BITS AND PIECES

 Froome’s Vuelta bid off to perfect start

CASTRELO DE MINO, Spain: Chris Froome’s Team Sky came out on top in the opening-stage team time-trial on the Vuelta on Saturday. Froome is bidding to become the first rider in 38 years to win the Tour de France and Vuelta in the same year and his team pipped a Movistar team including Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana by just four hundredths of a second in a time of 30mins 37secs. Britain’s Peter Kennaugh takes the leader’s red jersey as the first Sky member to cross the finish line on the 27.8km route from Ourense’s Laias Health Resort to Castrelo deMiño Nautical Park in Galicia, north-western Spain. Alberto Contador lost ground as his Tinkoff-Saxo team finished 52 seconds behind down in eighth. Orica-Bike Exchange finished third, six seconds back on Sky and Movistar, to hand a boost to Colombian rider Esteban Chaves’ hopes of a first Grand Tour win after finishing second at the Giro d’Italia in May. Movistar were the third-last team to start and looked to have taken the win on home soil when they surged ahead of Orica with Valverde leading them over the line.—AFP 

Crutchlow is first British MotoGP winner in 35 years

 BRNO, Czech Republic: Cal Crutchlow ended Britain’s 35-year wait for a MotoGP race winner with victory in a wet and chaotic Czech Grand Prix here on Sunday. The non-works LCR Honda rider, who races with the number 35, became the first British winner in the top class of grand prix motorcycling since the late double world champion Barry Sheene’s last victory in Sweden on a 500cc Yamaha in 1981. “It’s the best day ofmy racing career,” said the 30-year-old rider, who became a father for the first time three weeks ago. He was joined on the podium by Yamaha’s Italian Valentino Rossi and Honda’s championship leader Marc Marquez. “We worked hard for this and I took the gamble. Not many other people did and as far as I’m concerned they’re all wimps,” added Crutchlow, who had started in 10th position on the grid and was 15th at the end of the opening lap before taking the lead with seven to go. —Reuters 

Klopp baffled by Liverpool meltdown

BURNLEY, United Kingdom: Jurgen Klopp admitted he was baffled by Liverpool’s surprise defeat at Burnley in which they enjoyed over 80 percent of possession, but still lost 2-0 to the newly-promoted club. Reds boss Klopp confessed he thought his team had actually seen more like 90 per cent of the ball at Turf Moor on Saturday, but they failed to create a single noteworthy chance as first-half goals from Sam Vokes and Andre Gray earned Sean Dyche’s team their first points of the season. “How can I be happy with this?” Klopp said. “When we gave away the first goal, they defended for their lives. Both of their strikers Andre Gray and Sam Vokes are really hard workers. “We had absolutely no luck and everybody needs to be more clinical. We have to accept it. Burnley deserved to win with a very passionate performance. We have to say it was not enough today. —AFP