Tadej Pogacar achieved a "dream" victory in the Paris-Nice as the two-time Tour de France champion powered to a final-stage win on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Slovenian produced a thrilling solo surge on the 117.2-kilometre eighth stage, chiefly contested in the hills surrounding Nice.
His race-winning move came on the final climb, the Col d'Eze, as the UAE Team Emirates man left his rivals to scrap it out for second place before tearing away to the finish line on the Promenade des Anglais.
Pogacar took the stage by 33 seconds. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo-Visma) was second to cross the line on the sea front, with Pogacar taking the overall tour victory by 53 seconds from France's David Gaudu (Groupama–FDJ).
Vingegaard, the reigning Tour de France champion, picked up third place on this occasion in the general classification standings.
Pogacar won the one-day Clasica Jaen Paraiso Interior in Spain early last month, and then went on to dominate the five-day Vuelta a Andalucia.
The latest success is a further step towards the grand tours that await later in the year, with Pogacar electing to race at this event, on the roads where he does much of his training, rather than head to the Tirreno-Adriatico in Italy. That race, running concurrently, was won on Sunday by Primoz Roglic after Pogacar's victories there in 2021 and 2022.
"It was always my goal, my dream, to win Paris-Nice as well and now that I did it, it's incredible," Pogacar said on Eurosport.
"They say attack is the best defence and I really know these roads. A lot of training is done here, so I knew exactly how my legs were and on the final climb how much I could spend to come to the top and I calculated great."
Pogacar will turn his attention to next Saturday's Milan-San Remo one-day classic, satisfied to have got the better of a strong field.
"The competition here was really, really huge and to be alongside David Gaudu and Jonas Vingegaard on the podium is special because they are really top-class riders," Pogacar said. "If I don't win anything until the end of the season it's still not bad, so I can be more relaxed."
Having signed a one-year contract in January 2023, Jamaica’s female cyclist Llori Sharpe will depart the island next week for Europe where she will join her teammates from Paraguay, Germany, Namibia, Rwanda, Algeria, and Austria on the CANYON//SRAM Generation Team set to participate in 21 races across Europe through to mid-September.
Six of the 21 events are two-to-six-day stage races covering 250 km to 700km.
2023 is expected to be a busy year for the young Jamaican as she is also expected to join the Jamaican team for the Pan American Road Championships from April 17-23 in Panama City. The Pan American Championships will qualify the top 19 male and female places for spots at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
Since returning from Europe at the end of the 2022 season, Sharpe has spent the latter part of last year studying at the UWI Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. She will complete her final semester while in Europe. She returned home to Jamaica in December where she had been training in preparation for her first competitive assignment on March 26.
Sharpe earned the first two podium finishes for the CANYON team in March 2022.
Mark Cavendish has joined Astana for a 2023 campaign in which he will be hoping to make history at the Tour de France.
Legendary sprinter Cavendish left Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl last year, but the Brit will continue his illustrious career with Kazakh team Astana.
The 37-year-old from the Isle of Man was not selected for the 2022 Tour de France, denying him the opportunity to surpass a record tally of 34 stage wins in the most prestigious Grand Tour race that he shares with the great Eddy Merckx.
Cavendish will have high hopes of taking the record outright this year with his new team.
He said: "I am really excited for this adventure. I raced with Alexandr Vinokurov for many years, and now I'm racing with his two boys!
"I remember when they were children the same age as my own, dreaming to be bike racers.
"Astana is going to be a great place to be successful, with a strong team led by Alexandr, a champion on the bike and a gentleman off the bike.
"I've enjoyed a long career already, but the joy of riding my bike and the hunger to continue winning are as bright as ever.
"So I'm looking forward to being part of a successful team, whether working with the team for wins, crossing the line first myself, or cheering on my team-mates. As always, the objective will be for us to stand on the top podium."
While Cavendish was overlooked for the Tour de France, he was able to win the Milano-Torino as well as Giro d'Italia, Tour of Oman and UAE Tour stages.
The 2024 edition of the Tour de France will start in Italy for the first time in the race's history, organisers The Amaury Sport Organisation has confirmed.
Florence will mark the starting point of the 111th edition of the famous competition, to commemorate 100 years since Ottavio Bottecchia became the first Italian won Le Tour.
After racing to Rimini, further stages from Cesenatico to Bologna and Piacenza to Turin will follow, with the event also set to finish away from Paris for the first time.
