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SPORTS SECTION E

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2018

TOUR, Page 5

Bahamas falls to Puerto Rico and Curacao By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

fter getting off to an impressive 3-0 win-loss record in the first three days of competition, Freedom Farm Baseball League suffered two consecutive losses, but they have clinched a berth into the playoffs despite having to play one more game today on the final day of competition at the Caribbean Regional Qualifying Tournament for the Little League World Series. Yesterday at the Quintin Hernandez Park in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico, the Freedom Farm team got beat 7-4 by Puerto Rico in the first game. Freedom Farm came right back and got nipped 10-9 by Curacao.

The two losses dropped the Bahamas representatives to 3-2 for fourth place. Freedom Farm, managed by Greg Burrows Jr, will play their final game at 10am today against Aruba. Aruba, now 3-1, will play their final game at 1pm against Puerto Rico’s top team that is leading the standings at 5-0. Puerto Rico also has another team playing, but they are winless at 0-5 and will complete the round robin today at 4 pm against Curacao, who is in second place at 3-1. The top four teams will clinch their berths in the playoffs scheduled for 10am Thursday between the first and fourth place teams. The second and third place teams will meet at 1pm. The two winners will

UPSET LOSSES: Young baseball players can be seen in Puerto Rico representing the Bahamas in the Caribbean Regional Qualifying Tournament for the Little League World Series. go on to play in the championship game on Friday at 1 pm.

The two losers will clash in the third place game at 10 am.

From the championship game, the winner will go on to represent the Caribbean

at the 2018 World Series all set for August 16-26 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. On the first day of the qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas nipped the Dominican Republic 3-2 on Saturday. They came back on Sunday and knocked off Puerto Rico 10-3 before they earned a 13-2 rout over the United States Virgin Islands on Monday to roll off a 3-0 record before they went on the two-game losing streak. Freedom Farm earned the rights to represent the Bahamas after they were declared the winner of the Bahamas Baseball Association’s National Championships that was played recently at the Emera Baseball Stadium in Grand Bahama.

AL wins record-setting slugfest

SEATTLE Mariners shortstop Jean Segura (2) celebrates his three-run homer in the 8th inning in the Major League Baseball All-star Game last night in Washington. The American League All-Stars won 8-6. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Devynne Charlton ends up 3rd in the 100m hurdles By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net DEVYNNE Charlton, making the adjustment from the collegiate to the professional track and field ranks, picked up a third place finish in her second meet on the international circuit yesterday at the 2018 Meeting International de Scotteville Les Roen. At the meeting in France, Charlton competed in her speciality in the women’s 100 metre hurdles where she clocked 13.05 seconds to finish behind American Erica Boguard, the winner in 12.85 and Laura Valette of France, who was third in 13.04. France’s Fanny Quenot (13.34) and Awa Sene (13.41) rounded out

the top five. Great Britain’s Jessica Hunter got sixth in 13.42, while France’s Coralie Comte was seventh in 13.44 and Hungary’s Klaudia Sorok got eighth in 13.48. Charlton, competing for Puma, was running in her second international meet since she graduated from Purdue University where she had an impressive collegiate career. She had her first appearance in Barcelona, Spain a week ago where she was successful in securing a victory. At both meets, Charlton had her parents Laura and David Charlton in the stands cheering for her. Charlton, the 22-yearold national champion, will now prepare to represent the Bahamas at the

DEVYNNE CHARLTON, of the Bahamas, picked up a third place finish in her second meet on the international circuit yesterday in France. 23rd Central American and Caribbean Games in

Barranquilla, Colombia where she will be one of

two females on the athletic team. The other is Katrina

Seymour, who will compete in the 400m hurdles. The male members of the team are Alonzo Russell (men’s 400m), Donald Thomas (men’s high jump), Jamaal Wilson (men’s high jump), Kaiwan Culmer (men’s triple jump), Ken Mullings (men’s decathlon) Andre Colebrooke (men’s 400m hurdles). Stephen Newbold, Michael Mathieu and Kendrick Thompson will be added for relay duties. The games start on Thursday and are scheduled to run through August 3. Team Bahamas will also be represented in men’s basketball, men’s softball, track and field, swimming, sailing, tennis, judo, fencing and boxing.

PAGE 2, Wednesday, July 18, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

MEMBERS of the 11-12 200m freestyle relay team.

MEMBERS of the 13-14 200m freestyle relay team.

Lyford Cay International School year ends with flurry of activity LYFORD Cay International School (LCIS) swimmers and sailors finished an eventful and exciting school year on a high note, performing admirably in a number of sporting events, including the National Swim Tournament and the Junior Olympic Regatta. LCIS’s swim club put on an outsized performance in the national swim meet held at the Betty Kelly Kenning stadium in June. The club won 12 medals, scoring 267 points and finishing in 7th place out of 13 clubs. Lyford Cay Club swimmers won nine individual and three relay medals. The team was led in the medal count by Delaney Mizell. Coming off her first CARIFTA performance in May, Mizell won medals in four events in the 13-14 year-old girls’ division: gold in the 50m freestyle, silver in the 200m individual medley, and bronze in the 200m breaststroke and 100m freestyle. She also won the Bahamas Aquatics Federation award for best swim in her division for her time of 27.84 seconds in a preliminary round of the 50m freestyle. Mizell also represented The Bahamas in the CCCAN swim meet in Aruba June 30 to July 4, helping the team achieve a 4th place overall finish in the tournament. Kendall Hennessy was the other Lyford Cay swimmer to come first in an individual event, taking gold in the girls’ 8-andunder 50m backstroke. Madison Haines took home bronze medals in the 100m butterfly, the 200m breaststroke 12 and over 800m freestyle. Micah Albert won bronze in the girls aged 9-10 50m backstroke. LCIS swimmers also won a number of medals in the relays. The team of Melissa Beukes, Issa Bournas, Alexia Zatarain and Hennessy won silver in the girls’ 8-and-under 200m medley relay. Mizell, Haines, Caterina Leam and Sascha Proffitt took the bronze in the girls aged 13-14 200m freestyle relay. Bournas, Zatarain, and Hennessy along with Sofia RousseauCox, won bronze in the girls’ 8-and-under 200m freestyle relay. Coach Mancer Roberts is impressed with the progress LCIS swimmers have made in recent years. ‘In the past two years we have seen so much growth in our team. We grew from being just another small programme to understanding what it takes to become a truly competitive swim team. The structure of the programme was adjusted to

LYFORD Cay International School students’ athletic prowess was also on full display at the Bahamas Youth Olympic Regatta, held the weekend of June 16. LCIS sailors swept the Green Fleet division with Patrick Tomlinson, Mary Jac Nash and Felix Sachs coming first, second and third. Photos: Lyford Cay International School foster a competitive environment. These changes have allowed us to see our first participant in the 2018 CARIFTA championships, Delaney Mizell, which made our swimmers realise that they can compete amongst the top swimmers in this country and region.” LCIS students’ athletic prowess was also on full display at the Bahamas Youth Olympic Regatta, held the weekend of June 16. LCIS sailors swept the Green Fleet division with Patrick Tomlinson, Mary Jac Nash and Felix Sachs coming first, second and third. David Huber also won in the Silver Fleet while Lukas Kiesselbach came third. LCIS also entered the Regatta’s youngest sailors, seven–year–olds Felipe Souza and Mara McCartney. LCIS sailors also made their mark on the world stage. Anton Gottberg, one of Lyford Cay’s more decorated sailors, a mere year removed from his international debut, represented The Bahamas in the North American Optimist Championships in Mexico June to July 1. Liza Bethel, parent of a first-year sailor, discussed her daughter’s rapid progress. “Until this year, my eight-year-old daughter had

MICAH Albert Micah Albert won bronze in the girls aged 9-10 50m backstroke.

DELANEY Mizell (also in action) won medals in the 13-14 year-old girls’ division: gold in the 50m free, silver in 200m IM, and bronze in the 200m breaststroke and 100m freestyle. not ever been on a sailboat. After a couple of months, she was competing in regattas locally. In the spring, she travelled to Freeport to compete in the Bahamas Youth Nationals. It has been a rewarding experience for her, and she has gained so much confidence and independence both on and off of the water.” Founded in 1962, LCIS is a fully accredited

international day school located in western New Providence offering the International Baccalaureate curriculum to students aged 18 months to 18 years. LCIS students move on to top colleges and universities around the world, with over 95 per cent of students accepted to their firstchoice school. Visit: www. lcis.bs for more information or to apply.

SAILING Coach Keir Clarke.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, July 18, 2018, PAGE 3

PETER BOWE TO BE HONOURED IN 1ST ANNUAL WHIST PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

INSTRUCTORS and students at the wrestling clinic.

