standings, extending their record to 64-30 with the victory.
Judge goes deep again in Yankees win
Aaron Judge hit his fourth home run from his past four games as he continues his outlier season, extending his league-leading home run tally to 37 in the New York Yankees' 6-0 away win against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.
After starting the series against the Orioles with two home runs, and following it with four hits and two RBIs yesterday, Judge stayed hot as he connected on a 456-foot blast in the third inning. He now leads the MLB for home runs with 37, seven more than the next best in Kyle Schwarber.
On the mound, Nestor Cortes was at his best for the Yankees, giving up six hits and no walks in six scoreless innings, striking out seven. Clarke Schmidt then came in for the unconventional three-inning save.
Alcantara strikes out 10 for Marlins
Arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball this year, Sandy Alcantara struck out 10 batters as his Miami Marlins defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 in extra innings.
In his six innings of work, Alcantara gave up two earned runs from just two hits and three walks, earning his 15th quality start of the season, one off the MLB lead held by Houston's Framber Valdez and Toronto's Alek Manoah.
According to Baseball Reference's Wins Above Replacement (WAR), Alcantara has been the most valuable player in all of baseball this season, and he is the only pitcher in the top-five.
The XFL announced on Sunday that it will return in 2023 with the league revealing the home cities, and head coaches for each team.
Owners Dwayne Johnson and longtime business partner Dany Garcia announced that the eight teams competing next year will be Arlington, Houston, San Antonio, Orlando, Las Vegas, Seattle, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.
Originally founded in 2001 by WWE’s Vince McMahon and relaunched in 2020, the XFL went bankrupt due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its future was uncertain. Johnson and Garcia then purchased the league in August 2020.
Longtime Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops will coach Dallas, former NFL head coach Wade Phillips will coach Houston and former Steelers receiver Hines Ward is the San Antonio coach.
Las Vegas will be coached by 17-year NFL veteran Rod Woodson, Seattle’s coach is former Rams and Saints coach Jim Haslett, former NFL cornerback Terrell Buckley will be Orlando’s coach, former NFL tight end Anthony Becht is St. Louis’ coach and Washington will be coached by Reggie Barlow, who played seven seasons in the NFL as a receiver.
The XFL is expected to kick off on February 18, 2023.
Although David Ortiz was one of seven inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday afternoon, the day clearly belonged to the former Boston Red Sox slugger.
Ortiz, the designated hitter known as 'Big Papi', played 14 of his 20 major league seasons with the Red Sox and made the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He was part of three World Series titles in Boston, including the championship run in 2004 that ended an 86-year title drought.
Known as much for his outsized personality as his powerful swing, Ortiz delivered a passionate speech and was sure to thank everyone who helped him throughout his baseball career.
"I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to be here today and for giving me the joy of being able to travel this path, this path that has allowed me to be here today and hopefully inspire everyone to believe in yourself," Ortiz said.
Ortiz completed his career with 541 home runs and finished in the top five of AL MVP balloting in five consecutive seasons over a period ending in 2007. Known for his clutch performances, Ortiz had 17 postseason homers, and his 61 playoff RBIs are tied for fourth all-time.
He batted .455 (20 for 44) in 14 career World Series games and was named MVP of the 2013 World Series win against St. Louis after going 11 for 16 with two home runs and eight walks.
Ortiz becomes the fourth Dominican-born player to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, along with former teammate Pedro Martinez, Vladimir Guerrero Sr. And Juan Marichal.
''I always tried to live my life in a way... so I can make a positive influence in the world,'' Ortiz said. ''And if my story can remind you of anything, let it remind you that when you believe in someone you can change the world, you can change their future, just like so many people believed in me."
In addition to Ortiz, the 2022 Hall of Fame Class included former Dodgers and Mets star Gil Hodges, former Twins teammates Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva, Minnie Minoso – who appeared in the majors in five decades (1949-1980) – and Black pioneers Buck O’Neil and Bud Fowler.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo confirmed discussions are ongoing that could lead to the 2024 Tour de France finishing outside the French capital.
Since 1975, the final stage of the Tour has traditionally concluded on the famous Champs-Elysees avenue, and it was where Jonas Vingegaard sealed his race triumph on Sunday.
