Australia's Richie Porte knows the clock is ticking down on his cycling career but is confident he and his BMC team can deliver at least one podium spot on the 2018 Tour de France.
As lieutenant at Sky for both Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome in the past, Porte, 33 and with just a fifth placed Tour finish to his name, is hoping to get a head-start on his rivals for a result his fans believe he deserves.
"We have the horsepower to get us through the first week," said Porte in reference to the expected windswept Western France section of the Tour that starts Saturday and needs the stronger, bigger riders.
"In the team time-trial on stage three we have Stefan Kung to lead us out and we can take time off our rivals there," said Porte, who may find he or a teammate in the coveted leader's yellow jersey at that stage. If so, he intends to hold on to it.
"I don't think however that there is one, single clear favourite this year," he said.
"It was nice to see Chris Froome win the Giro, I hope he's tired now," he joked when asked about specific rivals.
"He had a strong team there and possibly has an even stronger one here," he added.
"But on the Tour de France guys like Vincenzo (Nibali) and Nairo (Quintana) are never going to give him a single easy day."
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Froome says 'huge weight' lifted after being cleared for Tour de France
UAE Team Emirates announce Tour de France line-up
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With regards to the trident of leaders at rival Spanish team Movistar Porte was unconvinced.
"You know how hard it is to run a team with two leaders, let alone three," he said of the Mikel Landa, Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde led team.
Porte would not be drawn on Froome's salbutamol case.
"Once again cycling has chosen to do its dirty laundry in public. Chris deserved better," he said.
Porte's team managers talked up their leader's chances of busting into the top three.
"We have come here with the sole aim of getting this man onto the Tour de France podium," said team Manager Jim Ochowiscz.
"We came here 100 per cent fit and 100 per cent prepared."
Porte's compatriot Simon Gerrans also appeared dedicated to the team leader.
"Richie is up there with the best," said the veteran roller who will be of great use to BMC in the first section of the Tour.
"Everything is on track for a great result."
Earlier Sky released detailed data about scientific nutrition regimes involving starvation rations and blow out calory binges in a bid to explain how four-times champion Froome prepared himself to win bike races.
Porte laughed off the data dump as 'fake news' to trick rival riders.
"I know how to eat and what to eat to get me through a Tour," said Porte when asked about Sky's micro nutrition system.
"I reckon that's fake news from them to try and trick their rivals into under fuelling."
Big picture, pages 14-15
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
More on Turkey's Syria offence
match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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%3Cp%3EThe%20Zayed%20Centre%20for%20Research%20is%20a%20partnership%20between%20Great%20Ormond%20Street%20Hospital%2C%20University%20College%20London%20and%20Great%20Ormond%20Street%20Hospital%20Children%E2%80%99s%20Charity%20and%20was%20made%20possible%20thanks%20to%20a%20generous%20%C2%A360%20million%20gift%20in%202014%20from%20Sheikha%20Fatima%20bint%20Mubarak%2C%20Chairwoman%20of%20the%20General%20Women's%20Union%2C%20President%20of%20the%20Supreme%20Council%20for%20Motherhood%20and%20Childhood%2C%20and%20Supreme%20Chairwoman%20of%20the%20Family%20Development%20Foundation.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
