Beaten by Mathieu Van der Poel on day 2, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) took his revenge on the Flying Dutchman in Rouen, at the end of stage 4 of the Tour de France 2025. The Slovenian world champion attacked on the steepest slopes of the finale and eventually made the most of his punch to claim his 100th professional win, and his 18th stage in the Tour. He is also the first reigning road world champion to claim victory in the race since Julian Alaphilippe at the beginning of the Tour 2021. With the time bonuses, Pogacar is now level on time with Van der Poel in the overall standings but the Oranje star retains the Maillot Jaune due to the addition of places in the first four stages of the Tour 2025 (54 vs 92).
On day 4 of the Tour 2025, the 181-man peloton ride from Amiens Métropole to Rouen (174.2km), with a punchy route featuring 2,050 metres of elevation. The five categorised ascents of the day are packed inside the last 50 kilometres of the stage ahead of an uphill finish.
2+1+1 = 4 attackers
After a rough start of the Tour, Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) attacks as soon the peloton pass km 0. He’s immediately followed by Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility). Thomas Gachignard (Total Energies) joins them at km 5. And Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-EasyPost) makes it a four-man breakaway at km 19.
In the peloton, Mathieu Van der Poel’s teammates – and especially Silvan Dillier – control the gap. The tailwind pushes the attackers at 46.2km/h in the first two hours but their lead never gets higher than 2’10’’ (km 49).
Martinez chases the polka dots
The intensity picks up oil the peloton as they approach the decisive challenges of the day. Asgreen goes first atop the Côte Jacques Anquetil (cat. 4, km 128.2) and the peloton trail by 1’10’’ at the summit.
The gap drops down to 20 after the intermediate sprint, where Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) displays his power. Martinez drops his breakaway companions to go first at the summit of the Côte de Belbeuf (cat. 3, km 146.6).
He is caught at the bottom of the Côte de Bonsecours (cat. 4, summit at km 154.4), paced by Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). The Belgian also drives the bunch up the Côte de la Grand’Mare (cat. 4, km 162.1), before Visma-Lease a Bike take the reins towards the Rampe Saint-Hilaire, with gradients over 10%.
Pogacar puts his stamp
UAE Team Emirates-XRG set a brutal pace with Joao Almeida. Tadej Pogacar puts the hammer down 300 metres away from the summit, with 5.5 km to go. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) is the only one who can keep up. But eight more riders get back on the downhill towards the uphill finish.
Joao Almeida controls for Pogacar. Van der Poel opens the sprint… But he can’t resist Pogacar’s acceleration in the final metres to take his 18th stage win in the Tour and his 100th professional win. Jonas Vingegaard rounds out the podium of the stage and in the overall standings , 8 seconds behind the lead duo, with Van der Poel retaining the Maillot Jaune due his better positions in the first stages (total: 54 vs 92).
The New York Knicks have formally named Mike Brown as their new head coach.
A two-time NBA Coach of the Year, Brown replaces TomThibodeau, who was fired from the position in June, even as the Knicks reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years.
“After a thorough and extensive search process, we are pleased to announce Mike Brown as the head coach of the New York Knicks,” said Knicks President Leon Rose in a statement on Monday (7 July).
“Mike has coached on the biggest stages in our sport and brings championship pedigree to our organisation. His experience leading the bench during the NBA Finals, winning four titles as an assistant coach, and his ability to grow and develop players will all help us as we aim to bring a championship to New York for our fans.”
The Knicks’ head coach role is Brown’s third after he parted ways with the Sacramento Kings, where he spent three years as head coach.
During his time in California, the 55-year-old led the Kings to their first playoff run in 16 seasons, ending the longest postseason drought in NBA history and earning him his second NBA Coach of the Year prize. However, he was dismissed last December after a 13-18 start to the regular season.
Currently 454-304 in his career, Brown previously oversaw the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. It was with the former team that he was honoured with his first coaching award after he led the franchise to the NBA Finals in 2007.
He also has won four NBA Championships as an assistant coach, clinching three with the Golden State Warriors under SteveKerr and one with the San Antonio Spurs alongside GreggPopovich.
On the international stage, he served as head coach of the Nigerian national team from 2020 to 2022, where they finished 10th at the OlympicGames Tokyo 2020 in 2021.
Fritz will play the semi-final against the winner of unseeded Briton Cameron Norrie and two-time Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.
The Californian has always been proficient on grass, where he has won his last three titles, including Eastbourne just last month on the British coast. He now finds himself in fine form with a 13-1 record on the surface this season going into the semis at SW19.