The 2024 Tour is scheduled to be held between June 29 and July 21 – its end date coming just five days before the Olympic Games begin in the French capital.
It has been reported that the 111th edition of the race will begin in Tuscany. Nice has been touted as a potential alternative final destination to Paris, and Hidalgo revealed she is in talks with Tour director Christian Prudhomme.
Asked whether the 2024 Tour would conclude in the French capital, she told Le Parisien: "We'll see. This is a subject we are discussing with Christian [Prudhomme]. It is an important subject.
"The arrival of the Tour will almost coincide with the opening of the Olympic Games. We work together intelligently on alternative solutions. We are pragmatic. We'll find a solution.
"The opening of the Games is July 26, 2024. This means that during the preceding weeks, the Place de la Concorde will have to organise itself."
The large city centre square, at the eastern end of the Champs-Elysees, is due to be given a major overhaul for the Olympics.
"The question of the absence of the Champs-Elysees on the Tour is not taboo," said Hidalgo. "We will communicate in due time."
Tony Finau produced a terrific Sunday performance to win the 3M Open with a final score of 17 under par – even if It was not quite a comfortable finish.
The American completed his final round with six birdies and two bogeys to post the equal second-best score of the day with a 67. One bogey came on the 18th after Finau teed off into the water, but he was never in any real danger after starting that hole with a four-stroke lead.
Finau's charge to the front of the field began during his back nine, when he rattled off four birdies over the course of six holes – including three in a row on 14, 15 and 16 – perfectly coinciding with the collapse of 54-hole leader Scott Piercy.
Speaking to CBS after stepping off the 18th green, Finau said it felt like he was a long way off the lead until it all started to shift.
"[It took] really everything I had," he said. "I was playing great, and every time I looked it up it seemed like I was four or five shots back, really all day.
"I really got things going down the back nine, and once I took control of the golf tournament it was a totally different mindset, trying to seal the deal.
"It's so special just to have my family here with me, and to celebrate this win with them… this one was for them."
Piercy began his day at 18 under with a four-stroke lead, and he was cruising early, making a couple of early birdies to jump out to 20 under, with his buffer extending to five. But everything began to fall apart on the eighth hole.
After back-to-back bogeys on eight and nine, Piercy also bogeyed 11, teased a bounce-back with a birdie on 12, and then capitulated with bogey, triple-bogey, bogey from his next three holes to go tumbling down the leaderboard. Over the course of eight holes, he dropped seven shots, completely eliminating himself from contention.
Piercy finished tied for fourth at 13 under after his 76, along with fellow Americans Tom Hoge and James Hahn, with Hahn's six-under 65 ending up two strokes better than any other final round.
That grouping was one stroke behind Argentina's Emiliano Grillo and South Korea Im Sung-jae, who were tied for second at 14 under.
Rounding out the top 10 were the English pairing of Danny Willett and Callum Tarren, tied for seventh at 10 under along with Greyson Sigg, with Chesson Hadley one shot back.
Recent PGA Tour winner J.T. Poston headlined the group at eight under, and Australia's Cam Davis was at seven under as he prepares to defend his Rocket Mortgage Classic crown this coming week.
Lewis Hamilton has indicated that he intends to extend his Formula One career beyond the end of next season.
The seven-time world champion is under contract with Mercedes until the conclusion of the 2023 campaign.
Hamilton marked the 300th race of his F1 career by finishing second behind Max Verstappen at the French Grand Prix; the Dutchman extending his lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship to 63 points.
While Hamilton's wait for a first race win of 2022 goes on, the 37-year-old made it four successive podium finishes after a slow start to the campaign.
And he revealed his excitement at the ongoing project with Mercedes when asked whether he saw himself racing beyond the expiration of his current deal.
"That's a lot of races! I firstly just want to be grateful to get to this point," the seven-time world champion said. "But I still feel fresh and still feel like I've got plenty of fuel left in the tank.
"So, I'm really, really proud and enjoying arriving every day, and working with this incredible group of people.
"I'm also enjoying working with the sport more than ever. We've got some great people leading the sport and having great conversations about the direction we're going as a sport, so I'm enjoying it more than ever.
"I would say in that space, of course, I want to get back to winning ways and that's going to take time, but I'm sure we'll sit down at some stage and talk about the future.