The iconic Champs-Elysees finale will be replaced by a closing stage in Nice due to the 2024 Olympic ceremony occurring in the capital just days later.
It will also be the first time since 1989 the event has concluded with a time-trial finish, as opposed to the usual procession through the streets of Paris.
"The Tour has started from all the countries bordering France," said Le Tour director Christian Prudhomme.
"It has even started six times from the Netherlands, which has no common border with France. But it has never started from Italy.
"It's an incongruity that will disappear."
The 2023 edition will begin in Bilbao, Spain on July 1 and finish in Paris 22 days later, with Jonas Vingegaard out to defend his crown.
Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel has had his convictions for common assault overturned by a judge at Sydney's Downing Centre District Court.
The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to the common assault of two teenage girls in Sydney on the eve of the UCI Road World Championships finale in September.
Van der Poel was subsequently charged on two counts after an altercation with the pair, aged 13 and 14, whom he alleges to have been knocking on his hotel room door.
He was also fined 1,500 AUD, though he appealed both the conviction and fine, and Judge Ian Bourke SC ruled in the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider's favour in Tuesday's hearing.
The judge said Van der Poel's action had been in "response to annoying and invasive conduct" by the girls.
Van de Poel's lawyer Michael Bowe told NCA NewsWire: "He didn't need a conviction. He's a dedicated sportsman and cyclist. It's important these matters were dismissed."
Tour de France and Giro d'Italia stage winner Van der Poel had been among the favourites to win the World Championship prior to dropping out with 230 kilometres to go.
Belgium's Remco Evenepoel went on to win the competition.
"I ran the argument on the basis of loss to Mathieu – he had one opportunity in his life to win the world championships and he's lost that opportunity," Bowe added.
"He'd trained for that opportunity. He'd let his country down, he'd let his team down."
Van der Poel has two wins in three cyclo-cross races so far this season, prevailing at the UCI World Cup rounds in Hulst and Antwerp.
Filippo Ganna made cycling history by beating the UCI hour world record by over a kilometre with his attempt in Switzerland on Saturday.
The INEOS Grenadiers rider was trying to beat the previous mark of 55.548km set by his team-mate Dan Brigham in August.
Ganna achieved it in style as he finished with a distance of 56.792km, a full 1.244km ahead, achieving his feat at the Tissot Velodrome in Grenchen.
The double world time trial champion, who signed a four-year extension with INEOS in August, said: "To arrive at this amazing goal is fantastic for me, and all the INEOS Grenadiers staff who worked for a long time to arrive at this result. This result is amazing. 56.792 kilometres is not bad!
"Next time maybe I'll try in another part of the season with fresher legs and we can go higher again.
"This result is amazing. Now I'm thinking about recovery and trying to celebrate together with everyone here."
Brigham also congratulated Ganna on taking his record, saying: "A massive kudos to Filippo for that historic ride. I know the commitment, determination and work that's needed to put in a performance like that.
"It's fantastic that this ambitious project came together on the night. Having my record beaten by Filippo was always part of the plan and it's great to have such a deserving team-mate as the new record holder."
Mathieu van der Poel has pleaded guilty to the common assault of two teenage girls in Sydney on the eve of the UCI Road World Championships finale.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was charged on two counts after an altercation with the pair, aged 13 and 14, whom he alleges to have been knocking on his hotel room door.
He was further fined 1,500 AUD (£909), though he has been allowed to leave the country following the return of his passport.
Van der Poel, who was taken into custody by New South Wales Police, intends to appeal against the conviction, according to his lawyer Michael Bowe.
"We went through the relevant events that occurred, he was arrested by police, was interviewed by police and said certain things to the police," he told Reuters.
"Mathieu agreed with some of those allegations. On discussing it was agreed he should plead guilty."
Belgium's Remco Evenepoel went on to win th World Championship on Sunday. Van der Poel, among the pre-race favourites, withdrew with 230 kilometres to go.
Mathieu van der Poel abandoned the UCI Road World Championships on Sunday after he was left "mentally broken" from being arrested in Sydney.
The Dutchman was charged with two counts of common assault at Kogarah Police Station following an alleged incident involving two teenage girls at a hotel on Saturday evening.
Van der Poel was granted conditional bail by New South Wales Police and will appear at Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old had been among the favourites to be crowned world champion in Wollongong, but withdrew with 230 kilometres to go after revealing he only got back to his hotel from the police station at 4am.
