Tadej Pogacar, Karim Benzema and Virat Kohli: 25 of the best sports images of the week

We pick out the most spectacular pictures from the last seven days

Runners and riders clear a fence during the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase on Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival in England on Wednesday March 17. PA

Scottish swimmer Ross Murdoch competes in the men's 200m breaststroke final at the British Invitation Meet at the Manchester Aquatics Centre on Sunday, March 14. Getty

UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates at the start of Stage 5 of the Tirreno-Adriatico on Sunday, March 14. EPA

Emirates Team New Zealand members celebrate after winning the American's Cup against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team at Auckland Harbour on Wednesday, March 17. Getty

Karim Benzema celebrates scoring for Real Madrid in their 3-1 Champions League last-16, seocnd-leg victory over Atalanta at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on Tuesday, March 16. The Spanish side won 4-1 on aggregate. Reuters

Finland's freediver Johanna Nordblad trains on Tuesday March 16, 2021, two days before establishing the first Official CMAS World Record of freediving under Ice with no diving suit (just a bathing suit), to perform 103 m under ice 60 cm thick, in 2'42 mn without briething. The water temperature was +3°C and the air -7°C AFP

India fielder Yuzvendra Chahal misses a chance to catch out England's Jonny Bairstow (not pictured) during the third Twenty20 international cricket match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, March 16. England won the match by eight wickets. AFP

Team Jumbo rider Slovenia's Primoz Roglic after falling during Stage 8 of the Paris-Nice race on Sunday, March 14. AFP

Netherlands Selena Piek, top right, and Netherlands Cheryl Seinen during the woman's doubles semi-final against Japan's Yuki Fukushima, bottom right, and Japan's Sayaka Hirota at the All England Open Badminton Championship at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, on Sarturday, March 20. AFP

Norway's Sebastian Schjerve competes in the men's freeski big air qualifications at the FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championship at the Buttermilk Ski Resort in Aspen, Colorado, on Monday, March 15. AFP

Members of the public watch from Cleeve Hill overlooking the Cheltenham Festival on Friday, March 19. Getty

Penrith Panthers' Viliame Kikau scores as try during the NRL match against Canterbury Bulldogs at Bankwest Stadium in Sydney on Saturday, March 20. Getty

Jackson O'Rourke competes in the men's 200m freestyle heats at the British Swimming Invitation Meet at the Manchester Aquatics Centre on Sunday, March 14. Getty

Bayern Munich's Benjamin Pavard tries to control the ball during the Bundesliga against Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena on Saturday, March 20. Bayern won the game 4-0. AP

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Burch Smith throws during the sixth inning of a MLB spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Scottdale on Tuesday, March 16. AP

Team New Zealand crew celebrates their victory in the 36th America's Cup in Auckland on Wednesday, March 17. AFP

Russia's Aslan Karatsev, left, after beating Lloyd Harris of South Africa 6-3, 6-2 to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday, March 20. Getty

Sunderland goalkeeper Lee Burge before the League One match against Accrington Stanley at the Crown Ground on Wesdnesday. March 17. Sunderland won the match 2-0. Reuters

David Wise of the United States takes a training run before the men's freeski halfpipe qualification during Day 2 the Land Rover US Grand Prix World Cup at Buttermilk Ski Resort in Aspen, Colorado, on Friday, March 19. AFP

The peloton during Stage 6 of the Tirreno-Adriatico race on Monday, March 15. AP

Billy Allington throws a right upper cut at Jamie Robinson during their Super-Lightweight fight at University of Bolton Stadium on Friday, March 19. The fight ended as a draw. Getty

Philadelphia Flyers' Oskar Lindblom scores past Semyon Varlamov of the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, New York, on Thursday, March 18. The Flyers won the NHL match 4-3. AFP

Harry Kane of scores for Tottenham Hotspur against Arseanl at the Emirates Stadium, only the goal to be ruled out for offside, on Sunday, March 14. Getty

Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong in action during her match against Pusarla VS of India in the semi-final of the All England Open Badminton Championships at Utilita Arena Birmingham on Friday, March 19. Chochuwong won the match 21-17, 21-9. PA

India captain Virat Kohli on his way to an unbeaten 80 against England in the deciding T20 international at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, on Saturday, March 20. India won the match by 36 runs and sealed the series 3-2. Reuters

Gareth Cox

The win machine that is Tadej Pogacar enjoyed another memorable week in the saddle after sealing victory in the Tirreno-Adriatico race.

Fresh from the winning the season-opening UAE Tour, the in-form UAE Team Emirates rider and reigning Tour de France champion triumphed in Italy – one minute and three seconds ahead of Belgian Wout van Aert.

READ MORE
Garbine Muguruza, Lewis Hamilton and Lionel Messi: 25 of the best sports images of the week

Along with the overall title, Pogacar also clinched the mountains classification and the award for the best young rider.

South African qualifier Lloyd Harris enjoyed a week to remember at the Dubai Dity Free Tennis Championships.

The 24-year-old clinched a sensational second-round win over top seed and reigning US Open champion Dominic Thiem.

In Saturday's final against Aslan Karatsev, Harris saw his dream run come to a crushing end as he lost 6-3, 6-2 to Russia's Aslan Karatsev

Over in football, English side Tottenham Hotspur endured a catastrophic few days of action. First, they were beaten in the Premier League by North London rivals Arsenal, then Jose Mourinho's men would follow that up by capitulating in spectacular fashion in the Europa League.

After a convincing 2-0 win the last-16 first-leg against Dinamo Zagreb, Spurs contrived to lose the return match in Croatia 3-0, a result that left Mourinho again questioning the attitude of his players.

Updated: March 21, 2021, 3:13 AM