With Fritz dominating the opening two sets in 76 minutes, the Paris 2024 doubles bronze medallist stood a set away from the final four.
But Khachanov refused to back down so easily, roaring back in style by winning eight out of the next nine games from the third set onwards. The Olympic silver medallist was rejuvenated, pushing the fifth seed to brink after the third set.
27-year-old Fritz recovered from 0-2 down in the fourth to work his way back into the lead, though could not prevent a fourth set tiebreak with his opponent fighting for a fifth. He conceded his 4-1 tiebreak lead as Khachanov roared his way back into it, but when the moment arose, Fritz was clinical with a double mini break to prevail.
WIMBLEDON — World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka survived a scare from Laura Siegemund in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, coming from a break down twice in the third set in a Centre Court thriller to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in 2 hours and 54 minutes — the third-longest match of this year’s Championships. Sabalenka advances to her 12th career Grand Slam semifinal, and third at Wimbledon.
Wimbledon: Scores | Order of play | Draws
Sabalenka has made at least the last four in 10 of her last 11 major appearances dating back to the 2022 US Open. The only exception in this timeframe was her quarterfinal finish at Roland Garros 2024, where she fell to Mirra Andreeva. She also advances to a tour-leading ninth semifinal of 2025, ahead of Iga Swiatek’s six in second place.
A runner-up at the Australian Open and Roland Garros already this season, Sabalenka will bid to make her third Grand Slam final of the year against either No. 13 seed Amanda Anisimova or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The last player to reach the first three major finals of a single season was Serena Williams in 2016.
The week’s program will obviously be highlighted by the three matches between the three best performing teams in this group so far. Poland, the bronze medalists of the previous two VNL editions, are running second in the current standings, on a 7-1 win-loss record and 21 points. Three-time VNL silver medalists Brazil stand third on 7-1 and 20, while the silver medalists of the last edition, Japan, currently occupy fifth place on 6-2 and 18.
The big clash between Poland and Brazil will take place on Friday, at 19:20 local time (10:20 UTC). The home fans in Chiba are expected to flock to the volleyball arena to support Japan at the same starting times on Saturday against Poland, and on Sunday against Brazil, which will be the pool’s closing match.
Levi is one of the top professional EA Sports FC players in the world
The second Esports World Cup (EWC) has begun in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Over the next seven weeks, teams from around the world will compete across 25 games including Call of Duty, League of Legends and EA Sports FC (EA FC).
Up for grabs is a share of $70m (£50m).
There are prizes for individuals and teams but, despite the tournament’s name, players don’t compete for their countries.
Most are members of organisations such as Team Liquid, one of the world’s biggest esports squads.
BBC Newsbeat went behind the scenes at their HQ to find out why the EWC is so important to them, and why they feel they can’t ignore the controversial contest.
Located in Utrecht in the Netherlands, Team Liquid’s base is part office, part video game arcade and part luxury student accommodation.
There are two rooms where team-mates can compete head-to-head or online, and streaming booths where they can broadcast live to followers on Twitch.
Many of Liquid’s top players live and train in the building, where an on-site chef provides three meals a day, all of them designed to boost concentration and reaction times.
When play is work and work is play it’s important to distinguish between the two, and members tell Newsbeat they spend about eight hours a day training in the run-up to major competitions.
One of those is Levi de Weerd.
Like many others he got into EA FC (formerly known as Fifa) as a child.
Now aged 21, he’s made playing against the best against the world into a career.
He says being part of Team Liquid gets him access to the high-spec facilities and experienced coaches.
“We have a gameplay coach, we’re analysing games from tournaments in the past and in friendly games where we try things out. We have performance coaches and mental coaches too,” he says.
Being in one place, he says, is more important than you might think.
“I think it’s important to have a good environment with coaches, with players and staff to get a good chemistry”, he says.
Getty Images
Levi has also represented The Netherlands in esports competitions
Because EWC competitors don’t represent their countries, teams are able to bring in talent from around the world.
YanYa, part of Team Liquid’s Apex Legends squad, joined from his home country of Mexico.
He says the EWC is “the best feeling in the world because you are playing the best players”.
“You get a lot of excitement. You get a lot of adrenaline,” he says.
Team Liquid are looking to one-up their performance last year, when they finished second overall behind Saudi side Team Falcons.
YanYa insists that doesn’t affect him, though.
“I don’t feel pressure, I feel confident,” he says. “We’ve been practising a lot.”