Christoph Roodhooft, boss of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team Van der Poul rides for, said: "It was really unexpected. Obviously there were children bouncing at his door [in the hotel] and after the third he was p***** off with them. He went out and it seemed like it was children, teenagers, and someone called the police and they asked him to go to give an explanation.
"He was asked by the police to tell them what happened, then he could sign [papers] and then he could go. There were children in the corridor playing and he went out to ask them to stop but obviously not in the right way."
Roodhooft added of Van der Poel's withdrawal from the race: "We didn't talk about the situation, but sporting wise he was really disappointed. He didn't sleep all night and mentally he was a bit broken. He was expecting a lot from today and he did everything he could in the last two months after his bad Tour de France. He found joy and happiness again in cycling and was hoping for a nice race again."
Prior to the start of the race, Van der Poel explained what had occurred the night before.
He told Sporza: "It's true, yes. There was a small dispute. It was about noisy neighbours and they are quite strict here. I went to bed early and many children in the hallway of my room found it necessary to knock on the door continuously.
"After a few times, I was done with it. I didn't ask so nicely to stop. Then the police were called, and I was taken. I wasn't back in my room until four o'clock."
NSW Police said in a statement: "About 10.40pm (Saturday 24 September 2022), a 27-year-old man was at a hotel on The Grand Parade, Brighton-Le-Sands, when he was allegedly involved in a verbal altercation with two teenage girls – aged 13 and 14.
"It's further alleged the man then pushed both teenagers, with one falling to the ground and the other being pushed into a wall causing a minor graze to her elbow.
"Officers from St George Police Area Command attended and arrested a 27-year-old man shortly after. He was taken to Kogarah Police Station and charged with two counts of common assault.
"He was granted conditional bail to appear at Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday 27 September 2022."
Jamaican cyclist, Llori Sharpe is one of the main characters featured in the latest commercial released by Canyon Bicycles and which is being aired in Europe.
In 2020, Sharpe decided to focus solely on cycling after several years of competing in swimming and triathlon. She competed at several international events including the Central American and Caribbean championship swimming and triathlon events.
The 22-year-old Sharpe made history in 2021 when she signed a one-year contract with the German cycling team Canyon-SRAM Generation becoming the first Jamaican to sign with a European cycling team.
In several shots in the commercial, she is shown riding the new Canyon bicycle in the hills of Italy.
Speaking with Sportsmax.TV about the filming of the commercial that took place between June 26 and 30, Sharpe said it was a bit arduous but otherwise an interesting learning experience.
“We were in Italy for about four days, but I only had two filming days. They were pretty long actually as we had to get up around two in the morning, started shooting at about three and then finished around 12-1 in the afternoon,” she said.
“Of course, we'd take breaks throughout, but as you can well imagine, a schedule like that can be really exhausting.”
She did, however, get some time off, which she took full advantage of.
“Fortunately, I did have the rest of the day to recover and pretty much do whatever I wanted and I was even able to hop on the bike and explore for a bit,” she said.
“What I found most interesting was the amount of background work and repetition that goes into filming something as big as this project.
“I did catch a glimpse of the work involved during the team's training camp back in January as quite a few sponsors came to film for the year ahead and having been a part of this project, the experience gained is not only invaluable but would certainly put me in a better position in the event that I'm selected to do something similar.”
Seemingly introverted and soft-spoken, Sharpe revealed that it was by chance that she got to do the commercial but she is glad she got the opportunity.
“The director and head of marketing and communications told me that Canyon needed a rider for their upcoming project,” she explained.
“Luckily, I didn't have any races then so the timing was perfect for me to be a part of the filming for the new bike's launch.”
She remains hopeful that shooting this commercial will open other similar opportunities in the future.
“Can't really say as I'm not sure myself, but hopefully having been involved in this project, Canyon and or other sponsors of the team would like me to be a part of future projects and product launches,” said Sharpe who is currently back home in Jamaica for a short break before she returns to Europe when competition begins again in January.
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Remco Evenepoel hailed his Vuelta a Espana win as an "historic moment for the team, my country and myself".
The 22-year-old on Sunday became Belgium's first Grand Tour winner since Johan De Muynck took the 1978 Giro d'Italia title.
The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider safely came through Sunday's 96.7km procession from Las Rozas to the finish in Madrid, which was won by UAE Team Emirates rider Juan Sebastian Molano.
Colombian Molano was the lead-out man, and he claimed his first Vuelta victory ahead of Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) and his team-mate Pascal Ackermann.
