分类： sports

The 2025 Tour de France’s ninth stage delivered a thrilling display of endurance and tactics on Sunday, as Dutch cycling star and former world champion Mathieu van der Poel secured his third career Tour de France stage victory, overcoming extreme heat and grueling road conditions to claim the top spot on the podium. The stage, originally scheduled for a 184.6-kilometer route from Malemort to Ussel in France’s central Correze region, was cut by 30 kilometers after officials issued a red alert heat warning, bringing the total race distance down to 154.6 km. Temperatures across the stage climbed as high as 40 degrees Celsius, testing the limits of every rider in the peloton.

A fierce fight for a spot in the day’s breakaway unfolded from the opening kilometer, with dozens of riders launching attacks to get clear of the main group. It was not until the midpoint of the stage, on the steep 3.8-kilometer Suc au May climb, that an eight-man breakaway finally managed to establish a gap over the peloton. Though their lead never stretched beyond one minute 30 seconds, the breakaway group cooperated smoothly to hold off the chasing main field.

With 25 kilometers remaining on the day’s final categorized climb, the steep 900-meter Mont Bessou, van der Poel launched a decisive attack out of the breakaway. Only three riders could match his pace: Norway’s Tobias Johannessen, France’s Alex Baudin, and British standout Tom Pidcock. The leading quartet pushed hard to the finish, opening a 50-second gap over a sharply reduced peloton by the final kilometer. In a classic display of sprint tactics, the breakaway slowed in the final 1000 meters for a tense cat-and-mouse game, but when van der Poel kicked off his final sprint, his strength proved unmatchable. Johannessen crossed the line in second, with Pidcock taking third place.

The win marked a satisfying turning point for van der Poel and his Alpecin Premier Tech team. In the two days prior to stage nine, the cobbled classics specialist had put his own ambitions aside to serve as lead-out man for teammate Jasper Philipsen, who notched fourth and fifth place finishes in previous sprint stages. “The start of the Tour was not great for our team, but like always, we stayed calm,” van der Poel told reporters after the race. “We have a really nice group here and we kept believing that it would turn around… it’s really nice to go to the first rest day with a win.”

Van der Poel, a three-time winner of both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix – the sport’s most prestigious one-day cobbled classics – previously won Tour de France stages in 2021 and earlier this 2025 edition. He acknowledged the extreme challenges of Sunday’s stage, noting: “I spent a lot of energy trying to keep the break alive. There was a lot of pressure from the bunch. The roads were horrible for a breakaway with a headwind the whole day. We fought for it and I’m happy to finish it off.”

Reigning Tour champion Tadej Pogacar maintained his grip on the general classification lead, finishing in the chasing peloton just six seconds behind van der Poel ahead of Monday’s first scheduled rest day. The four-time champion holds a 2 minute 42 second lead over two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard, with Mexico’s Isaac del Toro sitting third overall, a further 45 seconds behind Vingegaard.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) made a major leadership announcement Sunday, confirming that Brendon McCullum has stepped down from his position as head coach of England’s men’s Test cricket team, while he will retain his role leading the national limited-overs white-ball squads.

The departure comes on the back of a disastrous slump in form for the red-ball side: England have dropped seven of their nine most recent Test matches under McCullum’s watch. The poor results include a lopsided 4-1 Ashes defeat during the 2025-26 tour of Australia, and a 2-1 home series loss to New Zealand just last month. Both campaigns were also marred by off-field controversy surrounding allegations of an unregulated team drinking culture.

In a statement released by the ECB, McCullum expressed his affection for the Test coaching role and pride in the squad’s shared early accomplishments. “I’ve absolutely loved coaching the Test side and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together,” he said, adding, “Of course I’m gutted not to be continuing, but I respect the decision.”

McCullum’s final match in charge of the Test team overlapped with a landmark announcement from star captain Ben Stokes, who retired from international red-ball cricket mid-series during England’s heavy defeat in the third and final Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.

McCullum’s tenure as Test coach got off to a sensational start. Alongside Stokes, he revolutionized England’s playing style with an aggressive, high-octane batting approach that delivered immediate success: the team notched 3-0 clean-sweep series wins over New Zealand and Pakistan, where they scored 500 runs in a single day of Test cricket, followed by a thrilling drawn 2-2 home Ashes series in 2023 that won global acclaim.