Groups team up to teach wrestling DOZENS of young athletes got an introduction to the sport of wrestling through a summer clinic offered by Miami’s Inner City Wrestling Club (ICW) in association with the Bahamas Amateur Wrestling Federation (BAWF). Coach Wilbert Johnson, ICW programme manager, led a team of coaches and other volunteers to Nassau, where they gave lessons in core wrestling skills. Instructors included Earl Hall, a four-time Florida wrestling champion and former wrestler for Iowa State University, Dr Joey Miller, a college female champion and Mervin Ford, a USA Wrestling official. “Our children were fortunate to have quality instructors to introduce them to the sport,” said Clarence Rolle, president

of the BAWF. “Some of them already had general knowledge of wrestling, and the clinic enhanced their skills. “But whether they were beginners or a bit more advanced, everyone came away with a greater love and appreciation for what wrestling is. The BAWF is going to build on the momentum.” Rolle said ICW has a grand vision of steering at-risk children towards positive involvement in sports. He said ICW’s motto of keeping children “On the Mats and Off the Streets,” perfectly aligns with the goals of the BAWF and its partners. The camp was also facilitated through the cooperation of the Ministry of Youth & Sports and the Bahamas Judo Federation.

YOUNGSTERS perform a wrestling drill.

PETER Bowe, the Bahamas’ oldest and longest player alive, will be honoured over the weekend of July 21-22 when the Bahamas 1st annual Whist Players Championship takes place at St Joseph’s Parish Hall on Boyd Road. Bowe, whom his peers believe should be in the Guinness Book of World Records for having played for about 70 years, is listed in his 90s. The players will honour him during the tournament that is being organised by Herbert Styles Sr and Brian Higgs, two long-time players of the game as well. “We really believe that he should be in the Guinness Book of Records,” Styles Sr said. “I don’t believe that there is any player in the world, who would have played in whist tournaments as long as Peter Bowe has. We are happy to honour him for his many years of participation during the tournament.” Styles Sr said it’s their hope to make the tournament an annual one. The tournament will run from 3-8 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. A total of 30 games are expected to be played each night with a break at the half-point when organisers will present recipients a number of prizes, including watches, dinners for two, cases of beers, wine and champagne. The entry fee for the tournament is $50 per team of two persons. Interested persons are urged to contact 324-0138, 556-8046 or 468-9187 for further details and to register their teams before the tournament starts.

BUD FIFA WINNER BULLARD RETURNS HOME AFTER TRIP OF A LIFETIME FRESH from his trip to the FIFA World Cup in Moscow, Russia, Anthony Bullard is back on home soil and sharing his incredible journey with the media. “It truly was a trip of a lifetime” gushed Bullard, “there’s no better way to describe it. The entire trip was an amazing experience from start to finish. I have so many incredible memories that I know will last a lifetime and I’m so happy to have been lucky enough to win”. Ahead of this year’s World Cup games, Budweiser Beer in partnership with the Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Company Ltd., launched a promotion giving one lucky soccer enthusiast the opportunity to see one of the most anticipated international soccer showdowns of the FIFA World Cup 2018 – Serbia vs Brazil. As the official distributor of Budweiser Beer in The Bahamas, the team at the Bahamian Brewery was excited to offer local soccer fans a front row seat at the games. “I was pleasantly surprised to see how many of our customers follow the World Cup,” explained BBB sales supervisor, Damien Humes. “At the Bahamian Brewery we all about giving our customers great products and even greater experiences

and this promotion was no different.” This year’s FIFA World Cup was held in Russia, attracting millions of fans from across the globe, with 32 countries participating including team debuts by Iceland and Panama. Bullard, an avid soccer fan, and his wife, won an all-expense paid trip to watch the action unfold live at the Otkritie Arena, in Russia along with sports commentator Renaldo Dorsett, of 10th Year Seniors, accompanied by BBB and Budweiser reps. “I’ve had the chance to travel to major sporting events before,” noted Dorsett, a well-known influencer, “but I can say definitively that there is nothing quite like the excitement generated at the World Cup Games live.” Renaldo, who was handpicked to help promote the FIFA experience to local soccer fans, travelled with the Budweiser and Bahamian Brewery team for the first time, has also been making the media rounds, appearing as a guest on Guardian Radio talk show Morning Blend with host Dwight Strachan. Upon his return ‘Bud Winner Bullard’ got the opportunity to share his experiences with ‘Our TV’ Entertainment News hostess Nikki Jae.

ANTHONY Bullard was randomly selected from scores of entries into the Budweiser FIFA World Cup Promotion launched by the Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Company Ltd. He won an all-expense paid trip to Moscow Russia to experience the 2018 World Cup Soccer Series.

FRESH off their trip to the World Cup 2018 matchup between Serbia and Brazil, sports commentator Renaldo Dorsett (far left) and Bud winner Anthony Bullard chat it up with Our TV Entertainment News correspondent Nikki Jae (centre). Photos courtesy of Ronnie Archer for Barefoot Marketing

BAHAMIAN Brewery & Beverage Company sales supervisor Damien Humes is pictured along with Our News Entertainment Host Nikki Jae as they discuss upcoming Bud promotions.

SPORTS commentator and social media influencer Renaldo Dorsett appeared as the featured guest on Guardian Radio Talk Show ‘Morning Blend’ with Host Dwight Strachan.

The segment which aired on local news Thursday night will also be featured on international social media pages to share with Budweiser Fans, the experience of all the FIFA Bud winners from The Bahamas and the Caribbean. Grand Bahamas’ “Truly

natural malt drink, sold via Asa H Pritchard Distributors as well as STRONG BACK, SANDS LIGHT, HIGH ROCK AND BUSH CRACK. Bahamian Brewery and Beverage team currently employs just over 80 staff and recently expanded its operation into

Bahamian” brewery opened in 2007 with the launch of its first beer SANDS. The 20-acre brewery is located on the intersection on Queen’s Highway and Grand Bahama Way and is 100 per cent Bahamian owned. The brewery also produces “Triple B”, a

Nassau, opening a capitalbased distribution centre at Kelly’s Liquor Store on Wulff Rd. All Bahamian Brewery & Beverage products are also available at Bristol Wines & Spirits locations, Simms Brothers and your truly Bahamian outlets.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, July 18, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

1952 MICKEY MANTLE GOES ON DISPLAY By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Sports Writer

THE “Holy Grail” of baseball cards, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle that is valued at more than $10 million, is put on display as part of baseball memorabilia exhibit at the Colorado History Museum Monday in Denver. The pristine card, one of three known to still be in existence, is owned by Denver lawyer Marshall Fogell. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

DENVER (AP) — The “Holy Grail” of baseball cards, a pristine 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle valued at several million dollars, was delivered to the History Colorado Center on Monday via armoured truck for a 72-hour public display. “I want the community to enjoy looking at the card,” said its owner, retired lawyer Marshall Fogel of Denver. “It’s the finest card ever made, and it just happens to be my favourite player, Mickey Mantle.” The cardboard treasure was transported from a bank’s safe deposit vault and placed in a secure case that once housed Thomas Jefferson’s Bible, with UV-lens protection and temperature/humidity control. The card, which Fogel said was insured for $12 million “and is probably worth more than that,” is being displayed in the lobby of the museum where its current exhibition, “Play Ball!” features Fogel’s collection of classic baseball artifacts. Mike Fruitman, a sports card expert in Aurora, Colorado, said Fogel’s ‘52 Mantle card is at least on par with the 1909 Honus Wagner T206 card whose rarity is attributed to Wagner’s supposed disapproval of the card being sold along with tobacco.

One reason Mantle’s 1952 card is so rare is that so many of them were returned along with other unsold cards by retailers making room for the 1953 cards. The returned ‘52 cards were subsequently sunk from a barge in the Hudson River. Fogel’s card is a gem mint PSA 10, one of only three ‘52 Mantle cards in existence with this rating. Of the three, Fogel’s card is the only “perfect 10,” what’s known in the collecting world as an A-plus. The other two are As. “So, yes it’s the Holy Grail of sports cards,” Fruitman said. “Mickey Mantle was exceedingly more popular than Wagner. But each has a romantic backstory about them.” Fogel also owns the original photo that was used to make the Wagner T206 card. Like so many others, Fogel caught the collecting bug in the late 1980s, but he focused on high-end, one-of-a-kind pieces that he sometimes displays at Yankee Stadium. In addition to amassing one of the most valuable baseball memorabilia collections in the world, he also has boxing artifacts and a collection of original historic photographs. “I always liked boxing. I used to box as a kid. My dad used to take me to the fights as a kid. So, I have Jack Dempsey’s gloves, Sugar

Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali. I have Patrick Roy’s Stanley Cup jersey, John Elway’s uniform. “I have my photo collection, I collect ‘Wizard of Oz,’ Marylin Monroe. I have one of the original photos of Iwo Jima, the flag raising. “But I mainly concentrate on our national game, which is really the fiber of our culture. Everybody loves baseball.” He showed an Associated Press reporter at his home a Babe Ruth-signed baseball, a rare Ty Cobb-signed ball, Lou Gehrig’s last signed bat and a ball signed by all the game’s greats who toured Japan in 1934. The Mantle card is kept in a bank’s safe deposit vault in Denver, and Fogel said he takes it out about once a year to admire it. “I’d go to the bank for other reasons and I’d take it out and pinch myself,” he said. “Oh, I enjoy it. I have his uniform that used to be in his restaurant across from Central Park in Manhattan. It’s on display here,” Fogel said. “More than seeing this card in my hand, but I have to admit — now, don’t tell anybody — but I put Mantle’s uniform on.” The last time Fogel displayed his Mickey Mantle card in public was at a sports memorabilia convention more than two decades ago.