"But again, just with our team, I always want to continue to be building. It’s one thing having races, but it's also continuing the work that we do outside and doing more, which I think Mercedes and us can always do more, and we will."
Irina-Camelia Begu ended her five-year wait for another WTA title by beating home favourite Lucia Bronzetti to claim the Palermo Open crown.
The Romanian captured her fifth trophy on the tour – and a first since triumphing in her native Bucharest in 2017 – as she prevailed 6-2 6-2 in one hour and 33 minutes on Sunday.
This was Begu's ninth career final and her experience showed against Bronzetti, who was appearing in her maiden championship match.
The 31-year-old Begu broke her opponent's serve six times on the way to becoming the second Romanian to triumph on the WTA Tour this year, after Simona Halep captured a title in Melbourne in January.
Nerves were evident early on as the opening three games went against serve, before Begu held in the fourth to take command.
The sixth seed had been on court for over three hours as she overcame fourth seed Sara Sorribes Tormo in a thrilling late-night semi-final on Saturday.
She was well on top against Bronzetti, though, breaking again and winning 80 per cent of points when landing her first serve as she took the opening set.
World number 78 Bronzetti had taken out France's Caroline Garcia and Italian compatriot Jasmine Paolini to reach her maiden WTA final.
However, she had little answer to Begu, who broke twice early in the second set to establish a commanding 3-0 advantage.
Bronzetti broke back to reduce the deficit to 3-2, but the world number 45 pulled away again before a thumping ace sealed the deal.
Richie Ramsay secured his first DP World Tour/European Tour success in seven years as a late surge saw him win the English Open at the Hillside Golf Club.
Ramsay's playing partner Julien Guerrier had appeared the likely winner for much of Sunday, finding himself two shots to the good thanks to three birdies as he began the back nine.
But the Frenchman's six pars and three bogeys thereafter left him at even par for the day, and Ramsay – who ended the weekend at 14 under – took full advantage.
Birdies on 14, 15 and 17 gave Ramsay a one-shot lead on the final hole, and he held his nerve with an immense par putt to seal his first Tour success since March 2015, when he won the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco.
It was a moment of redemption for the Scot, who saw his chance for British Masters success at The Belfry in May vanish when he closed out with a double bogey.
Given that disappointment and the fact he had not won a tournament in seven years, Ramsay was understandably emotional at the conclusion.
"The biggest thing for me was I made a promise to my daughter, and I don't break promises to her. I said I would get her a trophy and this one's for her," Ramsay said.
"It just feels unbelievable. The belief. I've had some bad times over the last couple of years, but I kept believing, I knew my game was good.
"I know about what happened at The Belfry, but it's links golf and I feel like I've always got an advantage when I play links golf.
"Obviously I got a bit emotional there at the end, but I haven't won since my daughter was born and that's six years.
"That one's for Olivia [his daughter]. Hopefully she's watching. Angela's [Ramsay's wife] been brilliant. She's never given up on me, sent me a message this morning telling me that she was really proud of me in whatever I accomplish.
"It's just hours and hours of practice and it comes down to one shot and I managed to do it under the gun. It doesn't matter what happens now, I'll remember that for the rest of my life."
Guerrier's sloppy finish ultimately saw him finish in a five-way tie for third on 12 under for the tournament – that group included Marcus Kinhult, whose five-under 67 was the best round of the day.
Paul Waring was the other player to capitalise on Guerrier's difficult back nine, as the local favourite's 70 ensured he ended the competition outright second on 13 under.
Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin declared the French Grand Prix as the team's "best race of the year" after a first double podium of 2022.
Lewis Hamilton immediately overtook Red Bull's Sergio Perez at the start of the race and rose to second following the retirement of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc – securing his fourth consecutive podium and marking his 300th career race in style.
Meanwhile, George Russell enjoyed a thrilling battle with Perez in the closing stages and leapt ahead after a late virtual safety car, though he felt he should have been handed the position earlier in the race after a collision with the Mexican.
Mercedes' performances on race day has consistently been better than free practice and qualifying, with Hamilton and Russell the only drivers on the grid to have improved on their start position in every race they have completed in 2022.
At the Circuit Paul Ricard, that trend continued as the team bounced back after a disappointing qualifying session where they were well off the pace of their rivals, but Shovlin believes the performance in Sunday's race was testament to how far they have come.
