Riders race through the streets of Toulouse during stage eight of the 2008 Tour de France from Figeac to Toulouse.
Riders race through the streets of Toulouse during stage eight of the 2008 Tour de France from Figeac to Toulouse.

Riders set for stage which nearly toppled Armstrong



TOULOUSE // The small ski resort hub of Bagneres-de-Bigorre, which provides the finishing point for today's stage, has been known to topple champions in the past. The first really menacing climb of this year's Tour de France - with two first-category ascents - is synonymous with the day Lance Armstrong looked set to be denied a fifth Tour win.

Riding up from Bagneres-de-Bigorre on stage 15 of the 2003 race, the Texan caught a fan at the edge of the road and clattered to the tarmac. Having already struggled on the stage, many thought it would mark the passing of the crown of the Tour de France champion. However, his arch rivals that year, Tyler Hamilton and Jan Ullrich, opted for the ultimate show in sportsmanship and allowed Armstrong to regroup before they tried to attack.

As it happened, the incident acted as the American's platform to winning the stage, and ultimately, that year's race. It is unlikely something quite so dramatic will happen this time around as the peloton ends up in Bagneres-de-Bigorre, whose usual population of just 9,000 will swell massively for the day. However, individual races will be won and lost on the two first-category climbs of this year's race. First up about the 152-kilometre mark is the ascent to the 1,569m Peyresourde Pass. And some 30km later is the climb up Aspin Pass, and both offer gradients in excess of one in eight in places.

The Tour organisers will be hoping the focus can return to the racing after Manuel Beltran, 37, a former teammate of Armstrong's, tested positive for the blood booster erythropoietin (EPO). The Liquigas rider produced a positive test in his sample following the first stage from Plumelec to Brest and was thrown out of the Tour and suspended by his team. French anti-doping agency AFLD also reported that up to ten riders in the field have already been warned about possible blood anomalies from samples taken on the eve of the Tour.

But this is not necessarily an indication of any wrongdoing by the riders in question. Beltran was not the only retirement on Friday after Lilian Jegou, a repeated breakaway rider in the opening week of the race, was forced to retire when he broke his wrist after hitting a tree. The injury at least does give him the consolation of returning to his wife, who is due to give birth this week. @Email:sports@thenational.ae

TV: Dubai Sports 2, 1.10pm

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

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How tumultuous protests grew
  • A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
  • Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved 
  • Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
  • At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
  • Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars 
  • Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
  • An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital 

Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
​​​​​​​Penguin Press

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Teaching your child to save

Pre-school (three - five years)

You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.

Early childhood (six - eight years)

Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.

Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)

Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.

Young teens (12 - 14 years)

Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.

Teenage (15 - 18 years)

Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.

Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)

Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.

* JP Morgan Private Bank 

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5


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