Fogel paid $120,000 for the card in 1996 and he figures it’s now worth 100 times that. “People said I was stupid to buy it,” Fogel told the AP. “Now, I’m wisely eccentric.” Unlike the “Play Ball!” exhibit, which is running through the baseball season, the Mantle card will only be on display for the All-Star break. Jason Hanson, the museum’s chief creative officer and lead curator of the exhibit, said there are many reasons for that but primarily because no one wants the brilliant colours from the 66-yearold baseball card to fade under the lights. It will head back into Fogel’s safe deposit box midweek. Fogel said he’s no longer looking to buy any baseball memorabilia. “I’m very satisfied with what I possess,” he said. “There’s got to be a point where you enjoy what you have.” And he’s enjoying the Mantle card most of all, he said. Fogel, who is in his 70s, wouldn’t say whether the card’s ultimate destination was another auction or whether he’d bequeath it to his children someday. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll tell you what, I’m going to take it to heaven with me. It’s going to be laid across my chest in my casket.”

HOMETOWN HERO HARPER WINS THRILLING HR DERBY OVER SCHWARBER By DAVID GINSBURG AP Sports Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The ball cleared the centre field wall, and the sellout crowd roared. Bryce Harper threw his bat in the air, thrust both index fingers skyward and yelled with delight as a shower of streamers rained upon the crowd of 43,698. It could have been a scene from a playoff game. That it was merely the AllStar Home Run Derby mattered not to Harper or the Washington Nationals fans, who were thrilled to see their hometown hero deliver the night’s final longball Monday. In the midst of it all — and in the middle of trying season — Harper grabbed the microphone and said: “This crowd: Wow! Washington Nationals, baby!” With an exceptional display of power and clutch hitting, Harper rallied in

the final round, connecting on pitches from his father to beat Kyle Schwarber of the Chicago Cubs 19-18. Harper hit the contestwinning blast in extra time, the reward for hitting two homers at least 440 feet during the 4 minutes of regulation. After he connected with the game winner, the Nationals star immediately went into celebration mode. “We have some of the best fans in all of baseball, and to be able to that with my family out there, that’s an incredible moment, not only for me but for the organisation and the Nationals fans,” Harper said. Harper’s teammate, Max Scherzer, the NL starter on Tuesday night, also appreciated the moment. “It’s awesome. Hometown,” Scherzer said. “The crowd is behind him. He found some rhythm, kept it simple and just continued to hit home run after home run.”

Wearing a headband that resembled the District of Columbia flag and displaying a right sleeve with stars and stripes, Harper trailed 18-9 with 1:20 left before rallying. He homered on nine of his last 10 swings before entering extra time. The six-time All-Star arranged to have his dad, Ron, pitch to him in the annual contest on the eve of the All-Star Game. That made the victory even sweeter. “I’m only as good as my BP guy,” Harper said with a grin. Hours before the session, Harper spoke excitedly about having his dad pitch to him in the contest. The 25-year-old said his father “worked his tail off every single day to provide for me and my family” and “now being able to have him throw to me in a big league ballpark is the cherry on top.” Afterward, Ron Harper said of his son: “He did great. So I’m really proud of him. He’s a great kid. You couldn’t ask for anything better.” It’s been a tough year for Harper, who’s hitting only .214 for the disappointing Nationals. He won a contest that many sluggers avoid, fearful it might wear them out and throw them off. He can only hope this helps him get back into the swing. The 2015 NL MVP beat Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves and Max Muncy of the Dodgers before trumping the fifthseeded Schwarber, who put the pressure on with a solid outing before Harper stepped to the plate. “As soon as I got done with that round I told myself that (Harper) had it,” Schwarber said. “I knew that he had the home crowd behind him.” Harper, who has 23 home runs this season, advanced to the final with an astonishing spree of longball hitting. He trailed Max Muncy of the Dodgers 12-4 with 2:20 left, then peeled off six homers in 47 seconds before calling a timeout. Harper returned to hit three more home runs in 22 seconds, the last of them inside the right-field foul pole. The semi-final matchup between Schwarber and Philadelphia’s Rhys Hoskins went down to the final swing. After stunning top-seed Jesus Aguilar of Milwaukee in the opening round, the eighth-seeded Hoskins ripped 20 long balls to put the pressure on Schwarber.

WASHINGTON Nationals Bryce Harper (34) reacts to his winning hit Monday during the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Using a late surge, Schwarber pulled one ball after another over the right field wall to squeeze out a 21-20 victory — by far the highest-scoring matchup of the night. The fans dutifully cheered most home runs during the first round, but they saved their loudest cheers for Harper, the last player to step to the plate. After Freeman hit 12 home runs over the 4-minute span, Harper unleashed six shots of at least 440 feet and secured the victory with a drive to centre long before the clock expired. As the ball cleared the wall, the left-handed hitting Harper walked out of the batter’s box and thrust both arms in the air. Milwaukee’s Aguilar, the NL home run leader at the break, was eliminated in the opening round by Hoskins 17-12. Aguilar hit too many balls to straightaway centre, where the wall stands over 400 feet from the plate. Hoskins pumped most of his drives into the left-field seats, where it’s 336 feet down the line. The most thrilling firstround match featured a near buzzer-beater by Houston’s Alex Bregman, who fell to Schwarber 16-15. The difference was the pair of homers that Schwarber hit during 30 seconds of extra time. Bregman — the lone AL representative — appeared defeated with a minute left, but he mounted a late surge and lost when his final swing produced a drive that landed at the base of the centre-field wall.

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Wednesday, July 18, 2018, PAGE 5

STAGE winner France’s Julian Alaphilippe (inset) rides breakaway yesterday during the 10th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 158.8 kilometres (98.7 miles) with start in Annecy and finish in Le Grand-Bornand, France. AP Photos/Peter Dejong)

ALAPHILIPPE KEEPS FRANCE CELEBRATING WITH TOUR STAGE WIN By CIARAN FAHEY Associated Press LE GRAND-BORNAND, France (AP) — France has a new cycling star. Two days after the country’s soccer players won the World Cup, Julian Alaphilippe became the first French winner of a stage at this year’s Tour de France yesterday. Fueled by previous disappointments and thoughts of his ill father watching

on TV, Alaphilippe timed his break perfectly and powered to victory on the first day in the mountains, crossing the line alone, and finishing well ahead of his rivals for his first Tour win. “I imagined winning it because it was a huge objective for me, but to win it like that, all alone ...,” Alaphilippe said. “I don’t know how many kilometres I was alone phew, it was a bit risky but I tried to up the pace and I really profited.”

He finished 1 minute, 34 seconds ahead of Jon Izagirre Insausti, 1:40 ahead of Rein Taaramae, and 1:44 in front of overall leader Greg Van Avermaet. Taaramae was leading when Alaphilippe attacked going up the categoryone Col de Romme, and the Estonian rider was unable to find a response. Alaphilippe increased his lead over the Col de la Colombiere before zooming down the final finish. “I was really happy that the

last kilometre was downhill,” Alaphilippe joked after giving the Quick Step team its third win from 10 stages. “A rare and special moment.” The 26-year-old Alaphilippe pounded his chest and lifted his arms to celebrate as he crossed the line, and struggled to hold back his tears afterward. The French rider, who previously won the Walloon Arrow one-day classic in Belgium in April and the 2016 Tour of California,

had had plenty of disappointments over the years. He missed the 2017 Tour de France due to injury, and has endured narrow defeats to Peter Sagan. “I’ve had plenty of frustrations. But they are things that make you stronger. The emotion I had today was not because of the frustrations but because of the pain. Because I really wanted this victory,” Alaphilippe said. “I thought a lot of my family, of my dad who’s

not well who was watching on the TV. It cracked me up because I knew he was watching. Yep, there were a lot of emotions.” Asked if he expects to keep the red polka dot jersey given to the so-called King of the Mountains, Alaphilippe replied, “I don’t think so. It’s a long way to Paris but I’m really happy to have this one for a minimum of one day.” The second of three Alpine stages takes place today.

