UAE Team Emirates star Juan Ayuso has been forced to quit the Giro d'Italia after being stung in the eye by a bee.
Ayuso, who saw his bid for overall glory fall away in recent days, endured more rotten luck on Thursday when the bee crawled inside his glasses and stung him in the eye.
Ayuso's face quickly swelled up leaving him unable to see out of his right eye.
“Obviously this is not how I wanted my Giro to end but some things are out of my control,” said Ayuso.
“I wish the guys all the best and hope [teammate] Isaac [Del Toro] can keep pink all the way to Rome.”
Despite advice from the UAE Team Emirates doctors to sit out Thursday's Stage 18, he attempted to ride before being forced to retire on the side of the road.
“It's going to go viral but a bee went inside my helmet and I can't see in my right eye,” said Ayuso ahead of his aborted attempt to tackle the 144km route from Morbegno to Cesano Maderno.
“I don't want people to make captions of it, because I know it is going to go viral, but it is what it is.
“And I will try to, you know … the team doctor said it's best for me not to start, but I really want to try and give my best to be here for the team.
“Yesterday, I was not useful at all because I am feeling really bad. But you know, I hope I can recover for the next days. I am going to try and get past today.”
Ayuso had started the Giro with high hopes of overall victory in General Classification as he led the UAE Team Emirates challenge in the absence of star rider Tadej Pogacar.
The Spaniard, 22, was widely regarded as one of the leading contenders in what was his debut in the three-week Grand Tour race which finishes in Rome on Sunday.
That challenge has failed to materialise, however, with him suffering on the Giro's punishing climbs. He enjoyed victory on Stage 7 but suffered a knee injury two days later and has struggled ever since.
On Wednesday's Stage 17, he limped across the line in 141st place, more than 30 minutes behind, as teammate Isaac Del Toro soared to stage victory and solidified his grip on the maglia rosa.
Nico Denz then claimed an impressive victory on Thursday but Del Toro retained the pink jersey.
Denz, of Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe, was part of an 11-rider breakaway before seizing control with 11km remaining.
With just three stages to go Del Toro has a 41-second lead over Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost.
Predictions
Predicted winners for final round of games before play-offs:
- Friday: Delhi v Chennai - Chennai
- Saturday: Rajasthan v Bangalore - Bangalore
- Saturday: Hyderabad v Kolkata - Hyderabad
- Sunday: Delhi v Mumbai - Mumbai
- Sunday - Chennai v Punjab - Chennai
Final top-four (who will make play-offs): Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
Match info
Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69')
Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Mobile phone packages comparison
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Honeymoonish
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'Moonshot'
Director: Chris Winterbauer
Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse
Rating: 3/5
