UAE Team Emirates rider Alexander Kristoff produced his second top-five finish in as many Tour de France stages on Sunday after avoiding a late crash in the peloton.
Kristoff, 31, followed up his fourth place on Saturday's opening stage with fifth on Stage 2 as world champion Peter Sagan of Bora Hansgrohe claimed the yellow jersey in a reduced sprint finish.
Overnight leader Fernando Gaviria came down in a mass high speed crash just 1.3-kilometres from the line, which Sagan and around 15 other riders, including Kristoff, avoided to set up a frantic finish.
German Marcel Kittel, who has 14 Tour stage wins under his belt, suffered a puncture just under 8km from the line and could not make it back to the front of the bunch in time.
The Slovakian edged a field of nine lined up for the final reckoning but had to deal with French specialist Arnaud Demarre and Italian Sonny Colbrelli, who came within a hair's breadth of the win with a daring last second wheel push to come second.
Germany's Andre Greipel of Lotto Soudal claimed fourth, with Kristoff narrowly behind.
“I came from a little too far back, I knew I had to move up but I didn’t really have the legs to do it," Kristoff said. "I did my best and if I was stronger I could have fought with the best, but I lack the legs at the moment to fight amongst the first three. I hope my legs become stronger later on in the tour.”
In the general classification, champion Chris Froome avoided a repeat of his first stage tumble, the Team Sky leader staying out of trouble as he goes in pursuit of a record-equalling fifth Tour title.
But another Briton, Adam Yates, was delayed by a fall and two of his Mitchelton Scott teammates were both also involved in separate falls.
However, the day belonged to Sagan, who was was thrown out of the race last year after being judged culpable of a fall that ended fellow sprinter Mark Cavendish's Tour.
"It's a great start for the fans," Sagan said. "Fernando won yesterday and now I'm the one with the yellow jersey. It's been exciting. I could see it was going to be a good year."
Ethiopian Tsgabu Grmay of Trek-Segafredo became the first rider to abandon the race, suffering with abdominal pain.
After the first two stages were catered to sprinters, Monday's third stage will be a 35km Team Time Trial as each team aims to get their general classification bids up and running.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Brief scores:
Liverpool 3
Mane 24', Shaqiri 73', 80'
Manchester United 1
Lingard 33'
Man of the Match: Fabinho (Liverpool)
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
Company%20Profile
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