VAN AVERMAET EXTENDS TOUR LEAD AS SKY BIDES ITS TIME By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press LE GRAND-BORNAND, France (AP) — Facing the climbing prowess of Chris Froome’s Team Sky, Greg Van Avermaet expected to lose his lead of the Tour de France on the first day in the mountains. Instead, the Olympic champion managed to strengthen his hold on the yellow jersey when an anticipated attack never came on Tuesday’s Stage 10. Van Avermaet escaped in an early breakaway and held on when he was left all alone to struggle up the final of four Alpine passes. Once over the Col de la Colombiere, he glided down to the finish to remain leader for a seventh straight

day. “I was waiting for directions from Sky to see what they wanted. (But) the moment I went nobody reacted,” Van Avermaet said. “It was the only way to keep the jersey and I’m very happy with my stage.” The prize was boosting his 43-second lead over Froome’s teammate, Geraint Thomas, to an advantage of 2 minutes, 22 seconds. Defending champion Froome was left sixth overall at 3:21 behind. Julian Alaphilippe, a French rider for Quick-Step, won the 158.5-kilometre (98.5-mile) ride from Lake Annecy that included four major climbs before a descent to Le Grand-Bornand in 4 1/2 hours. Van Avermaet’s prediction that Sky would topple

him from the general classification was not ill-founded. The Belgian is excellent in rolling terrain and singleday classics but not a top climber. He was also riding without his BMC team’s best climber and leader, Richie Porte, who broke a collarbone on Sunday. Precedent also pointed to a move by Sky. On the four Tours Froome has won, he has worn the yellow jersey after the first mountain stage. It appears Sky was biding its time. “It was some steep climbs and we were really expecting it to pick up somewhere (...) but it never really materialized,” Thomas said. “With two big days to come everyone was probably saving it.”

BELGIUM’s Greg van Avermaet, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, is followed by Spain’s Jon Izaguirre Insausti as they clim Col de la Croix Fry pass during the tenth stage yesterday.

THE PACK rides during the 10th stage of the Tour de France cycling race yesterday. (AP Photos/Peter Dejong)

Or as Froome put it, “No one really showed all their cards today. “Everyone played it a little conservatively maybe thinking about the next two days to come, which are going to be hard as well. From our side, I can just be happy with how the team rode and we had the numbers up front which was the main thing.” Up next on Wednesday’s Stage 11 is a 108.5-kilometre (67-mile) leg from Albertville to the top of the La Rosiere summit. That will be followed by Stage 12’s ascent of the legendary Alpe d’Huez. Given the difficulty of those stages, Van Avermaet said he had no illusions of fending off Sky again. “I give myself zero chance for tomorrow,” Van Avermaet said. Alejandro Valverde of Movistar moved into third overall at 3:10 off the pace. Jakob Fuglsang of Astana was next at 3:12. Among other title candidates, Adam Yates and Mikel Landa were on the same time as Froome, Vincenzo

Nibali was ninth (3:27), Tom Dumoulin was 11th at 3:42, Romain Bardet was 14th at 4:11, and Nairo Quintana was 16th at 4:29. Alaphilippe attacked on the third climb of the leg and finished more than a minute ahead of Jon Izaguirre in second. Froome was momentarily slowed down by mechanical mishaps on a gravel path atop the second climb up the beyond-category Montee du Plateau des Glieres, the first use of a dirt road by the Tour since 1987. “I had a puncture on the dirt section and got a spare wheel from a teammate only to find out it was actually flat as well” Froome said. “It was a little bit of a comedy of errors going on there. But it was still far from the finish of the race so it wasn’t too crazy and I was able to get back in.” Earlier, Dutch rider Annemiek Van Vleuten won the women’s La Course for a second year in a row. The single-day race included most of the men’s route.