Evenepoel, who led the Vuelta for 16 stages, longer than any other rider has held the red jersey since Chris Froome in 2017 (19 stages), was joined on the podium by Spaniards Enric Mas and Juan Ayuso, and put the victory down to his team and how they managed three gruelling weeks of racing.
"Yesterday the emotions were quite high because you could feel that we were actually there, but you still have to finish the race here [on stage 21] safe and in a good way," he told reporters.
"I think we did it perfectly. We enjoyed it as much as possible and now we can really enjoy it.
"I didn't have much time to think today because it was a technical course and it was getting more nervous on every lap, so it was not that nice. I'm happy we survived and that we are here now.
"It's an historic moment for the team, for my country and for myself. I think we can be really proud of what we did during the last three weeks."
Mas the nearly man
Mas and Ayuso took second and third, with this year the first time since 2014 that Spain has had two riders finish on the podium.
Movistar leader Mas, who also finished on the podium in the points and mountain classifications, had vowed to push Evenepoel in the wake of Primoz Rolgic's abandonment, but could not quite manage to do so. He has finished second in three of his four Vuelta appearances.
STAGE RESULT
1. Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) 02:26:36
2. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) same time
3. Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) same time
4. Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma) same time
5. Danny van Poppel (BORA-Hansgrohe) same time
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 80:26:59
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) +2:02
3. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) +4:57
Points Classification
1. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 409
2. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) 186
3. Enric Mas (Movistar) 138
King of the Mountains
1. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) 73
2. Robert Stannard (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 36
3. Enric Mas (Movistar) 28
Remco Evenepoel said it felt "amazing" to effectively clinch Vuelta a Espana general classification glory and answer his critics in style.
The 22-year-old will be garlanded on Sunday as Belgium's first Grand Tour winner since Johan De Muynck took the 1978 Giro d'Italia title.
The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider safely navigated Saturday's 181-kilometre stage from Moralzarzal to Puerto de Navacerrada, considered the last serious test for the riders.
On Sunday, it will be an essentially processional 96.7km ride from Las Rozas to the finish in Madrid, with a sprint in store once the riders reach the capital.
Richard Carapaz won Saturday's stage, his third victory of the 2022 edition of La Vuelta, attacking decisively as the summit of the Puerto de Cotos closing ascent approached. He has taken King of the Mountains honours too, in a highly successful Vuelta performance.
Evenepoel crossed the line in sixth place, with his overall lead of two minutes and five seconds over Enric Mas meaning he can prepare to stand on top of the podium at the Plaza de Cibeles on Sunday.
"I don't know what going through my head and my body right now, but it's amazing," Evenepoel said, after crying tears of happiness.
Evenepoel faced criticism during and after the World Championships last year, when he questioned Belgium's race tactics and suggested he might have won a gold medal if the team had chosen him as a leader.
Wout van Aert and Jasper Stuyven were the leaders instead and Belgium finished empty-handed, but on Sunday the country will have a confirmed Grand Tour champion.
"All the bad comments I got from last year, I think I answered everybody with my pedals," Evenepoel said on Eurosport. "I've been working so hard to come here in the best shape possible, and to now win this Vuelta is amazing."
He said the victory was "for Belgium, for my team-mates, for my parents, for my fiancee", adding: "I was really stressed this morning. I didn't sleep too much last night because you just know what's coming to you, and it was a super tough stage, but I'm just super happy that I won La Vuelta.
"I didn't even think about winning a stage. I just wanted to win the general classification. It's an amazing year. It's the best year I can imagine and wish for."
Carapaz at the summit
INEOS Grenadiers' Carapaz has enjoyed a superb Vuelta. He is one of only two riders, along with Mads Pedersen, to win three stages at this year's race, doubling his career total of Grand Tour stage wins, while the Ecuadorian is the first South American to win the mountains classification at La Vuelta since 2004.
STAGE RESULT
1. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) 04:41:34
2. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) +0:08
3. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) +0:13
4. Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) same time
5. Enric Mas (Movistar) same time
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 78:00:12
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) +2:05
3. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) +5:08
Points Classification
1. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 379
2. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) 174
3. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 133
King of the Mountains
1. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) 73
2. Robert Stannard (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 36
3. Enric Mas (Movistar) 28
Primoz Roglic has blamed Fred Wright for causing the crash that led to his withdrawal from the Vuelta a Espana, labelling the incident "unacceptable".