"That was our best race of the year and really pleasing to see both drivers racing at the front," he said.
"We know that we've got a long road ahead of us but compared to where we were a couple of months ago in Monaco and Baku, it's really satisfying to see the team and drivers having a bit of fun again.
"The weekend hasn't been easy, our qualifying positions weren't far off expectation, but the gaps to Charles and Max were eye-opening.
"We'd hoped that the car would be kind on the tyres today, the conditions were very tough given the circuit and the temperature but degradation was good and whilst we are lacking a bit of pace, we at least seemed a bit stronger towards the end of the stints."
The teams are straight back into it as the Hungarian Grand Prix takes place next week, with Shovlin suggesting Mercedes will push for further improvement ahead of the summer break.
"We've only got a couple of days to try and regroup and prepare for Budapest," he added. "Hard work has got us to a level where we can fight for a place on the podium but we want to be fighting for the top step.
"We've got one race to go before the summer break so we will be pushing hard to try and finish the first half of the season on a high note."
Jonas Vingegaard says life could not be any better after securing his first Tour de France title in Paris on Sunday.
The Jumbo-Visma rider crossed the line on stage 21 in unison with his team-mates at the end of a largely processional finale in the French capital.
Vingegaard had a lead of more than three-and-a-half minutes on back-to-back champion Tadej Pogacar heading into the 116-kilometre stretch, and his triumph was never in doubt.
He is the second Dane to win Le Tour, after Bjarne Riis in 1996, while it is the first time in 30 years the winner of the race has been a native of the country where the race started.
Saluting his victory on the Champs-Elysees, an emotional Vingegaard said: "It's just incredible. I have finally won the Tour. Nothing can go wrong anymore.
"I'm sat with my daughter. It is just incredible. It is the biggest cycling race of the year, the biggest one you can win, and now I have done it. Nobody can take this away from me."
Vingegaard finished in the chasing bunch on the final stage, which was won by Jasper Philipsen, to retain the yellow jersey that he had been in possession of since stage 11.
Pogacar's hopes of a third title in a row were effectively ended on Thursday when Vingegaard increased his GC lead after the final mountain stage in the Pyrenees.
"I always had the feeling that at least I could fight for the win," Vingegaard added. "But I think in the end, when I really started believing was after the stage.
"I always believed in the victory, but I was thinking something really has to go wrong after Hautacam."
Asked how he plans to celebrate, Vingegaard said: "Tuesday, I go to Holland, Wednesday in Copenhagen, Thursday in the town I live in, and Friday, I'll be on the couch for a week!
"Of course, I'm super happy about my victory now. Of course, now I want to celebrate, relax, but then I also want more, yes."
Vingegaard was also crowned King of the Mountains, while team-mate Wout van Aert came out on top in the Points Classification.
Jumbo-Visma are the first team to win the yellow, polka dot and green jerseys at the same edition of the race since Faema managed the feat in 1969, thanks to Eddy Merckx.
Sweden goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl believes the investment and improvement in the English game in recent years means her nation's good record against their Women's European Championship semi-final opponents will mean very little.
The Swedes needed a late Linda Sembrant goal against Belgium in their quarter-final to advance to play tournament hosts England, who edged past Spain 2-1 in the last eight thanks to an extra-time thunderbolt from Georgia Stanway.
The two teams will face off on Tuesday at Bramall Lane, Sheffield for a place in the final.
England have won just three of their 26 meetings with Sweden in all competitions (D8 L15), while they have only lost more often against Germany (21) than they have against the Swedes.
However, when asked if this impressive record gives them an advantage during the team's media day on Sunday, former Chelsea stopper Lindahl said: "No, because we all know the development that's been in the English league, and the investment that's gone into English football in the last seven years.
"I know it first hand because I came to Chelsea in 2015 and I've seen the game take off in England. Obviously that will have an effect on the national team, because the league has grown and people have to grow with it. So you can't really rely on history.
"But what I do take with me is that we know these are players we've beaten. We've managed to beat them before and we can do it again."
The 39-year-old has made eight saves across her team's four games so far, conceding just two goals, and is looking forward to returning to Sheffield, where Sweden played their first two games against the Netherlands and Switzerland.