RoAM SECT THE TRIBUNE SEnd Solution next Saturday. SPAM 1 12 21 23 24 4 7 23 Difficulty: 9/10 Target: 29 mins STEw Clue: Run away royal in a messy scrape. SwAn 24 18 25 7 tHinKinG spaCe TIME ToSS 26 18 21 11 23 FOR YOuR CHANCE TO WIN £1 The Sunshine Puzzle has TREE been a firm favourite with readers of the Express for many FOR YOuR CHANCE TO WIN £100 CASH read down The Sunshine Puzzle has been a firm favourite with readers of the the Express for many years. All you need to do is find correct home for the listed words. We have ACRoSS ZInC 3 15 26 years. 17 All you 24 need to do is find the correcthelped homeyou for listed bythe placing two.words. Here areWe the have words that go into the grid: 1 Boss upset by Conservativ ACRoSS 1 2 ABoLISH tale of woe (3,5) helped you by placing two. Here are the words that go into the grid: 1 Boss upset by Conservative’s EAR AnAEMIA 11 4 7 19® 3 24 14 5 Attack involving fool with tale of woe (3,5) MAn BEELInE trouble (6) EAR CASE 5 Attack involving fool with ELECToR 10 Question – one about king, 6 21 8 MAn 5 ® 20 10 fast to Alphapuzzle tests your logic and word IdES bad, with the man GondoLA trouble (6) 2 PARKER JUDGE CARPE start (5,3,3,4) Each represents a MEAL ILLnESS DIEM 10 Question – one about king, 11 21power. 18CASE 8 14grid23number 9 11 It’s accommodating new letter. Every letter of the alphabet istoday’s full solution: nUTS PREvEnT IdES bad, with the man fast tosupporter’s children (7) 4 14 11 used. Use the given letter or letters — RoAM SPRInGS 0907 181 2566 21 24MEAL11 20 start (5,3,3,4) 12 Cheese company, 11 originally below the main grid — to start. For up to six extra letterSECT THERMAL clues: tiny, introduced to woman 11 It’s accommodating new 4 18 nUTS vICTIMS 13 Not blocked, it’s just 0907 181 2567 SEnd 25 20 4 1Solution 26 14next 17 Saturday. supporter’s children (7) RoAM EXonERATE adequate (8) (Deduct two minutes for each clueSPAM letter heard) 7 23 Difficulty: 9/10 Target: 29 mins 12 Cheese company, originally 15 Sing unknown poem lustily PRIME TIME for six extra letter clues STEw direct to your 3 7 SECT 14 Clue: Run away royal14 in a alternatively, messy scrape. tiny, introduced to woman 13 first(7) (5) SwAn SLAnTwAyS mobile, text DSXALPHA to 84901. texts cost £1 5 7 SEnd tHinKinG spaCe 18 Drink taken by ringleader 13 solution Not blocked, it’s just For today’s call: 0907 181 2584 plus normal network operator rate. TIME THEREfoRE initiallyaccess tense and vigilant ( 6 7 8 9 SPAM 10 11 12 13 17 *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone network charge. adequate (8) company’s *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone ToSS noTwITHSTAndInG 20 Beginning again, nine grew N company’s network access charge. TREE 15 Sing unknown poem lustily at SEPTUAGEnARIAnS STEw 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 wildly (8) LASTfirst SATURdAy’S SoLUTIon ZInC STAMP CoLLECTInG (5) 23 By the sound 18 of it, regret g SwAn M 7 24 ACRoSS Postage, Sorrier, Overt, Premieres, Old school, Indie, involving fruit (7) SynCHRonISATIon •The Express Bookshop stocks a wide selectionABoLISH of puzzle books 18Aloha, DrinkMeans takentest, by Parts, ringleader tion: TIME Groceries, Giant, Sensation, Overreach, across all crossword puzzle genres. To obtain our up to date list 25 Strait-laced upstart with th AnAEMIA initially tense and vigilant (5) 24 14 please visit www.expressbookshop.com, call 01872 562310 or Idler, Essence, Digital. down Prolong, Speed, Autocue, Euphonium, French plant (7) Recipe, Stimuli, Straw, Emit, Fur, Buy, Beer, write to Express Bookshop, PO Box 200, Falmouth ToSS BEELInE TR11 4WJ. 20 Beginning nineStaunched, grew 26 The SureApprove, Thing Please enclose an SAE for return. ooked, Embezzle. Steel, Railing, Irradiate, Respect,again, Odourless, 23(8,7) 24 ELECToR TREE 20 27Inlet. Go back for profit (6) wildly (8) Tendril, Snare, MARVIN trot, Empower, Side, Shivers, Dent, Bramble, Alphapuzzle® ©2018 Acorn Editorial Ltd. All words Also-ran, Skating, GondoLA appear in 28 Full back, put off, letting in ZInC que. 23 By the sound of it, regret gibe Chambers Dictionary. ILLnESS goal (8) 4 BLONDIE 23 9 involving fruit (7) ABoLISH PREvEnT today’s full solution: THE DAILY EXPRESS 30-SECOND CHALLENGE ® IN THE SUNDAy EXPrESS EvEry ‘EXTrA TOUGH’ ULTrA ALPHAPUZZLE WEEk? 25 Strait-laced upstart withdown the 26 AnAEMIA SPRInGS 0907 181 2566 TodAy’S AnSwERS: BEGINNER = 5; INTERMEDIATE = 154; ADVANCED = 36. 1 20 1 Shiny disc from the Kent a French plant (7) THERMAL For up to six extra letter clues: BEELInE – one of five (6) 26 The Sure Thing (8,7) vICTIMS 0907 181 2567 6 14 17 ELECToR for documents f 27 Go back for profit (6) 2 Container EXonERATE (Deduct two minutes for each clue letter heard) short lawsuit (9) GondoLA 27 PRIME TIME 28 Full back, put off, letting in alternatively, for six extra letter clues direct to your 4 14 3 Volunteers with monarch’s Fill the grid so that mensateaser: WIN Delicious Series Two ongoal DVD Can you findmobile, 20 orILLnESS more SLAnTwAyS text DSXALPHA to 84901. texts cost £1 receipts (7) (8) every column, row, and ForSeries today’s solution 181 2584 words containing only thenetwork five With Two just drawn to a closecall: on Sky 0907 One, Delicious starring Dawn 4 Rodents circling fellow’sCal plus normal operator rate. THEREfoRE 3x3 square includes all TO ENTER: PREvEnT 12 13 *Callsand cost Emilia 80p perFox minute your telephone company’s network access charge. floating structures (5) the digits from 1 to 9. letters shown*Calls on the left? French hasplus proved a delectable treat. Now available on DVD cost 80p per minute plus your telephone noTwITHSTAndInG down DXCRUS N each word must SPRInGS Level: moderate 6 First of clouds in the follow sky includenetwork the or to purchase from www.acorndvd.com, you can enter to win a copy today. company’s access charge. 25 26 Target: SEPTUAGEnARIAnS 24 mins 1 Shiny disc from the Kentsurprisingly area 84915. patchyCalls (7) co LAST SATURdAy’S SoLUTIon letter in the centre,THERMAL in this STAMP CoLLECTInG Take the online Mensa workout at www.mensa.org.uk or apply for a supervised IQ test in your area, M 7 A portion given separately – one of hyphenated five Texts cost £1.5 case t, and must contain at ACRoSS Postage, Sorrier, Overt, Premieres, Old school, Indie,(6) email bookatest@mensa.org.uk or telephone 01902 772771. Mensa does not accept yesterDay’s solution vICTIMS SynCHRonISATIon •The Express Bookshop stocks a wide selection of puzzle books 8 Pleasant, similar least four letters, there is puzzle genres. To obtain our up to date list words, and uses Giant, the OxfordAloha, Dictionary of English (Second EditionSensation, Revised) as its official reference. 2 Container for documents for Groceries, Means test, Parts, Overreach, tonight.to expert Or se acrossbut all crossword 9 Saint having egg on fish (8 EXonERATE please visit www.expressbookshop.com, call 01872 562310 or no limit on the number of Idler, Essence, Digital. down Prolong, Speed, Autocue, Euphonium, short lawsuit (9) posting hen’s it to: Cru ur, Buy, Beer, write to Express Bookshop, PO Box 200, Falmouth TR11 4WJ. 14 Bad Brit breaking firs times you can use enclose aPRIME letteraninSAETIME Please for return. Steel, Railing, Irradiate, Respect, Odourless, 3Staunched, Approve, Volunteers with monarch’s water container (8) 9BT. Entries mu any word. your list should HAGAR THE HORRIBLE Which word can beTendril, placed ent, Bramble, Alphapuzzle® Also-ran, Skating, Snare, Inlet. 16 Man with a202 small quantity SLAnTwAyS receipts (7) ©2018 Acorn Editorial Ltd. All words appear in TIGER 3390. For include a bad-tempered finally tried and Chambers Dictionary. before HEAVY, COPY, 4 Rodents circling fellow’scondemned eight-letter word. THEREfoRE ● (9) Theofwinner HOW many words *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge. floating structures (5) END, DRAWER, THE DAILY EXPRESS 30-SECOND CHALLENGE ® noTwITHSTAndInG words • Good: 25 words 17 The French supporter routes th LPHAPUZZLE IN THE SUNDAy EXPrESS EvEry WEEk? four letters or moreafter canright 6 First of clouds in theyou skyabout TodAy’S AnSwERS: BEGINNER = 5; INTERMEDIATE = 154; ADVANCED = 36. party with dog (8) C ds • Incredible: 33 words SECRET and DOG? SEPTUAGEnARIAnS make from the NEED HELP? 19 Mode of transport used wit surprisingly patchy (7) LAST SATURdAy’S SoLUTIon For extra clues call: letters shown ded, bobbed, bode, boded, bombed, Calls cost STAMP CoLLECTInG ● The Express Bookshop stocks hesitation – here? coach (7)£1.50 deeded, deem, deemed, demo, demob, 7 A portion given separately (5) 0901 322 5603 numerous books of Sorrier, Sudoku In making a word, ACRoSS Postage, Overt, Premieres, Old school, Indie, 21 Shrill sound fromeach the Frenc domed, doom, doomed, ebbed, eddo, puzzles (from £5.99) and the SynCHRonISATIon SMALL CROSSWORD SATURDAY *Calls cost 75p plus your telephone company’s network access charge. NAME Pleasant, similar to expert (8) letter may begame used(7) once Infinite Sudoku CD Rom (£9.99). AnswerOverreach, for Teaser 24/02/18:8 Theory. bed, mode, modem, mood, mooed. after card Aloha, Means test, Parts, Sensation, ForFill today’s fullGroceries, solution Giant, To order, please call Each must 9 Saint having egg on only. fish (8) 22 Occupation of contain European in the grid so that WIN Delicious Series Two on DVD 01872 mensateaser: 562310 or order online ADDRESS * ** your chance to win, call: 0907 181 2723 or text DXMENSA to 84902 Idler, Essence, Digital. down Prolong, For Speed, Autocue, Euphonium, 0907 181 call: every column, row, and2575 at www.expressbookshop.com. the centre letter vehicle with theand queen (6) 14 charge BadandBrit hen’s first BED *Calls cost 80p One, per minute plus your telephone last 2.5breaking minutes. *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your includes telephone company’s e is free. With Series Two just drawn to a close on Sky Delicious starringcompany’s Dawn network access 3x3 square all network access charge. UK delivery 24 For a French there must be atfemale, least it’s no Railing, Irradiate, Respect, Odourless, Staunched, Approve, **Text cost £2 plus your usual network rate. Lines close at midnight on Friday, March 9. For full T&Cs see water container (8) the digits from 1 toSteel, 9. French and Emilia Fox has proved a delectable treat. Now available on DVD suitable (5) word. No one nine-letter www.express.co.uk/campaigns/terms/7. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390. By responding to promotions, offers Level: moderate Also-ran, Skating, Tendril, Snare, Inlet. 16 and/or Man a small or to purchase from www.acorndvd.com, you can win a copy today. 25 Location of soft material (5 and competitions you agreeenter Expressto Newspapers may contact you by post, SMS emailwith with offers, goods or quantity plurals or verb forms Target: 24 mins services that may beforofainterest to you.IQ To test stop in receiving SMS messages pleasefinally text ‘NSNOINFO’ to 84902. tried and Take the online Mensa workout at www.mensa.org.uk or apply supervised your area, ending in “s”. feb 12: T D used. Use the given letter or letters —

below the main grid — to start. 6, Wednesday, July 1 PAGE 25 3 24 18, 2018 18

SUnSHInE THE SUnSHInETHE PUZZLE

your brain power

APUZZLE

ALETTA

T H E R M A L

SUDOkU

CRUSAdE CRUSAdER CRo

S P R I N G S

T H E R M A L

S P R I N G S

T H PUZZLE E R M A L

TEASER

TARGET

PAX NT T CEE

For today’s solution call: 0907 181 2584

TEASER

SUDOkU

TARGET

PAX E AND SUE Lisa Wild NT T THE DAILY EXPRESS 30-SECOND CHALLENGE SMALL CRoSSwoRd C E E TEASER TARGET email bookatest@mensa.org.uk or telephone 01902 772771. Mensa does not accept hyphenated condemned *SP: Spoke – Helpline 0333 202 3390 words, and uses the Oxford Dictionary of English (Second Edition Revised) as its official reference.

yesterDay’s solution

TodAy’S AnSwERS: BEGINNER = 5; INTERMEDIATE = 154; ADVANCED = 36.

CALVIN & HOBBES

Which word can be placed 1 2 before HEAVY, COPY, END, DRAWER, 6 7 mensateaser: WIN Delicious Series Two on DVD SECRET and DOG?

3 8

PAX NT T CEE SMALL CRoSSwoRd

11 For extra clues call: The Express Bookshop stocks Two just●numerous drawn toofaSudoku close on Sky One, Delicious starring Dawn 0901 With 322Series 5603 books puzzles (from £5.99) and the SMALL CROSSWORD *Calls cost 75p plus your telephone company’s network access charge. 12 13 Theory. 14 French and Emilia Fox has proved a delectable treat. Now available onfor DVD Infinite Sudoku CD Rom (£9.99). AnswerSATURDAY Teaser 24/02/18: For today’s full solution To order, please call 01872 562310 or order online or to purchase from www.acorndvd.com, you canFor enter win ato copy today. your to chance win, call: 0907 181 2723* or text DXMENSA to 84902** 181 2575 call: 0907 15

at www.expressbookshop.com.

*Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge and last 2.5 minutes.

*Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge. UK delivery is free.

NOW MACHINE

DENNIS

Take the online Mensa workout at www.mensa.org.uk or apply for a supervised in your area, **Text cost £2 IQ plustest your usual network rate. Lines close at midnight on Friday, March 9. For full T&Cs see email bookatest@mensa.org.uk or telephone 01902 772771. Mensa does not accept hyphenated 16 www.express.co.uk/campaigns/terms/7. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390. By responding offers 17to promotions, 18 To order the Rupert annual for 2018 (no.82) at £9.99, please call 01872 562315, and competitions you agree Express Newspapers may contact you by post, SMS and/or email with offers, goods or words, and uses the Oxford Dictionary of English (Second Edition Revised) as its official reference. or send a cheque/PO to Rupert Bear shop, PO Box 200, Falmouth, TR11 4WJ no 21

Lisa Wild

services or online at www.classicrupertbearshop.com. UK delivery is free. that may be of interest to you. To stop receiving SMS messages please text ‘NSNOINFO’ to 84902.

19 *SP: Spoke – Helpline 0333 202 3390 20

The airplane disappears over the forest, but in a few minutes THE thereMENACE is another sound of an engine, and a queer little object shoots into sight. The wolves are terrified and run away as fast as they can go. To his relief Rupert recognises his friend the Dwarf, who has arrived on a motor sledge. Feeling that his troubles are now over RupertAnswer again for clambers down the tree.

Which word can be placed before HEAVY, COPY, Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle 2based on a39x9 grid 1 with several given numbers. The object is to place the END, DRAWER, numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, 6 box7contains the same 8 number 9 each DOG? column and each 3x3 SECRET and only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku

ACROSS 5 HOW many words 1 Obviously (8) of four letters or more can you make from the 12shown Nuisancehere? (4) increases from Monday to Sunday letters 11 LAST SATURdAy’S SoLUTIon 14 Pair of performers (3) ACRoSS High five, 6 Apex, 8 Atone, 11 Inflow, In1 making a word, each 15 __ Mirren, actress (5) 12 Art, 15 Sweep, 16 Bed, 17 Snag, 19 Broken, SMALL CROSSWORD SATURDAY 12 14Cots, 14letter 16Bran, Outer edge (3) once be used 20 Credo, may 21 22 Dead loss. Teaser 24/02/18: Theory.13 172 Gent, Rotate (4) down only. 1 Hatchback, 3 Falsehood, 4 Vow, Each must contain 199 Wealth 7 Pioneer, Totes, 10(6) Nirvana, 13 Sword, gh the snow; The dwarf has2723 come *toorRupert’s aid,15 For your chance to win, call: 0907 181 text DXMENSA to 849025**Heptagons, 20 Wear away (5) the centre and 18 Nero, 19letter Bee. and go; And all his terrors network are allayed. © Express Newspapers *Calls cost 80p per minute2018 plus your telephone company’s access charge and last 2.5 minutes. 21 Poker stake (4) there must be at (8) least 17 18 /lmx 22 Perseveres To order the Rupert 2018 (no.82) pleaserate. call 01872 562315, **Text cost £2annual plusforyour usualat £9.99, network Lines close at midnight on16 Friday, March 9. For full T&Cs see or send a cheque/PO to Rupert Bear shop, PO Box 200, Falmouth, TR11 4WJ one nine-letter word. No www.express.co.uk/campaigns/terms/7. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390. By responding to promotions, offers or online at www.classicrupertbearshop.com. UK delivery is free. DOWN and competitions you agree Express Newspapers may contact you by post, SMS and/or19 email with offers, goods or plurals or verb forms 1 Alleged (9) disappears over services that may be of interest to you. To stop receiving SMS messages please text ‘NSNOINFO’ to 84902. ending 2inFoot “s”.digits (4) ut in a few minutes 20 21

her sound of an a queer little s into sight. The errified and run as they can go. To pert recognises e Dwarf, who has 1 motor sledge. his troubles are 6 pert again wn the tree.

Newspapers 2018

● The Express Bookshop stocks a wide selection of puzzle books across On our topupof (4)list please visit all crossword puzzle genres. 6 To obtain to date 10 www.expressbookshop.com, call 562310 or write to Express 8 01872 Exclusive (5) Bookshop, PO Box 200, Falmouth TR11 4WJ. 11 Save (6)Please enclose an SAE for return.

*SP: Spoke – Helpline 0333 202 3390 22

SMALL CRoSSwoRd 2

5 10

15 16

CRYPTIC PUZZLE 17 18

Across

1 Granted a liberty for threecard trick? (9)

8 It’s made to contain spectacles (5)

9 Break down, strangely

ACROSS 13 Lukewarm (5) 1 Obviously (8) LAST SATURdAy’S SoLUTIon 18 Writing implements (4) 6ACRoSS On top offive, (4)6 Apex, 8 Atone, 11 Inflow, YESTERDAY’S 1 High 19 Fish eggs (3) 12 14 Art, 15 Sweep, 8Cots, Exclusive (5) 16 Bed, 17 Snag, 19 Broken, SOLuTION 20 Credo, 21 Bran, 22 Dead loss. For today’s solution 11down Save (6) 1 Hatchback, 2 Gent, 3 Falsehood, 4 Vow, aged aide0907 anted daft 181 2583 Nuisance (4)9 Totes, 10 Nirvana, 13 Sword, call: 5 12 Heptagons, 7 Pioneer, *Calls cost 80p per deaf minute plus your telephone date dating 18 Nero, 19 Bee. (3) 14 Pair of performers company’s network access charge. deafen dean defat 15 __ Mirren, actress (5) defeat dEfEATInG 16 Outer edge (3) 17 Rotate (4) defiant define deft 19 Wealth (6) deign dent detain 20 Wear away (5) diene diet dine ding 21 Poker stake (4) dint edge edit fade 22 Perseveres (8)

Down 2 Silent comedy film star (5) 3 Unexpectedly pointless

precise direction (6) 4 Possibly I quote an algebraic term (8)

● The(5,2) Express Bookshop stocks a wide selection of puzzle across enough 5 Stop time when books hurt (6) all crossword puzzle genres. To obtain our up to date list please visit

10 Giving my leg a new 6 562310 Tin beeforstewed to some www.expressbookshop.com, call 01872 write to Express Bookshop, PO Box 200, Falmouth TR11 4WJ. Please enclose an SAE for

treatment return. with spirit (6)

advantage (7)

DOWN 1 Alleged (9) 2 Foot digits (4) 3 Jewellery items (9) 4 Falsehood (3) 5 Publicly declares to be

wrong (9)

7 Prime minister (7) 9 Decoys (5) 10 One who travels for

pleasure (7) 13 Lukewarm (5) 18 Writing implements (4) 19 Fish eggs (3)

LAST SATURdAy’S SoLUTIon 11 Father has a favourite term 7 Ideal item for a beginner at ACRoSS 1 High five, 6 Apex, 8 Atone, 11 Inflow, of endearment (6) a furniture factory? (4,5) 12 Cots, 14 Art, 15 Sweep, 16 Bed, 17 Snag, 19 Broken, 20 Credo, 21 Bran, Dead in loss. 12 The affluence they 11 22 Woman service spoils For today’s solution down 1 Hatchback, 2 Gent, 3 Falsehood, 4 Vow, call: 0907 181 2583 enjoy is apparently ties in the press (9) 5 Heptagons, 7 Pioneer, 9 Totes, 10 Nirvana, 13 Sword, *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone unmerited (4,4) 18 Nero,13 19 Bee. Speak falsely yet company’s network access charge.

18 He doesn’t go for a horse that will finish (6) 20 A mouth organ (6) 21 A new role in flight control (7) 22 Loves an anagram to decipher (5) 23 Autumn sweepings adversely scattered (3,6)

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution

fading fainted fanged fated feed feeding feigned feinted fend feted fetid fidget fiend find fined gained gated geed gifted idea need negated teed tend tide tied tinged

Call 0907 181 2586 for today’s Target solution

*Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge. All puzzles use The Chambers Dictionary

be quiet! (3,5) 14 It’s only produced in an expressionless way (7) 16 Being diverted made us upset (6) 17 Private room taken on holiday? (6) 19 All right, the first mate is about to call up (5)

Yesterday’s Easy Solution

Across: 1 Hostage, 4 Needs, 7 Elan, 8 Long shot, 10 Appreciate, 12 Ordain, 13 Phoebe, 15 In good form, 18 Admitted, 19 Knot, 20 Laird, 21 Tellers.