Team Liquid
YanYa and his team travelled from Mexico to train at Team Liquid’s HQ
Individual performance is a key part of the EWC and there are big cash prizes for winning players.
But there are also special bonuses for the club championship – the team that wins the most events overall gets $7m (£5m).
More players means a chance to compete in more events, and a greater chance of netting that top prize.
Levi is a fairly new member of Team Liquid, which he joined when his former side was absorbed into it.
Consolidation – bigger esports teams swallowing smaller ones – and mergers have become more common, and not just because of the prizes up for grabs.
Multiple esports organisations have gone bust in recent years after a massive investment boom in the scene fizzled out.
Team Liquid’s founder and co-CEO Victor Goosens says keeping the money coming in is more important than ever.
Team Liquid
Victor Goossens founded Team Liquid originally as a club playing Starcraft II
While prize money isn’t everything, Victor says the EWC is financially important for Team Liquid.
“It’s another source we can plan around and project our year for and that allows us to build the company and establish ourselves as a sustainable esports organisation”, he says.
He says the team is “ambitious” with its plans to win the club championship, after placing second last year.
Victor admits it’s necessary to compete in as many events as possible in order to take the top spot, but that “it’s not worth expanding if your core rosters aren’t already great”.
You need to attract the best talent.
So when online chess was added as an event at this year’s Esports World Cup, Team Liquid signed up the world’s top chess grandmasters Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana.
Activision
Call of Duty is among the titles included in the competition
Some esports fans have been critical of teams taking part in an event hosted, and largely funded, by Saudi Arabia.
The kingdom has been accused of numerous human rights violations and has strict laws restricting what women can do.
Like other Middle East states it’s been heavily criticised for its anti-LGBT laws – homosexuality is punishable by death.
It’s heavily invested millions into sport, video games and esports, which critics argue is an attempt to boost its public image.
There has been backlash.
Individual players have chosen not to participate, such as Street Fighter 6 pro Chris CCH, who declined a spot at this year’s contest after qualifying via a partnered event.
But, given its ever-growing ties to esports, he admitted that avoiding any Saudi-linked contests altogether would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on competing.
Victor says it’s a “sensitive and tricky situation to navigate” for Team Liquid, which has publicly supported gay rights.
“We’ve been very outspoken that we believe in esports for all,” says Victor.
“So there’s a contradiction. But we believe that if we want to be around in five or ten years’ time we need to play at the EWC.”
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or listen back here.
Kai Hietarinta entered Finnish hockey circles the same way he does everything. With style. In 1984, he was the Executive Vice President of Neste, a state-owned oil company, who, at 51, was elected as the chairman of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association.
That his election was a surprise to the general public is not surprising. The public gets more engaged with the coach’s picks for the Ice Hockey World Championship. That Hietarinta managed to pull a convincing 21-4 landslide win in a vote is more surprising, considering that he didn’t have a famous background in the game.
But he had charisma, and he was a man of his word and that earned him the trust to get elected, and as chairman, he turned his opponents to friends.
Back in 1984, Finland was just outside the Top 4, sometimes finishing just outside the medals, other times fending off relegation games. Off the ice, things looked about the same. Hockey was a popular sport, but one that hadn’t quite hit its stride yet.
“I think the key in Finland has been that we’ve managed to build rinks so much that we now have more than 200 indoor rinks in the country,” Mr. Hietarinta says.
“That made hockey a game that could be played, not just in a few major towns, but all over the country,” he added.
It should be noted that when Kai Hietarinta took the gavel, there were about less than two dozen indoor rinks in the country, and when he stepped down in 1997, the number of rinks had ballooned to more than 120, including several arenas.
That’s the one thing Mr. Hietarinta is most proud of – if he absolutely must mention something.
“It warms my heart,” he says.
Such a phenomenon doesn’t happen by accident, and according to Mr. Hietarinta, the Finnish federation had a long-term plan for building the rinks and for example, a foundation was set up for supporting rink projects.
“The foundation couldn’t build the rinks by itself, but it could give some seed money, and we got the public sector involved. And with the success, we also found investors,” Mr. Hietarinta says.
And yes, there was success. Team Finland won an Olympic bronze in Calgary in 1988 and followed it up with the first-ever Ice Hockey World Championship medal, a silver, in 1992. Also, the Finns won their first World Junior Championship gold medal in 1987), and the women’s national team came home with a medal from each of the first four Women’s World Championships in 1990, 1992, 1994, and 1997.