"I had imagined coming into this tournament that we would face England at some point. I wasn't aware of when we were able to see each other," she said. "I thought it was going to be at Wembley, but now it's in Sheffield, and I think that's a good thing for us because we played a few games there. It's kind of like our home pitch, and so I look forward to it."
Lindahl is well aware of the dangers England pose, with tournament top scorer Beth Mead in the form of her life, scoring five goals in the Euros and having had a hand in 31 goals in all competitions under Sarina Wiegman so far (19 goals, 12 assists) in 18 games.
"I think we've all seen how much success they've had with their wingers, especially Beth Mead," Lindahl added.
"They have quality players in every position and two of them in every position. So I think we're gonna face a collective, well-organised team under the leadership of their new coach. So it's going to be a tough one."
Houston Texans' rookie wide receiver John Metchie III announced on Sunday that he was recently diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia and is currently receiving medical care.
In a statement on the Texans’ Twitter account, Metchie said acute promyelocytic leukemia is "the most curable form of leukaemia" and that he's "in good spirits."
"Recently I was diagnosed with APL (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia), the most curable form of Luekemia," he said in a statement.
"I am currently receiving great medical care, am in good spirits and I expect to make a recovery at a later point in time.
"As a result of this diagnosis, I will likely not be playing football this season. My main focus will be on my health and recovery."
The Texans selected Metchie in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft (44th overall pick) out of Alabama after he had 96 catches for 1,142 yards and eight touchdown receptions as a junior last season before tearing his left ACL during the SEC championship game.
Metchie, who had 55 receptions for 916 yards and six TDs for the Crimson Tide in 2020, added he "cannot wait to come back stronger than ever."
Jonas Vingegaard sealed a maiden Tour de France title in Paris after finishing safely in the chasing bunch on the final stage, which was won by Jasper Philipsen.
Team Jumbo-Visma rider Vingegaard led back-to-back champion Tadej Pogacar by more than three and a half minutes heading into the largely processional finale on Sunday.
The Dane saw out the job in a stress-free manner – even enjoying some champagne during the 116-kilometre stretch – to end Pogacar's spell of General Classification dominance.
A few packs of riders tried to break free of the bunch on the Champs-Elysees, setting up a frantic late sprint that saw Belgium's Philipsen earn his second stage win of this year's race.
Vingegaard crossed over moments later, in unison with his Jumbo-Visma team after retaining the yellow jersey, which he had been in possession of since stage 11.
He was also crowned King of the Mountains, while team-mate Wout van Aert joined the celebrations in his green jersey after another solid outing.
Jumbo-Visma are the first team to win the yellow, polka dot and green jerseys at the same edition of the race since Faema managed the feat in 1969, thanks to Eddy Merckx.
Pogacar never came within two minutes and 18 seconds of Vingegaard in the GC, once the Danish rider had the lead.
The Slovenian therefore had to settle for the consolation prize of the white jersey for a third year running, with that award given to the best-placed rider under the age of 26.
Jonas Vingegaard went into the final weekend of the Tour de France with his yellow jersey all but assured.
It is the mountain stages that so typically settle the general classification in Grand Tours, and this edition of Le Tour proved no different.
A dominant ride on stage 18 saw Vingegaard, with admirable support from Sepp Kuss and Wout van Aert, drop two-time defending champion Tadej Pogacar on the final ascent in the Pyrenees.
Vingegaard powered away on that last climb, leaving Pogacar in his wake, and well over three minutes behind overall in the hunt for the yellow jersey, as the Dane collected just a second Grand Tour stage win of his career, the first having come on July 13 to put him in command of the race.
That left Vingegaard merely needing to safely negotiate the final three stages – two sprint finishes and a time trial – and he did just that, parading into Paris on Sunday with his grip on the yellow jersey firmly intact. Now he is the champion, a remarkable feat considering where he has come from.
Pogacar's Slovenian compatriot Primoz Roglic has previously been Jumbo-Visma's main hope, but an exceptional team ride has also represented a passing of the baton to Vingegaard, the 25-year-old who four years ago was working at a fish factory to supplement his income. Vingegaard was recruited by the team based on a remarkable time up a daunting climb in Spain, which was subsequently posted to the popular training application Strava.
