1) Peter Sagan is known for doing ludicrous things on a racing bike – look how fast he crosses the finish line here. But it’s not just his sprinting that makes him an entertaining cyclist. Here he is doing a one-handed wheelie on the 17% gradient hill on a time-trial bike on stage 13 of this year’s Tour de France. He’s managed an in-race wheelie with no-hands, too, on the Alpe d’Huez of all places, during the 2013 Tour. We’re not quite sure what he was doing here on stage 12 of this year’s Tour – he’s either showing off or passively aggressively flicking his back wheel out to tell a spectator to move. He does practise this stuff, mind. And what about this high-speed bunny hop over a central reservation to gain an advantage at the Tour of Oman? And who else would sign an autograph for a fan while climbing up the Tourmalet? Good on you, Pete.
2) Pre-season goals ahoy! Kane from the halfway line. Woof! Armani Little’s vicious free-kick against Plymouth. Oof! And how about Stevan Jovetic’s backheel for Inter? Cheeky.
3) Oliver Drake appears to alter the laws of physics with this shapeshifting pitch.
This pitch might have broken physics. pic.twitter.com/9M62Y5gzRt
— MLB (@MLB) July 21, 2019
4) It was quite a moment when Connah’s Quay Nomads beat Kilmarnock 2-0 at Rugby Park to knock them out of the Europa League. We’re not sure why Kilmarnock chose to upload the highlights, but they did, bless ‘em. There was little sympathy at Ayr United where their mascot, Pandemonium, danced giddily with a Welsh flag as Tom Jones belted out over the PA system.
5) Ireland showing England how it’s done at cricket is a not unfamiliar feeling. This Cricinfo documentary recalls the 2011 World Cup match where a Kevin O’Brien century led a second-innings run chase of 329 in Bengaluru. Catch the last few shots on Test Match Special, where a most disgruntled Geoffrey Boycott lets his feelings be known,
6) Saturday sees Ascot host the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the mid-season Group 1 race in which horses of all ages compete over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards. If this year’s seems like a more than decent renewal, then it still doesn’t compare to 1975. In the Observer‘s list of the “10 greatest horse races of all time,” the match between Grundy and Bustino was ranked number two, with Grundy, ridden by Pat Eddery just beating Joe Mercer on Bustino. The best performance of recent years was Harbinger’s destruction of a star-studded field in 2010.
Our favourites from below the line last week
1) A lap of the Monaco F circuit when it is used as a public road.
3) Bill King: “The Holy Roller”.
4) Mandela dancing in the 96 Afcon final.
Spotters badges: whobroughtoranges, GrahamClayton, Lilaitomniweotawicha, Cryogenic.