Across: 1 Modicum, 4 Pitch,

Down: 1 Hyena, 2 Stampede, 3 Exotic, 4 Nightshade, 5 Echo, 6 Satiate, 9 Designated, 11 Denounce, 12 Overall, 14 Molest, 16 Mates, 17 Impi.

Down: 1 Mirth, 2 Distrust,

7 Risk, 8 Eternity, 10 Hiram Maxim, 12 Costly, 13 Immune, 15 Watson-Watt, 18 Tanzania, 19 Zeal, 20 Loose, 21 Exactly. 3 Mutual, 4 Parliament, 5 Trim, 6 Haywire, 9 Amalgamate, 11 Budapest, 12 Crystal, 14 Aspire, 16 Tally, 17 Undo.

EASY PUZZLE

15 Charm one’s way in (8)

wrong (9) Good 17; good (7) 26; 7 very Prime minister 9 Decoys (5) more). excellent 34 (or 10 One who travels for Solution Monday. pleasure (7)

● The Express Bookshop stocks a wide selection of puzzle books across all crossword puzzle genres. To obtain our up to date list please visit www.expressbookshop.com, call 01872 562310 or write to Express Bookshop, PO Box 200, Falmouth TR11 4WJ. Please enclose an SAE for return.

11 dwarf has come to Rupert’s aid, The And all his terrors are allayed. /lmx 13

3 Jewellery items (9) 4 Falsehood (3) 5 Publicly declares to be TODAY’S TARGET

Across

Down

1 Make clear (9)

2 Bequeath (5)

8 A synthetic fibre (5)

3 Eerie (6)

9 Creative Russian 10 Deteriorate (6)

4 French photography pioneer (8)

11 Nation (6)

5 Embrace (6)

12 Disorderly behaviour (8)

6 Springy (7)

jeweller (7)

15 Piece broken off (8)

7 Complete agreement (9)

18 Antagonism (6)

11 Make holes in (9)

20 Done not long ago (6)

13 Inventor of fountain pen (8)

21 A prohibition on

14 Italian radio pioneer (7)

trade (7) 22 Slight colouring (5)

16 Way of doing (6)

23 Restore to former position (9)

17 Strong impression (6) 19 Strict (5)

(9) GET THE BRILLIAnT feb 14: S H 17 The French supporter right TODAY’S TARGET feb 26; 16: M F Good 17; very good about party with dog (8) excellent 19 Mode of transport used with 34 (or more).Corton Solution Monday. Pl ACROSS hesitation – coach (7) CAN you crack the Alphabeate 1 Obviously (8) 21 Shrill sound from the French mental muscles to the limit. Ea HOW of 6 Onmany top of words (4) YESTERDAY’S Alphapuzzle, every letter of th after card gamecan (7) SOLuTION 8 Exclusive (5) four letters or more 1P given lettersanted andACRoSS thedaft given bla 11 (6)from the you make 22Save Occupation of European inaide aged 13 Studiou 12 Nuisance (4) here? To add to the fiendish fun, A letters shown date vehicle with the (6)dating deaf 14 Pair of performers (3)queen same if dean you turn the page upsi In making word, deafen defat 15 __ Mirren, actresseach (5) 24 For a aFrench female, it’sSo,not down 1 Poster example if there is a letter may be (5) used once defeat for dEfEATInG 16 Outer edge (3) suitable 9deft Espresso corresponding six-letter word14 17 Rotate only. Each(4) must contain defiant define 25Wealth Location of and soft material (5) 2 Every blackdetain square has a sy 19 (6) the centre letter deign dent

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THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, July 18, 2018, PAGE 7

Woods says British Open becomes best shot at a major By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) — Tiger Woods doesn’t feel as old at the oldest championship in golf. Back at the British Open for the first time in three years, Woods broke from his tradition yesterday morning. Instead of being among the first on the tee for practice, he didn’t show up at Carnoustie until his news conference just before lunch. Then, he played nine holes with Masters champion Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau. This was not a case of a 42-year-old needing his rest. Entering the year having not played any major since the end of 2015 and the start of three back surgeries, Woods has been feeling better as 2018 has gone on. And there’s something about links golf that inspires him. “It’s my favourite type of golf to play,” Woods said. “I love playing here, this type of links golf, or a style of links golf down on the

Aussie sand belt ... because it is creative. We’re not going to get the most perfect bounces. And I think that’s the fun challenge of it.” He made his links debut at Carnoustie in 1995 as an amateur at the Scottish Open, a week before his British Open debut at St Andrews. He hasn’t contended on the back nine in the previous Opens at Carnoustie, in 1999 and 2007, though he wasn’t far from a playoff. Might this be his best shot at winning another major? “Not to be smart, but it is the next major I’m playing,” Woods said with a laugh. But over time, he thinks it might be his best chance because of history. Woods recalls 53-year-old Greg Norman playing in the final group at Royal Birkdale in 2008, a major Woods missed because of knee surgery. The following year, Woods missed the cut for the first time at the British Open when 59-year-old Tom Watson was one putt away

from winning at Turnberry. “You don’t have to be long to play on a links-style golf course,” Woods said. “You get to places like Augusta National, where it’s just a big ballpark, and the golf course outgrows you, unfortunately. That’s just the way it goes. But a links-style golf course, you can roll the ball. Distance becomes a moot point.” That said, distance is everything at Carnoustie this year, which Woods discovered when he arrived Sunday. How far the ball travels in the warm, dry air is not the issue. It’s how far it travels once it gets on the baked turf. Dustin Johnson discovered that when he arrived on Saturday and reached the 499-yard 18th hole, with a stiff breeze at his back and fairways running only slightly slower than they did on the weekend at Shinnecock Hills. He hit driver into the burn. The next day, his drive was a few yards short of the burn.

“I hit some irons, and depending on the wind, I’ll probably hit anywhere from ... I’ve hit 3-wood, 3-iron and 4-iron off the tee,” Johnson said. “I like all of them.” With the wind at his back on the 513-yard 14th hole, Johnson hit 3-iron and wedge. One thing hasn’t changed about links golf — it’s best to keep the ball out of the pot bunkers, which effectively are a one-shot penalty. The question for so many players is whether that means going down to as little as a 7-iron off the tee (such as the 350-yard third hole) or smashing driver over all the trouble. Johnson figures he’ll hit driver on half of the holes. US Open champion Brooks Koepka might hit as many as nine drivers. The conditions are as brittle as Muirfield in 2013, though most comparisons are with Hoylake in 2006, when Woods won the Open for the second straight time by hitting driver only one time all week.

“There’s not a lot of opportunities to hit the driver just because the ball is going to be rolling 80 yards,” Woods said. “It’s just hard to keep the ball in play. Even hitting sometimes 4- and 5-irons, they’ve been running 50, 60 yards. It’s going to be an interesting test to see which clubs we’re going to be using off the tees, and a lot of it is dependent on which way the wind blows.” Woods had a 2-iron built for him specifically for the British Open, and he wonders how much he’ll even use it. That has been too much club off the tee. Instead, most of his shots are with a 3-iron or 4-iron. Reed was familiar with conditions the year Woods won at Hoylake, even though he was only 15. Reed won the Junior British Open that summer at Heswall, not far from Royal Liverpool. It was not only dry but extremely hot, and Reed was in rain pants because he didn’t like wearing shorts. “I’ll never forget hitting the first tee

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 74° F/23° C

TAMPA

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Partly sunny, a t‑storm in spots

Partly cloudy, a t‑storm in spots

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

Sunshine and some clouds

Clouds and sun with a thunderstorm

Periods of sun with a thunderstorm

High: 89°

Low: 76°

High: 89° Low: 78°

High: 89° Low: 77°

High: 88° Low: 77°

AccuWeather RealFeel

98° F

84° F

100°-84° F

98°-86° F

100°-87° F

99°-86° F

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

almanac

ABACO

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

7‑14 knots

WEST PALM BEACH High: 92° F/33° C Low: 76° F/24° C

7‑14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE E

FREEPORT

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 76° F/24° C

MIAMI

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 79° F/26° C

6‑12 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 88° F/31° C Low .................................................... 77° F/25° C Normal high ....................................... 88° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 75° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 92° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 78° F/26° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.04” Year to date ............................................... 29.06” Normal year to date ................................... 16.98”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 76° F/24° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

KEY WEST

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 82° F/28° C

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

12:33 a.m. 1:11 p.m.

3.2 3.0

7:00 a.m. ‑0.1 7:25 p.m. 0.3

Thursday

1:29 a.m. 2:12 p.m.

3.0 3.0

7:54 a.m. 8:28 p.m.

0.0 0.5

Friday

2:27 a.m. 3:12 p.m.

2.7 2.9

8:49 a.m. 9:33 p.m.

0.2 0.7

Saturday

3:26 a.m. 4:11 p.m.

2.5 2.9

9:45 a.m. 0.3 10:35 p.m. 0.8

Sunday

4:24 a.m. 5:06 p.m.

