Incredible footage of a tornado scraping along a mountaintop near Fruit Heights, Utah, on Friday surfaced online, with reports of the twister occurring at an elevation of about 7,500 feet (almost 2,300 metres).
When you're living near a mountainside, one of the last things you would expect to see moving fast at higher elevations would be a tornado, but that's what happened in Utah on Friday.
According to the Salt Lake City, Utah, branch of the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), a rare, strong twister occurred near Fruit Heights, Utah. The funnel first made contact with the ground near a summit along the ridgeline extending west from Francis Peak, at an elevation of about 7,500 feet (almost 2,300 metres).
Tornadoes are uncommon at very high elevation due to drier air and less favourable thunderstorm dynamics.

#elevation #heights #tornado #twister

On Monday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs announced two practice squad elevations ahead of the "Monday Night Football" matchup with the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.
Defensive tackle Marcus Harris and fullback Ben VanSumeren will be available to play against the Broncos.
Harris was a standout during training camp and the preseason, doing enough to make the initial 53-man roster on cutdown weekend before the team waived him the following day. The second-year player from Auburn cleared waivers and returned to the Chiefs' practice squad; the interior lineman wears No. 68, filling in for defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott (IR) as a reserve defensive tackle.
VanSumeren could be the Chiefs' first pure fullback to take the field since Michael Burton in 2022. The fourth-year player entered the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent linebacker from Michigan. Listed at 6 feet 2 inches tall and 258 pounds, VanSumeren switched to the fullback position in 2025, appearing in one game for the Eagles.

#defensive #fullback #harris #Eagles

The Cleveland Browns are set to kick off their 2026 regular season Sunday afternoon when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road. The team announced on Friday that they would be starting two rookies on their offensive line, ruling out Teven Jenkins and announcing that third-round pick Austin Barber would get the start at right guard.
Cleveland is also calling up two players from its practice squad to the active roster for Sunday's game, elevating linebacker Nathaniel Watson and cornerback D'Angelo Ross. ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi reports that both elevations are special teams-related, which makes sense, as both have clear skill sets to contribute in that area of the game.
It will be interesting to see who ends up on the inactive list after these elevations; we know at least one of them is already Tevin Jenkins. Todd Monken talked about having all three quarterbacks active to use a package for rookie Taylen Green, which will be something to watch as kickoff gets closer.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns elevate two from practice squad for the season opener Sunday

#cleveland #practice #elevations

Britain Covey will be available to handle punt-return duties when the Philadelphia Eagles open their season against the Washington Commanders. Philadelphia elevated Covey from the practice squad Saturday after placing rookie tight end Eli Stowers on injured reserve. The standard elevation allows Covey to play Sunday before reverting to the practice squad after the game.
Covey was listed as Philadelphia's primary punt returner on its first unofficial depth chart, but he needed to be elevated because he was not on the 53-man roster.
Rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon worked extensively as a punt returner during training camp, even while recovering from a hamstring injury. Special teams coordinator Michael Clay expressed confidence in Lemon's development while acknowledging the Eagles had other options available.
We have downgraded TE Eli Stowers to out for tomorrow’s game with quadriceps and hamstring injuries. He has been placed on the Injured Reserve List. We have also elevated WR Britain Covey for the game. pic.twitter.com/4hGlWIiBY6
Covey gives Philadelphia an experienced and dependable alternative.

#philadelphia #game #stowers

The Detroit Lions released a pair of players in its Friday roster moves, including former second-round NFL draft pick Levi Onwuzurike. Detroit also released recent seventh-round NFL draft pick and practice squad member Tyre West.
There could be some roster gymnastics at play here from Detroit. As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press points out, vested veterans on Week 1 rosters have their salaries guaranteed.
By releasing Onwuzurike, the Lions could now re-sign Onwuzurike to their practice squad and make him a game day elevation. That would avoid Onwuzurike's salary from becoming fully guaranteed while potentially bringing back a player that was expected to play a rotational role on the Lions' defense.
Lions announce roster moves:

Released DE Levi Onwuzurike.

