Peter Sagan of Slovakia shown with the green points classification leader jersey after Sunday's Stage 2 of the 2016 Tour de France. Bryn Lennon / Getty Images / July 3, 2016
Peter Sagan of Slovakia shown with the green points classification leader jersey after Sunday's Stage 2 of the 2016 Tour de France. Bryn Lennon / Getty Images / July 3, 2016

Tour de France leader Peter Sagan: ‘Everybody riding like they don’t care about their life’



Peter Sagan launched a scathing attack on his fellow Tour de France riders after winning Sunday’s second stage, branding them “stupid” and accusing them of a disregard for each other’s lives.

The 26-year-old world champion, who rode himself into the race leader’s yellow jersey with his victory on the stage from Saint-Lo to Cherbourg, said the way his competitors were racing was dangerous.

“Now it’s very hard to enjoy the bike in the race because when I did my first Tour de France it was a different race,” said the Tinkoff rider from Slovakia.

“Now in the group everybody is riding like they don’t care about their life – it’s unbelievable.

More Tour de France

• Stage 2 results: Peter Sagan times attack to perfection

• In pictures: Stage 2, from Saint-Lo to Cherbourg

“Last year it was very bad and this year also it’s very bad. But this is the riders’ decision, how they want to ride.

“You never know if tomorrow you can continue the race.”

Sagan pulled no punches and said there was a lack of self-policing in the peloton compared to when he first started racing in the professional ranks six years ago.

“It’s like everybody is riding (as if they) lose the brain,” he fumed.

“There are stupid crashes in the group, it’s very dangerous. When it’s wet nobody brakes – for sure you’re going to crash.

“It’s not logical. In the group, before there was respect. When someone did something stupid, everybody throws their bottle on him or beats him with pumps.

“But now cycling has lost this. When I came in cycling in 2010, it was a little bit different.”

The four-time winner of the Tour’s green points jersey complained that too many teams and riders were trying to get involved in bunch sprints at the end of stages.

“There’s no respect in the group. People don’t care about others, they want to stay in the train behind their guys.

“In the last 50km there are seven trains in front – all the teams have one. They don’t care about the riders.

“Then, in front, there are a lot of guys don’t know how to (ride) a bike – it’s like that.

“Today I’m in yellow but maybe tomorrow I will go home, this is the Tour de France.”

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MWTC info

Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
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THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

Married Malala

Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.

The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.

Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.

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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

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MIDWAY

Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

MATCH DETAILS

Manchester United 3

Greenwood (21), Martial (33), Rashford (49)

Partizan Belgrade 0

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months