But cracks began to show early on. A crushing 4-1 loss in India two years after McCullum took charge exposed fundamental flaws in England’s “one-size-fits-all” aggressive strategy, when the team was unable to bat its way out of challenging pitch conditions. The writing for his tenure became clear after the disastrous Ashes tour of Australia, where the series was wrapped up in a mere 11 days of play with a lopsided England defeat.

Off-field issues compounded the poor on-field results during the recent home New Zealand series. After an opening win, captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson were dropped from the second Test for breaking a midnight curfew during a night out at a London bar, reigniting criticism of the team’s lax culture.

With less than a month to go before England’s upcoming home Test series against Pakistan, the ECB has launched a search for both a new Test head coach and a new full-time captain. ECB chief executive Richard Gould paid tribute to McCullum’s contributions in his statement, noting: “Brendon breathed new life into England men’s Test team during an exciting period which saw some amazing victories and we’re grateful for all he has given to the role.” Gould added that the board views a change in leadership as necessary to position the team for an Ashes victory on home soil in summer 2027.

Of the original Test leadership trio made up of McCullum, Stokes and managing director Rob Key, only Key remains in his post. Key has faced heavy public criticism for his role in England’s inadequate preparation for the 2025-26 Ashes tour, but he nonetheless praised McCullum’s legacy, saying the departing coach had left the red-ball program “well-set and poised to achieve great things.”

Reaction to the leadership change from former England captains has been largely mixed but broadly supportive of the ECB’s decision. Ex-skipper Nasser Hussain credited McCullum for transforming the culture of the Test side early in his tenure, but agreed that a change was overdue given the recent run of poor results. “In recent times, with the Ashes and losing seven of their last nine Test matches, and the manner of those defeats, I think it is about the right time,” Hussain told Sky Sports.

Notably, Sunday’s dismissal came just 24 hours after McCullum led England’s white-ball side to a dominant 56-run win over India in Southampton, completing a resounding 4-0 T20 series sweep over the current T20 world champions. McCullum, 44, took over the limited-overs coaching role in 2024, and says he will now turn his full attention to the white-ball program. “My focus now is on giving everything I’ve got to the white-ball teams and helping England keep moving forward,” he said.

Speculation over McCullum’s replacement has already begun, with former England coach Andy Flower emerging as a popular candidate for a second stint in the role. The Zimbabwean cricket legend led England from 2009 to 2014, oversaw three successful Ashes campaigns including England’s most recent away Ashes win in 2010-11, and is renowned for his meticulous attention to detail. Hussain backed Flower for the role, noting that the meticulous preparation Flower brings is exactly what has been missing from the current England Test set-up. “Flower took England to number one in the world, pushed his team hard, some say at times too hard, but I loved Flower’s coaching ability,” Hussain said. “Everything (was) meticulous…and that is what has been lacking in this England Test match side –- the meticulous nature of what is needed behind the scenes.”

Another former England Ashes-winning captain, Michael Vaughan, has called for far more sweeping change across the entire Test program, arguing that the current leadership has failed to get the best out of the squad’s talented player pool. “Enough is enough,” he told the *Stick to Cricket* podcast. “There is no way in a million years that this management group is maximising… and I hate using the word talent now because talent only takes you so far, and we keep saying there are a talented group of players –- well, they keep losing.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) made a major leadership announcement Sunday, confirming that Brendon McCullum has stepped down from his post as England men’s Test cricket head coach. The 44-year-old will retain his position leading England’s limited-overs white-ball national teams, a role he first took on in 2024.

McCullum’s tenure in charge of red-ball cricket got off to a sensational start when he took the helm alongside captain Ben Stokes. The pair revolutionized England’s Test cricket approach with a bold, ultra-aggressive batting philosophy that became known globally as ‘Bazball’. Early results backed up the revolutionary style: England stormed to a 3-0 clean sweep over New Zealand in McCullum’s first series in charge, followed by another dominant 3-0 victory on tour in Pakistan, where the side hit an extraordinary 500 runs in a single day of play. The 2023 home Ashes series against Australia also delivered a thrilling drawn 2-2 result that won praise worldwide for the brand of entertainment the new approach brought to the longest format of the game, with McCullum claiming 25 wins from his 44 Tests in charge overall.