Roglic was sent sprawling after touching wheels with Wright with just 150 metres remaining at the end of a dramatic stage 16 on Tuesday, and withdrew from the race the following day.
Three-time reigning champion Roglic had been second in the overall standings, and his withdrawal leaves Remco Evenepoel as the overwhelming favourite to clinch victory when the race concludes in Madrid on Sunday.
Speaking to Jumbo-Visma's team website on Friday, Roglic expressed his displeasure at the way his race ended and singled out Wright for blame.
"I can walk a little bit. I am happy with that for the moment," Roglic said. "After the crash, it took me time to straighten things out. I asked myself, 'how can this be?'
"My conclusion is that the way this crash happened is unacceptable. Not everyone saw it correctly. The crash was not caused by a bad road or a lack of safety but by a rider's behaviour.
"I don't have eyes on my back. Otherwise, I would have run wide. Wright came from behind and rode the handlebars out of my hands before I knew it."
Jumbo-Visma director Richard Plugge was equally unhappy with Wright's behaviour, adding: "Ten years ago, the older riders were sounding the alarm because the younger ones showed less respect, took irresponsible risks, and pushed their way through everything.
"The younger ones of yesteryear are the older riders of today. But you still hear the same discussion, even though we are a generation ahead. So that has to change.
"I'm glad that Primoz is speaking out, looking in the mirror and naming the behaviour of riders as well."
Bahrain Victorious rider Wright is second in the Points Classification standings, but is some 205 points adrift of Mads Pedersen after losing out to the Dane across Friday's 19th stage.
Roglic's withdrawal marks his latest setback during a difficult year. He was forced to leave the Tour de France ahead of the final rest day after suffering injuries sustained in a crash with a stray hay bale on stage five in July.
Mads Pedersen brought up a hat-trick of stage wins across the 2022 Vuelta a Espana, claiming stage 19 with a powerful sprint in Talavera de la Reina.
Pedersen, who was also victorious over stages 13 and 16, saw off challenges from Fred Wright and Gianni Vermeersch over a 138.3-kilometre stretch on Friday, adding to his lead in the Points Classification.
Remco Evenepoel, meanwhile, retained La Roja and is closing in on an overall victory after a long downhill ride to the line prevented any challengers from gaining time on the race leader.
Brandon McNulty, Jonathan Caicedo and Ander Okamika led a three-man breakaway at the outset of the twin-mountain stage, comprising two laps of a circuit containing the Puerto del Pielago climb, but they were hauled back with 49 kilometres remaining.
Pedersen's Trek-Segafredo team then fended off several attacks as the stage built towards a bunch sprint, in which Pedersen turned on the style to beat Wright to another important triumph.
"It was definitely really hard to control the bunch today but man, the team did so impressive. Everybody was so dedicated and working really hard," Pedersen said after crossing the line.
"It's never easy in a final like this, it's a lot of good guys in the peloton in the end. I was really happy with the speed the boys could keep at the end.
"Three wins is of course super, super nice. Tomorrow we have to finish the day and then in Madrid we'll see how it goes. But I think no matter what, we can be really happy with these three weeks in Spain."
Pedersen secures treble
As well as extending his commanding lead in the Points Classification standings, Pedersen's win made him the first rider to bring up three stage victories in this year's race. The Dane moves clear of Sam Bennett, Jay Vine, Evenepoel and Richard Carapaz, who have two wins apiece this year.
Pedersen had managed just one stage victory at Grand Tours ahead of the Vuelta, taking stage 13 at the Tour de France in July.
STAGE RESULT
1. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 3:19:11
2. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) same time
3. Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck) same time
4. Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers) same time
5. Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma) same time
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 73:18:23
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) +2:07
3. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (UAE Team Emirates) +5:14
Points Classification
1. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 379
2. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) 174
3. Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) 133
King of the Mountains
1. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) 50
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) 26
3. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) 23
Over seven decades on the throne, the Queen oversaw a number of major events – not least in the sporting world.
Sport was a significant feature of Her Majesty's 70-year reign, from attending events to handing over trophies, most famously in 1966 when England lifted the World Cup at Wembley.
Following the announcement of her passing on Thursday, Stats Perform looks at the major sporting events that coincided with prominent milestones throughout the Queen's reign.