2.4 2.9

10:38 a.m. 0.4 11:33 p.m. 0.7

Monday

5:19 a.m. 5:57 p.m.

2.4 3.0

11:29 a.m. 0.4 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

Tuesday

6:09 a.m. 6:42 p.m.

2.4 3.0

12:24 a.m. 0.7 12:16 p.m. 0.4

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 79° F/26° C

6‑12 knots

8‑16 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

6:31 a.m. 8:01 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

12:16 p.m. none

First

Full

Last

New

Jul. 19

Jul. 27

Aug. 4

Aug. 11

CAT ISLAND

shot and being as young as I was, getting up there, and it was 308,” Reed said. “And I was just like, ‘Wow, I just hit a drive over 300 yards.’ And now I’m hitting 2-irons over 360.”

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 80° F/27° C

TIGER WOODS, of the United States walks the 3rd hole yesterday during a practice round for the 147th British Open Golf championships in Carnoustie, Scotland. The Open Golf championships starts Thursday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday:

WINDS S at 7‑14 Knots S at 7‑14 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots SSE at 8‑16 Knots SSE at 10‑20 Knots SSW at 7‑14 Knots SSW at 6‑12 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 10‑20 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots SSE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots SSE at 10‑20 Knots

WAVES 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑2 Feet 0‑1 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑6 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 4‑7 Feet 4‑7 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet

VISIBILITY 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 85° F 85° F 87° F 87° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 83° F 84° F 84° F 82° F 82° F 86° F 86° F 84° F 84° F 85° F 85° F 83° F 83° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F

Covering The Bahamas for over 40 years. NEW PROVIDENCE | GRAND BAHAMA | ABACO | ELEUTHERA | EXUMA

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PAGE 8, Wednesday, July 18, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

NBA: Free agency turning into bargain hunting for clubs By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer EVEN after roughly $1.5 billion in new contracts were hammered out during the first two weeks of free agency, there is still plenty of shopping for NBA teams to do over the coming weeks. Most of it will be for bargains. The biggest deals of NBA summer — like Chris Paul, Paul George and LeBron James getting contracts that will pay them a combined $450 million over the next four years — are almost certainly all done. A blockbuster trade involving San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard can obviously still happen, and at some point Carmelo Anthony’s exit from Oklahoma City to a new home, mostly likely Houston, will get finalised. But most teams have exhausted their salary cap space for next season, so the annual shift into fillout-the-roster mode has essentially arrived for the majority of clubs. • Here’s a look at some of the bargains that have already been found this summer, and a look at others who are bargains waiting to happen: BARGAINS FOUND ISAIAH THOMAS $2 million, one year, Denver It seems so long ago that Thomas was averaging 30 points and answering questions about the max contract he would be signing. Except it wasn’t a long time ago — it was at the 2017 All-Star Game. So much has happened in the last 17 months, and Thomas playing through a hip injury has clearly cost him tens of millions, at least temporarily. Now he’s starting anew in Denver, with a coach in Michael Malone who

believes fully in him, and that chip Thomas had as a No. 60 overall draft pick is squarely back on his diminutive shoulder. His massive deal may be waiting, but consider this: No fewer than 33 players will make more this coming season than Thomas has made in his entire career. “It’s all good though.... I’ll just stay on that slow grind,” Thomas said on social media after agreeing with the Nuggets. DEMARCUS COUSINS $5.3 million, one year, Golden State This could go down as the bargain of the summer, if Cousins returns to previous form and fits his enormous game — and enormous personality — into the Golden State system. When he comes back from his Achilles tendon injury, the Warriors could have five players from the 2018 AllStar Game in their starting lineup. Had he not gotten hurt in January, somebody would be paying at least $20 million and probably a lot more to Cousins this season. If this experiment works, and if the Warriors are healthy at playoff time, a fourth championship in five seasons will be the way Golden State closes out its time at Oracle Arena. JUSUF NURKIC $48 million, four years, Portland Not all bargains are for small dollars. Nurkic is durable, and he’s one of 13 players who averaged 14.3 points and 9 rebounds last season. But there’s at least 24 centres alone who will be paid more next season than Nurkic. WAYNE ELLINGTON $6.3 million, one year, Miami All Ellington did last season was make more 3-pointers than any Heat player had in any season,

IN this file photo, New Orleans Pelicans centre DeMarcus Cousins (0) shoots a free throw in the first half of a game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Cousins will be ready to play at some point this season. And when he is, the two-time defending NBA champions will be waiting. Adding a fifth AllStar to their already glitzy lineup, the Golden State Warriors have come to terms with Cousins on a one-year, $5.3 million deal - not the biggest money move on Day 2 of the NBA Free Agency period, but the most intriguing. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill) ever. And he didn’t even get a raise. It’s not that Miami doesn’t value Ellington but he appeared to get caught in a numbers crunch. The Heat have tax concerns that kept them from being able to offer him more, and other teams probably knew that they would have to offer significantly more to get Ellington out of Miami. He’s also a key voice in the Heat locker room, and if Miami is going to get out of the first round Ellington will likely have to play a key role.

Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the day before James’ last game as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, he told a story about facing Boston many years earlier and being impressed with the way “Rondo was calling out sets every time” down the floor. James values smarts in teammates and Rondo has plenty of smarts, so if this works the $9 million will be a pittance to the Lakers.

RAJON RONDO $9 million, one year, Los Angeles Lakers Rondo and LeBron James have had battles aplenty over the years. Don’t think for one second that James wasn’t down with the Lakers making this move. On the day before

DWYANE WADE If he returns to Miami — and that’s no lock — the sense is that it’ll be for $5 million. A Hall of Famer who can still play and willingly accepts a bench role for small money is a steal, especially when considering

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how much he means to Heat fans. MICHAEL BEASLEY He was really good at times for a really bad Knicks team last season. And he’s still a gifted scorer. Put him on a good team, and the second unit will immediately get better. MARCUS SMART Many would be surprised if Boston lets the restricted free agent go elsewhere, and Smart’s value to the Celtics is clear. But it’s been one of the soap operas of this summer: What is taking so long? DIRK NOWITZKI He’s “out there” on paper only. Nowitzki is eventually going back to Dallas, probably for about $5 million once again, but it’s impossible to list NBA bargains

WARRIORS COACH STEVE KERR RECEIVES CONTRACT EXTENSION OAKLAND, California (AP) — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has received a contract extension following the franchise’s repeat championship and third title in four years during his tenure. Kerr and general manager Bob Myers, who are close friends and colleagues, said when the season ended that something would get done quickly once they began formal discussions. Kerr had one year remaining on his original $25 million, five-year contract. Details of the extension were not announced yesterday. “We’re excited to have Steve under contract and poised to lead our team for the next several years,” Myers said in a statement released by the team. “Under his guidance, we’ve been fortunate enough to win three NBA titles in four years and his ability to thrive in all facets of his job is certainly a primary reason for our success. He’s a terrific coach, but more importantly an incredible human being.” and not include him. He’ll spend what may be his final NBA season grooming Luka Doncic. The best player in Mavs history is about to become the best mentor in Mavs history. VINCE CARTER He’ll almost certainly get the veteran’s minimum from a good team, give it good minutes off the bench and use his experience — the 41-year-old has basically spent half his life in the NBA — to become the sage of whatever locker room he calls home next season. If he doesn’t score a point, he’ll still be worth the $2.4 million.

Rams agree to five-year extension with Brandin Cooks LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to a fiveyear extension with wide receiver Brandin Cooks. The Rams traded their first- and sixth-round picks in the 2018 draft to the New England Patriots for Cooks and a fourth-round pick earlier this year. Cooks will replace Sammy Watkins, who left for Kansas City in free agency, and provide a deep threat for quarterback Jared Goff and the Rams, who had the NFL’s highestscoring offence last season. Cooks was entering the final season of his contract and is happy to be staying in Los Angeles for the next several years. “I just knew this was a place that I want to be for a really long time,” he said. “As far as the years and all of that, I just let them handle that, my agent handle that, and just knowing I wanted to be here for a really long time. “They took care of that in the way they thought was best and we agreed with it. Other than that I’m just excited to get Game One in, let alone years, so that’s what I’m focused on now.” Before joining the Rams, Cooks played in 58 regularseason games with 46 starts, and had at least 1,000 yards receiving in each of the past three seasons. The fifth-year pro has 280 receptions for 3,943 yards and 27 touchdowns, and averages 14.1 yards per reception. He had nine 100plus yard receiving games in

IN this file photo, Los Angeles Rams’ Brandin Cooks trains during a football practice in Thousand Oaks, California. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) 2016 with the New Orleans Saints. “Brandin Cooks has shown himself to be a class act on and off the field since the first day he joined our team,” Rams coach Sean McVay said in a statement.

“He’s a proven professional in this league, and signing him to a long-term contract was always our goal. “We’re excited to keep Brandin in a Rams uniform through 2023.”