But the tide began to turn sharply for McCullum and England’s Test setup two years ago, when a crushing 4-1 away defeat in India exposed critical flaws in the team’s ‘one-size-fits-all’ aggressive approach. England proved unable to batter their way out of challenging spin-friendly conditions, revealing that the revolutionary strategy had clear limits on unfriendly pitches. Those struggles intensified in recent months: England have now lost seven of their most recent nine Test matches, including a dismal 4-1 Ashes defeat on Australia’s 2025/26 tour. The series was wrapped up by Australia in just 11 days of play, effectively ending any remaining public confidence in McCullum’s leadership. Last month, a 2-1 home series loss to New Zealand compounded the poor run of results, and both the Australian and New Zealand campaigns were overshadowed by persistent allegations of an unhealthy drinking culture within the squad. Off-field controversy hit a new peak when captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson were dropped from the second Test of the New Zealand series after breaking a midnight team curfew during a night out at a London bar.

Stokes’ exit from the role followed days later. The former captain announced his full retirement from international cricket midway through the third and final Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, which ended in another heavy England defeat — that match would also prove to be McCullum’s final fixture in charge of the Test side.

In a statement released following the announcement, McCullum expressed gratitude for his time leading the Test program. “I’ve absolutely loved coaching the Test side and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together. Of course I’m gutted not to be continuing, but I respect the decision,” he said. The outgoing coach added that his full focus would now shift to defending England’s success in white-ball cricket, just one day after he led the side to a dominant 4-0 T20 series sweep over reigning T20 world champions India, a 56-run victory in Southampton. “My focus now is on giving everything I’ve got to the white-ball teams and helping England keep moving forward. I wish the Test team nothing but success. There’s a hell of a lot of talent in that dressing room and they’re a special bunch of lads,” he added.

ECB chief executive Richard Gould praised McCullum’s transformative impact on the Test program. “Brendon breathed new life into England men’s Test team during an exciting period which saw some amazing victories and we’re grateful for all he has given to the role,” Gould said. He explained that the change in leadership was made to prepare for a critical 2027 home Ashes series, where the board is targeting a tournament victory: “We now believe that the time is right to make a change for the Test team as we target victory in the Ashes in England next summer.”

With McCullum and Stokes both gone from the Test leadership setup, only England men’s cricket managing director Rob Key — who has faced heavy criticism for poor preparation ahead of the 2025/26 Australian Ashes — remains from the original leadership trio. Despite the criticism, Key offered a positive assessment of McCullum’s legacy, saying the coach had left the Test team “well-set and poised to achieve great things”.

The ECB has now launched a search for a new Test head coach and a new captain, ahead of England’s home series against Pakistan next month. Several high-profile names have already been linked to the vacant role: former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been cited as a potential candidate, while many cricket fans and analysts have called for a second tenure for former England coach Andy Flower. The Zimbabwean coaching great led England between 2009 and 2014, overseeing three successful Ashes campaigns including England’s most recent away Ashes victory in 2010/11.

Motorcycle racing legend Marc Marquez delivered a masterclass performance at the Sachsenring circuit on Sunday, claiming a commanding victory at the German MotoGP Grand Prix and etching his name deeper into the sport’s history books by equaling Giacomo Agostini’s long-standing record of 10 premier-class wins at a single venue.

The 33-year-old Spanish racer, a seven-time MotoGP world champion, entered the weekend starting from pole position and never looked threatened for the top spot throughout the 10-lap contest. He crossed the finish line with a comfortable 1.996-second gap over second-place finisher Ai Ogura of Aprilia-Trackhouse, with Ogura’s Spanish teammate Raul Fernandez rounding out the top three to complete the podium.

Marquez’s dominant weekend did not end with Sunday’s main race victory: he also took the checkered flag in Saturday’s sprint event, a result that only reinforces his widely accepted nickname as the “King of the Ring” among fans and competitors alike for his unrivaled success at the German track.

In a post-race interview, Marquez expressed his elation over the historic milestone, saying, “Super, super happy. You know, it was a special weekend. I was super concentrated because… if I want to have any chance to win the championship, I need to attack here. It’s what we did these last races. And yes, super happy to achieve 10 victories in MotoGP class here in the Sachsenring.”

The victory has reignited Marquez’s title push heading into the sport’s summer break, putting him firmly back in contention for the 2024 crown. He has now closed the points gap to just 18 points behind standings leader Jorge Martin, his fellow Spaniard who finished fifth in Sunday’s race.

The early stages of the grand prix saw a tight on-track battle between Marquez and his younger brother Alex Marquez, who started the race from second position on the grid. The fight for the lead ended abruptly after 10 laps, when Alex Marquez, riding for Ducati-Gresini, suffered a crash and slid off the track, exiting the race early.