“We were so hungry for a medal,” he said. “And after the Calgary silver, we absolutely had to get a gold, which happened in 1995.”
“Back then, the Finnish league was excellent, and arguably the best one in Europe, which laid the foundation for our success. We could recruit great players and coaches from the East and the West, and that was important for Finnish hockey.”
Mr. Hietarinta also had an impressive career in international hockey. He was on the IIHF Council between 1990 and 1998, and whenever IIHF tournaments were hosted by Finland, he was the chairman of the organizing committee. In a way, thanks to Hietarinta and his classy style, Finland had a voice in the rooms that mattered.
Now that Finland has won three Ice Hockey World Championship gold medals, and an Olympic gold, staying at the top may just turn out to be harder than to get there.
“It’s a big challenge to stay at that level,” Mr. Hietarinta says. “But I’m optimistic.”
For Para alpine skier Oscar Burnham, the road to winter success does not begin on snow-covered slopes—it starts in the summer sun. Each June, Burnham is already deep into training, riding waves and cycling through the mountains with his teammates on the French national team.
That’s exactly how he kicked off his preparation for the 2025–2026 season—and his pursuit of a first Paralympic medal at Milano Cortina 2026.
“I prefer training – cycling or hiking up the mountains – because I like to be outdoors. That’s my favourite part about training in the summer,” Burnham shared.
“I try to work hard in the summer so I feel ready and fit when I go on skis. And if I’m fit to be on skis, I know that I can push myself to the limit without risking myself getting hurt or injured.”
Training in the heat
After a few weeks of rest, Burnham’s summer training began in earnest in early June. His weekly routine includes at least three gym sessions and two endurance workouts—cycling, hiking, or running under the summer sun.
For the past three years, the French team has added a unique twist to their training: surfing. During a weeklong camp on France’s southern coast, athletes hit the gym in the morning and the waves in the afternoon—sometimes twice a day.
The French Para alpine skiing team held a training camp in June 2025. @Oscar Burnham
“In surfing, there’s a lot of still gliding on water and you have to have balance. Everybody (on the team) surfs and it’s quite funny to see how we surf differently – we’re not big surfers but we have a lot of fun,” said Burnham.
“It’s very fun and it’s good for team building. We spend a lot of time together. It’s good because we’re a good team and we are very competitive. It’s a competition in everything we do, also in cycling and surfing.”
That competitive spirit is especially strong between Burnham and teammate Arthur Bauchet, a three-time Paralympic champion. The team will travel to Chile in August to start training on skis.
“He is one of my best friends, but if we are doing a competition, it doesn’t seem at all like we’re friends because we forget our friendship,” Burnham said with a laugh.
Skiing in the sky
Burnham, who made his Paralympic debut at Beijing 2022, says summer is also a time to explore new sports. A few years ago, he took up paragliding—taught by his roommate, a certified instructor.
From his home in Savoie, nestled in the French Alps, Burnham hikes up nearby peaks with a paraglider in his backpack. Once at the summit, he takes off and glides back down—sometimes landing right in his garden.
“I can walk up and I can really push myself,” he explained. “Going down hill can be a bit painful for the knees, so it’s less painful to just fly down. I use it a lot as a mode of transportation.”
Though skiing and paragliding are different, Burnham sees a shared thrill.
“It’s like sliding in skiing, but in the air. It’s a feeling of control – in skiing you control your skis; in paragliding you control your machine – that’s what I like a lot,” he said.
“When I was little, I liked skiing because I thought I was a pilot of a motorcycle when I’m on my skis. I decided where I go and it was my decision. In paragliding, it’s the same thing – it’s not difficult.”
Burnham made his Paralympic debut at Beijing 2022, less than four years after his accident. @Lintao Zhang/Getty Image
Discovering Paralympic sport
Growing up in the ski resort town of Tignes, skiing was always part of Burnham’s life. His mother, a ski instructor, passed on her passion, and Burnham began his career as an instructor after competing internationally.
But in July 2018, he had an accident while climbing an electric pole with a friend. He broke his femur and suffered burns, ultimately losing his left hand.
In the hospital, he searched ‘Paralympic Games skiing’ and watched videos of the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, where French superstar Marie Bochet won four gold medals in Para alpine skiing.
He recalls telling his mother that “maybe one day I can do the Paralympics” and he returned to the slopes with the goal of representing France at Beijing 2022.