Jumbo-Visma have turned in a team performance for the ages. Their plan, and subsequent execution, has been near-perfect. Even the loss of Roglic, whose attention will now turn to winning yet another Vuelta a Espana title, could not derail this powerhouse unit heading into the final week.
Vingegaard's first win, on stage 11 up the Col du Granon, came as a result of Jumbo-Visma attacking early, luring Pogacar into responding, and draining the Slovenian's energy as the 23-year-old was proven to be a mere mortal after all.
Even when stacked up against the days of when Team Sky (now INEOS Grenadiers) dominated Le Tour, Jumbo-Visma's performance this time around has been something special. As a result, they are the first team to win the yellow, polka dot (Vingegaard) and green (Van Aert) jerseys at the same edition of the race since Faema managed the feat in 1969, thanks to the great Eddy Merckx.
Vingegaard is the second Dane to win the Tour de France after Bjarne Riis in 1996, and it is the first time since 1992 that the winner of the race has been a native of the country where it started, with the first three stages of this Tour having taken place across Denmark.
Not since 2006 (Michael Rasmussen) has a Dane won the polka jot jersey, though it is the third successive edition of Le Tour that the GC leader has also claimed the King of the Mountains classification, with Pogacar having done so in 2020 and 2021. Before 2020, it had happened only three times across the previous 50 races – Merckx in 1970, Carlos Sastre in 2008 and Chris Froome in 2015.
Van Aert, meanwhile, is another star. The 27-year-old finished in second place in the opening three stages before finally claiming victory at the fourth time of asking, and his decisive attack on Hautacam gave Vingegaard the platform he needed to end Pogacar's hopes.
A sprinter by trade but a brilliant climber to boot, Van Aert never looked likely to relinquish the green jersey, easily fending off Jasper Philipsen and Pogacar for that prize. He is the first Belgian rider to win the points classification of the Tour de France since Tom Boonen in 2007.
As for Pogacar, three in a row proved one triumph too many, but when you contrast the talents of UAE Team Emirates with Jumbo-Visma, his achievements so far must be considered even more remarkable.
The white jersey, which Pogacar won in each of the last two years for the best young rider, was retained. He has been leading the youth classification over each of the last 51 racedays in the Tour de France (from stage 13 in 2020 to stage 21 in 2022), which is the longest run of consecutive racedays in the first place of a specific classification.
Pogacar will surely be back out to regain his crown in 2023 and along with Vingegaard could dominate for years to come, though do not count out Tom Pidcock from one day contesting for a jersey.
On his Grand Tour debut, the 22-year-old Briton has mightily impressed. His triumph on the famous Alpe d'Huez will go down in the record books. He not only broke the 100km/h mark on a descent, but became the youngest stage winner on the mountain in Le Tour history, breaking a 38-year record held by Lucho Herrera.
Pidcock, who won gold on the mountain bike at the Tokyo Olympics, is the 15th British rider to win a Tour de France stage, but just the second to do so on the Alpe d'Huez after Geraint Thomas, who at 36 has battled to a brilliant third-place finish overall.
It might well be the 2018 champion's swan song at Le Tour, while another veteran campaigner, Nairo Quintana, came in sixth in the general classification. That is Quintana's first top-10 Grand Tour finish since the 2019 Vuelta a Espana, and his best performance in this race since 2016.
The St Louis Cardinals will not have All-Stars Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado available to play in Toronto this week as they have not received the COVID-19 vaccination.
Canada requires all travellers to the country to be fully vaccinated, so Goldschmidt and Arenado will miss the Cardinals' two games against the Blue Jays on Tuesday and Wednesday, as confirmed by president of baseball operations John Mozeliak to reporters on Sunday.
St Louis entered Sunday's MLB action trailing the Milwaukee Brewers by 1.5 games for first place in the NL Central, and with a one-game lead on the Philadelphia Phillies for the third and final wild-card berth in the NL.
Goldschmidt and Arenado have played a major part in that success.
Goldschmidt is batting .333 with 22 home runs and 74 RBIs in 92 games, while Arenado is hitting .299 with 18 homers and 59 RBIs in 90 contests.
They were both selected to their seventh All-Star Game this season. Goldschmidt homered in the NL's 3-2 loss to the AL last Tuesday, but Arenado sat the game out due to tightness in his lower back.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
