Issue No. 596
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25 - 31 July 2002 Issue No. 596 Sports |
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Ferdinand goes to Man United
LEEDS agreed to sell England's centre-half Rio Ferdinand to English Premiership rival Manchester United for a record 30 million pounds ($47.3 million) last Sunday. The deal -- contingent upon Ferdinand passing a physical and agreeing to personal terms -- will once again make the 23-year-old the world's costliest defender. Last year, Juventus paid Italian rival Parma $35.4 million for France defender Lilian Thuram. Ferdinand's move will also be a British record, surpassing the 28.1 million pounds United paid Italian Serie A side Lazio for Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron last year.
The fee is the biggest deal for a transfer involving two English clubs, overtaking the 18 million pounds Leeds paid West Ham for Ferdinand -- then a world-record fee for a defender -- when it signed him for a six-year contract in November 2000.
In a statement made Sunday, Leeds Chairman Peter Ridsdale said: "The increase in Rio's valuation since his 18 million pounds transfer from West Ham clearly signals a significant return on our original investment. Everyone at Leeds wishes him the best in his future career."
Ferdinand was one of the stars of England's World Cup campaign, turning in a series of commanding displays before defeat in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Brazil.
On Saturday, at his own request, Ferdinand was omitted from the Leeds party that set-off on a 10-day pre- season tour of the Far East and Australia from Leeds/ Bradford Airport, prompting speculation that a deal was imminent.
But the move is still short of the world record transfer fee, $64.4 million -- achieved when France midfielder Zinedine Zidane joined Spanish giant Real Madrid from Italian side Juventus in 2001.
Rivaldo leaves Barcelona
BRAZIL World Cup winner Rivaldo is leaving Spanish giant Barcelona, the club revealed in a joint statement with the player last Sunday. The 1999 World Footballer of the Year and the Spanish first division side stressed the decision had been reached amicably. The 30-year-old striker leaves the Catalan outfit with one year of his contract to run.
Catalan has been linked with a move to Italian side Lazio in recent weeks, though there was no immediate word on his future following the statement Sunday. Another option is a move to Barcelona's fierce rivals, Real Madrid, although Real has publicly distanced itself from the transfer.
Breaking the news of the split on their Web site, Barcelona said: "Barcelona and Rivaldo announce that today they reached agreement which brings to an end a five year professional relationship. Both parties consider [that] the decision is in their mutual interest." It goes on to note that the talks between them were conducted in "good spirits" and ended by paying tribute to the player. "Barcelona recognises the contribution Rivaldo has made and his permanent professionalism over the years towards the club."
No terms attached to the parting were made public, but a press conference is due to be held to shed further light on the split. The exact time of the press conference has not yet been decided.
In the World Cup, Rivaldo although blasted for faking injury against Turkey, produced some of his best club form for Brazil by scoring five times as it captured the trophy.
Armstrong slams fans
AS HE closes in on a fourth straight Tour de France title, Lance Armstrong is hearing a familiar but unwelcome chant from fans lining the route. On Sunday, after another strong performance in the mountains extended his overall lead to almost 4 minutes, 30 seconds Armstrong had heard enough.
Thanks to a stunning sprint up the formidable Mont Ventoux on Sunday, Armstrong stretched his lead over Joseba Beloki in the standings to 4 minutes, 21 seconds.
The run, however, was not enough for the Texan to take the stage. Armstrong finished third, two minutes, 20 seconds 20 behind winner Richard Virenque of France, who led for the last 125 miles of the 137-mile 14th leg.
Thousands of fans turned out for the stage, but not all were on Armstrong's side. Many fans waved the US flag and banners with Armstrong's name Sunday. But they were outnumbered by those supporting the French, Belgian, Italian and German riders, among others.
Virenque is one of the riders who is most popular with French fans, even though two years ago he confessed to taking drugs when competing for the Festina team. That whole squad, including Virenque, was thrown out of the 1998 Tour when a stash of banned drugs was found in a team car.
Since he started dominating the Tour in 1999, Armstrong has heard accusations of drug use echo in his ears. He steadfastly denies using performance enhancers and has never failed a drug test. He said he could not understand the behavior of fans who jeer him.
Virenque's win was the fifth stage victory of his Tour career but the first since returning from a nine-month ban that prevented him from riding in last year's competition. He drew the ban for admitting to drug use in a trial that grew out of the Festina scandal. At the time, he said the suspension would likely end his career, but he later joined the Domo Farm Frites team, for which he still rides.
"At the foot (of the Ventoux), I didn't believe I could do it," Virenque said Sunday. "The public carried me." He clocked five hours 43 minutes and 26 seconds, in the stretch through the Languedoc and Provence regions, where temperatures soared to 95 degrees. Russia's Alexander Botcharov was second, one minute 58 seconds behind. Armstrong has not won a stage at the Ventoux in five attempts, including the 2000 Tour and three editions of the Dauphine Libere race.
"I didn't come here to win the Mont Ventoux," he said. "I came here to win the Tour de France."
There are six stages remaining in the three-week event, including three mountain stages in the Alps, but Armstrong's rivals are unlikely to reduce his big lead. Monday is a rest day.
Mont Ventoux rears up 6,309 feet from flat countryside in southeastern France. The summit is a barren landscape of white rocks with no trees or shrubs. The Ventoux is probably the toughest climb in France. In the 1967 Tour, British rider Tom Simpson suffered a fatal heart attack near the summit because of heat exhaustion and use of amphetamines. To Armstrong, however, who looked death in the face for years in a near-fatal battle with cancer, nothing is too much to overcome.
Tour's sidelines injuries
A FEMALE cyclist was injured last Sunday after being hit by a vehicle preparing the way for competitors in the Tour de France cycling race. The woman was cycling down from Mont Ventoux -- the dreaded finish line of Sunday's 14th stage of the race -- towards the southeastern town of Bedoin when a truck travelling up to the summit hit her, rescue workers said.
The victim, who suffered bruises to her face and throat, was taken to a hospital in the nearby town of Carpentras. Officials said the woman should not have been riding on the race course, and that the truck had not been moving quickly due to the steepness of the Alpine peak.
Other injuries on the route included two fans -- an adult and an 11-year-old child -- who were hit by police motorbikes from the Tour convoy in separate accidents. Both fans were trying to cross the road taken by the Tour when the accidents occurred. Last week, a seven-year-old boy was killed by a car from the Tour convoy.
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