Growing up in Tignes, Burnham started skiing when he was very young. @Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Burnham became teammates with Bochet, who later became like an older sister to him. The four-time Paralympian showed him how to wear a ski boot with one hand and also how to compete under pressure.
“The French team is like a second family to me because we spend so much time together. They are my friends, and I also like training because I am with the team,” Burnham said.
“I love (Para alpine skiing) competition, but also the speed and liberty you have of being on skis. I also like the feeling of being in control,” he said.
The journey to the Paralympic start gate
Burnham made his Paralympic debut at Beijing 2022, where he competed in five events in the standing category. He said that just being there was a triumph, and he was impressed at everything he saw.
“I was so happy to be there to compete at the Paralympics four years after my accident,” he said.
“When you have an accident like that, you suffer physically but you also bring a lot of people into your problems like family, friends. They suffer almost as much as you do, if not more, to see you in a bad state.
“So I was really happy to show my mum and my dad, my family and my friends that what I did (in 2018) was a big mistake but I managed to do something good about it.”
French athletes collected a total of seven medals in Para alpine skiing at Beijing 2022. @Oscar Burnham
Now, Burnham is laser-focused on Milano Cortina 2026, where he hopes to win his first Paralympic medal—and do it in front of his family and friends.
After four World Cup podiums in the 2024–2025 season, he’s leaving nothing to chance. Alongside intense training, he is fine-tuning his nutrition and recovery routines.
“This time in Milano Cortina, I really really want to go in battle for a medal. I have good memories from my first Paralympics but my second Games can be only be better because my family can be there.”
Looking ahead, Burnham hopes more people will take up Para alpine skiing after watching Milano Cortina 2026 and may even home to compete at French Alps 2030, which will take place in Burnham’s home country.
“I hope they find it fun and say that they want to have a go at the Paralympics too, because it’s nice. Other than sports and competition, I think it brings a lot of hope to people.”
Secure your tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games
Milano Cortina 2026, which takes place from 6-15 March 2026, is set to be the most beautiful Paralympic Winter Games yet. Ticket prices start at EUR 10 for children under 14, with approximately 89 per cent of the tickets available for EUR 35 or less.
For more information, please visit tickets.milanocortina2026.org
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced its nominees for the Men’s Player of the Month award for June 2025, with South Africa’s Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada alongside Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka making the shortlist. The trio delivered standout performances in Test cricket, each playing important roles in their teams’ successes last month.
The Nominees:
Aiden Markram (South Africa) Markram was instrumental in South Africa’s historic ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final victory over Australia at Lord’s. After a duck in the first innings, he turned the game with his part time off spin, dismissing Steve Smith and Josh Hazlewood. But it was his batting that sealed the deal, a majestic 136 in the chase of 282, guiding South Africa to their first ICC men’s trophy in 27 years.
“After South Africa had conceded a lead of 74, they fought back with the ball… Markram stood tall, first with the ball, removing Hazlewood, and then with the willow,” recounted the ICC report.
His partnership with Temba Bavuma was crucial, with Markram assuring his skipper in the dressing room before their stand steered the Proteas to victory.
Kagiso Rabada (South Africa) Rabada’s fast bowling destroyed Australia in the WTC Final. He took nine wickets in the match, including five in the first innings. This put him ahead of South African great Allan Donald in total Test wickets (336). His early breakthroughs, like getting Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green out quickly, kept South Africa in the game, even after their poor first innings.
“Rabada’s 33.4 overs yielded merely 110 runs, while the pacer ran through the Australian batting more than once,” noted the ICC. His ability to strike on a challenging Lord’s pitch underscored his status as one of the world’s premier fast bowlers.
Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka) Nissanka shone in Sri Lanka’s Test series against Bangladesh, scoring back to back centuries. His career-best 187 in Galle, laden with 24 boundaries, helped Sri Lanka recover from conceding 495 runs. He followed it up with 158 in the second Test, anchoring Sri Lanka’s innings victory.
“Nissanka’s twin centuries showcased his ability to dominate quality bowling attacks and anchor the innings under pressure,” highlighted the ICC. His performances marked a strong start to Sri Lanka’s new WTC cycle.
How the Winner is Chosen
The ICC’s selection process blends expert opinion (90% weight) and fan votes (10%). A Voting Academy comprising former players, journalists, and broadcasters—like Lisa Sthalekar (Australia) and Sana Mir (Pakistan), decides the winner, with fan input via online voting. The result will be announced mid July.
Fans can vote for their pick on the ICC website, with the winner set to be revealed soon.