The Queen's Coronation, 1953
Princess Elizabeth was officially crowned Queen on June 2, 1953, a year after the death of her father George VI. Aged just 25, her ascension to the throne took place amid a glittering ceremony at Westminster Abbey. In the sporting world, Alberto Ascari won the Formula One championship for a second successive year shortly after the historic moment. He remains one of only two Ferrari drivers to have won multiple titles, along with the great Michael Schumacher, while no Italian has triumphed since. This was also the year Ken Rosewall, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, won the first of his eight grand slam titles with victory at the Australian Open, aged just 18. Incredibly, the last of those major triumphs arrived 21 years after his maiden success at Wimbledon in 1974.
The Silver Jubilee, 1977
The Queen's Silver Jubilee marked the 25th anniversary of her accession and was celebrated by millions throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Known for her love of horse racing, Her Majesty would no doubt have had a watching eye on that year's Grand National, won that year for an unprecedented third time by Red Rum – a record that stands to this day. A week on from that event, Tom Watson edged out Jack Nicklaus in a thrilling conclusion to the Masters, and he did likewise later in the year when coming out on top at The Open.
The Golden Jubilee, 2002
The Queen's 50-year anniversary on the throne coincided with a bumper year of sport, the highlight being the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan – the first time the football showpiece had been held outside of the Americas or Europe – which was won by Brazil for a fifth time. While the World Cup, Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games garnered plenty of attention, that year's must-see one-off event was Lennox Lewis' heavyweight bout with Mike Tyson in Tennessee, with the Briton winning by knockout in the eighth round.
The Diamond Jubilee, 2012
The London Olympics was the biggest sporting event on home soil during the Queen's lifetime – bigger even than England's famous World Cup triumph of 1966 – and coincided with her Diamond Jubilee. The Games were a massive success, particularly for Great Britain, and proved one of many highlights in a remarkable sporting year. Europe produced one of the Ryder Cup's greatest ever comebacks in what is now known as 'The Miracle at Medinah', while Spain thrashed Italy 4-0 to win Euro 2012. Perhaps bigger than all that, though, was the news that Lance Armstrong had been banned from cycling for life and stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after being found to have used performance-enhancing drugs over the course of his career.
The Sapphire Jubilee, 2017
Sixty-five years is a long time, with this Jubilee making the Queen the first British monarch to hit the Sapphire milestone. Sergio Garcia's wait for a first major would have felt just as long, the Spaniard claiming victory in a sudden-death play-off with Justin Rose at the Masters in what was his 74th major. The conclusion to that tournament provided drama aplenty, yet it was nothing compared to that year's Super Bowl as the New England Patriots recovered from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in the largest comeback in the showpiece's history. It also remains the only Super Bowl to be decided in overtime.
Remco Evenepoel narrowly extended his lead at the top of the General Classification after a Stage 18 victory on the Vuelta a Espana, having been towed by rival Enric Mas.
The pair overtook Robert Gesink in the final 500 metres, with Evenepoel surging ahead of Mas to clinch the bonus seconds that led to his overall triumph looking to be a formality.
Gesink appeared to be closing in on a win that would have provided a welcome boost to his Jumbo-Visma team following the withdrawal of leader Primoz Roglic earlier this week, but was cruelly denied by Evenepoel.
With three stages remaining, the Belgian boasts a lead of two minutes and seven seconds, a maiden Grand Tour title set to go his way this weekend with sights set on Sunday's finale in Madrid.
The provisional podium ahead of the finale has Juan Ayuso Pesquera in third, sitting five minutes and 14 seconds off the lead and having a 42 second advantage over fourth-placed Miguel Angel Lopez.
Rodriguez, involved in a crash earlier in the race, was paced home by team-mate Richard Carapaz after the Ecuadorian was caught in the final climb and denied a third stage win.
Vine abandons after Pedersen crash
The battle for the polka dot jersey was blown wide open on Thursday following a crash that led runaway leader Jay Vine to retire, the Australian having taken two summit wins earlier in the race.
A big incident with 171 kilometres remaining of Stage 18 saw Mads Pedersen, with the green jersey, and podium hopeful Carlos Rodriguez also involved, but it was Vine who suffered the biggest blow.
Vine's exit elevates Richard Carapaz to the lead, the Ecuadorian also clinching two summit wins in 2022.
STAGE RESULT
1. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 4:45:17
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) +0:02
3. Robert Gesink (Jumbo-Visma) +0:02
4. Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) +0:13
5. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) +0:13
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 69:59:12
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) +2:07
3. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (UAE Team Emirates) +5:14
Points Classification
1. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 349
2. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) 149
3. Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) 133
King of the Mountains
1. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) 45
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) 25
3. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) 23
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