Team-Visma's Dutch rider Olav Kooij won Stage 9 of the Giro d'Italia on Sunday, pipping Lidl-Trek's Jonathan Milan by half a wheel right at the finish line in a breathless sprint at the end of a 214-km ride from Avezzano to Naples.
Ineos Grenadiers' Jhonatan Narvaez looked set to win his second stage when he attacked early and sowed panic in the peloton on the final climb through the streets of Naples.
He was leading with some 150 metres to go before pink jersey holder Tadej Pogacar got involved in the lead-up to help his UAE Team Emirates colleague Juan Sebastian Molano and Narvaez was caught.
Milan was set up well by his Lidl-Trek teammate Simone Consonni but just as he was about to clinch his second stage victory, Kooij took the opportunity to steal the win from him, while Molano was third.
"This was the step I was looking for, at least the win. I was really looking forward to my first Grand Tour, and after already quite a few wins this is the one I was dreaming of. My first Grand Tour stage win but it's been a difficult and unlucky first week for our team and a hard stage today," Kooij said.
"We weren't sure to catch the breakaway riders but the team remained committed. The guys put me in an ideal position. It's been tight but I really wanted this first Grand Tour win and I hope there are many more to come.
"We knew we had to improvise a bit, especially in the last K. Normally with Christophe [Laporte] we had almost a certainty to get me in position. Today we had to not so much stick to one plan but see how the race went, how it evolved, and do what was necessary."
Pogacar retained his overall lead, two minutes 40 seconds ahead of Daniel Felipe Martinez, while Geraint Thomas is third, 18 seconds further back.
"I haven't become a lead-out man but Molano did a very good job to be at the front in the finale. He didn't get the win but third is a good result and I was happy to help a friend," Pogacar said.
"I have a comfortable advantage before the first rest day. It's nice to relax in Napoli."
Monday is a rest day and the Giro d'Italia resumes on Tuesday with Stage 10, a 142-km ride from Pompeii to Cusano Mutri.
Stage 9 results
1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike 4:44'22" 2. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek 3. Juan Sebastian Molano (Col) UAE Team Emirates 4. Alberto Dainese (Ita) Tudor 5. Danny van Poppel (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe
Overall standings
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 32:59'04" 2. Daniel Martínez (Col) Bora-Hansgrohe +2'40" 3. Geraint Thomas (GB) Ineos Grenadiers +2'58" 4. Ben O'Connor (Aus) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale +3'39" 5. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) Visma-Lease a Bike +4'02"
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Naga
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
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
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Fringe@Four Line-up
October 1 - Phil Nichol (stand-up comedy)
October 29 - Mandy Knight (stand-up comedy)
November 5 - Sinatra Raw (Fringe theatre)
November 8 - Imah Dumagay & Sundeep Fernandes (stand-up comedy)
November 13 - Gordon Southern (stand-up comedy)
November 22 - In Loyal Company (Fringe theatre)
November 29 - Peter Searles (comedy / theatre)
December 5 - Sinatra’s Christmas Under The Stars (music / dinner show)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
ICC T20 Rankings
1. India - 270 ranking points
2. England - 265 points
3. Pakistan - 261 points
4. South Africa - 253 points
5. Australia - 251 points
6. New Zealand - 250 points
7. West Indies - 240 points
8. Bangladesh - 233 points
9. Sri Lanka - 230 points
10. Afghanistan - 226 points
The biog
Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
Superpower%20
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
