APTOPIX France Cycling Tour de France

Mark Cavendish, wearing the best sprinter’s green jersey, celebrates with teammate in background Denmark’s Michael Morkov, as he crosses the finish line to win the 10th stage of the Tour de France at Valence, France, on Tuesday. Daniel Cole/Associated Press

CYCLING

Mark Cavendish won the 10th stage of the Tour de France in a mass sprint Tuesday, putting himself within one win of Eddy Merckx’s record haul of 34 at cycling’s biggest race.

Tadej Pogacar kept the race leader’s yellow jersey.

Back in the race for the first time since 2018, Cavendish has been dominating the sprints this summer, having already claimed three stages.

The sprinter from the Isle of Man enjoyed a perfect lead-out from his Deceuninck-Quick Step teammates and comfortably edged Wout van Aert and Jasper Philipsen.

Following two hard stages in the Alps contested in terrible weather conditions, Pogacar finished safely in the main pack. The defending champion was on his guard in the last 20 kilometers on roads open to crosswinds and pushed hard to remain at the front as the peloton split in small groups.

Advertisement

Pogacar has already stamped his authority on the race. He avoided the crashes that pushed some pre-race favorites out of contention, asserted his authority during the first time trial and attacked relentlessly in the mountains to open a 2:01 gap over his closest rival, Ben O’Connor of Australia.

BASEBALL

NECBL: The Sanfiord Mainers scored a run in the bottom of the ninth but fell short, losing 4-3 to the Keene Swamp Bats at Goodall Park.

Zach Arnold and Axel Melendez each had an RBI in the second inning to put Keene (13-6) up 2-0.

David Bryant and Daniel DiGeorgio each drove home a run the fifth.

Jake Berry relieved in the third inning and picked up the win, striking out four.

Advertisement

Jonathan Barditch, Dominic Freeberger and Martin Higgins all had an RBI for Sanford (6-15).

BASKETBALL

TELEVISION: ESPN has replaced Rachel Nichols as its sideline reporter for the NBA Finals following a report detailing critical comments she made about Black colleague Maria Taylor.

The network announced Tuesday that Malika Andrews would handle that role for the series between the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks.

Nichols has been the sideline reporter for its top national games this season and for last year’s NBA finals. But the switch was made after the New York Times reported Sunday on her comments last year, when she learned Taylor would lead the network’s studio show instead of her during the league’s restart at Walt Disney World.

In a phone conversation that was accidentally recorded and the Times obtained, Nichols said: “I wish Maria Taylor all the success in the world — she covers football, she covers basketball. If you need to give her more things to do because you are feeling pressure about your crappy longtime record on diversity — which, by the way, I know personally from the female side of it – like, go for it. Just find it somewhere else. You are not going to find it from me or taking my thing away.”

Advertisement

The Times’ report said the show’s crew was angry with Nichols, who apologized Monday while hosting “The Jump.”

Nichols will continue to host that daily weekday basketball show onsite during the finals.

Taylor will again host the NBA finals pregame and halftime shows, though the New York Post reported that her contract ends later this month and she had rejected an extension.

COLLEGES

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Ochai Agbaji withdrew from the NBA draft and announced he would return to Kansas for his senior season, joining sophomore teammate Jalen Wilson in getting feedback from pro scouts before ultimately returning to the Jayhawks.

The only player that has not decided to play next season for Kansas is Remy Martin, a high-scoring point guard who intends to transfer from Arizona State should he withdraw his name from the draft before Wednesday’s deadline.

Advertisement

• Hunter Dickinson has withdrawn from the NBA draft to stay at Michigan for his sophomore season.

Dickinson earned second-team All-America, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and all-conference honors last season. The 7-foot-1, 255-pound center led the team with 14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.

• Miami Hurricanes guard Isaiah Wong has decided to return next season rather than pursue a pro career.

Wong had entered his name into consideration for the NBA draft, which is set for July 29.

He averaged 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game for the Hurricanes last season and finished fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring. He has averaged 12.1 points in two years with Miami.

AUTO RACING

Advertisement

NASCAR: NASCAR drivers for 24 years lobbied against a repave at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The company that owns the track said it is done giving the competitors the final word in a long-overdue paving project.

Speedway Motorsports said this weekend’s events will be the final NASCAR races on the battered and heavily patched track surface. Construction will begin immediately on a makeover, which will include a reprofile, with 28-degree banking on the turns replacing the 24-degree banking.

SOCCER

MLS: Charlotte FC has agreed to a deal with Miguel Angel Ramirez to become the first head coach of its Major League Soccer expansion team, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The 36-year-old Ramirez is considered one of soccer’s brightest young minds, with coaching stops in Spain, Qatar, Ecuador and Brazil.

He joins Charlotte FC after leading the Brazilian club Porto Alegre International earlier this year. He was let go after three months despite putting together an 11-7-4 record in 22 matches.

Charlotte FC begins play as an expansion team in 2022.

Comments are not available on this story.