Released DL Tyre West from the Practice Squad. pic.twitter.com/zOQ0GHS49H
Onwuzurike has battled injuries throughout his career. The 6-foot-3, 304-pound defensive lineman missed all of last season with a torn ACL. Onwuzurike also didn't play in 2022 because of a back injury.

#detroit #lions #released #play

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Performance was driven by the compounding power of the identity security platform and rapid adoption of SaaS, which accounted for 97% of net new ARR in Q2.
Management attributes growth to the strategic elevation of identity governance to CISO and Board-level priorities, unlocking larger enterprise budget opportunities.
The acquisition of Entro Security accelerated the product roadmap by expanding discovery capabilities to over 1,200 non-human identity types, providing critical lineage context.
Strategic positioning focuses on a unified control plane, arguing that monitoring alone is insufficient and that proactive governance must link autonomous agents to accountable humans.

#performance #management

The Los Angeles Rams were blown out by the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 27-7, losing in the NFL's first-ever game in Melbourne, Australia. Here are five observations from the embarrassing defeat.
One has to hope that the reason why the Rams played as awfully as they did was the travel. I do not share that hope. Sean McVay and Chris Shula got outclassed by Kyle Shanahan and Raheem Morris. Shanahan relied on his usual tactics of targeting the Rams' underbelly with the pass, while softening up their interior with the run. After enough times, Shanahan pulled the defense in to take the top off.
Morris knows McVay like the back of his championship hand. It was the second straight year that Morris outmaneuvered every attack McVay threw at him. It's not surprising that Morris is behind the Rams' two ugliest losses in recent memory.
This is a third straight year that Shanahan has run the same thing against Shula and succeeded. When both sides are at full strength, the Rams lose, and relying on a battle of attrition to beat the 49ers over the course of the season isn't exactly an awful move, but it's one that reeks of defeatism. The Rams were defeated decisively. Aaron Donald isn't fixing this.
LaFleur left for Arizona, and it appears he took the Rams' short passing attack with him. The offense could not move the ball through the air at all, and despite the addition of Kliff Kingsbury and the elevation of Nate Scheelhaase, the McVay offense was pedestrian.

#shula

Prior to Thursday's victory over the New England Patriots, the Seattle Seahawks added some depth to their secondary with the elevation of AJ Finley to the 53 man roster to feel more secure in the home opener. With that came the corresponding move of cutting 2025's sixth round pick Bryce Cabeldue. If the Seahawks hoped to get him back onto the practice squad, their hopes were squashed.
Per Mike Garafolo, Klint Kubiak added the guard to his squad over in Las Vegas. With familiarity with the scheme that he runs, it makes sense that Kubiak would want Cabeldue to join him with the Raiders. With the ability to play both right guard and left guard, as well as right tackle and left tackle, that helps Kubiak's squad have depth along the offensive line that ranked dead last in the league in 2025. Improving the offensive line was a focus for Kubiak, adding Tyler Linderbaum to anchor the interior at center, Evan Neal, and drafting Trey Zuhn III.
As it stands right now, Cabeldue is the third left guard on the Raiders depth chart per ESPN behind Spencer Burford and Antonio Mafi.

#seahawks

Communities across North Yorkshire are preparing to welcome the Tour of Britain men's cycling race on Saturday.
The fourth stage of the men's tour will start in Helmsley, with the cyclists travelling through Ripon on their way to the Yorkshire Dales before finishing in Leyburn.
Stretching approximately 103 miles (166km) with 8,800ft (2,699m) of elevation, it is expected to be the race's most challenging day and "could play a key role in deciding the overall winner" of the competition, according to British Cycling.
Almost £10,000 has been awarded to towns and villages along the route to enable them to create community displays and decorations celebrating the race's visit to the area.
After setting off from Helmsley in the North York Moors at 11:00 BST, the route passes through the towns of Easingwold at 11:35 and Boroughbridge at about 11:55, before reaching Ripon at about 12:20 and then heading into the Yorkshire Dales.

#tour #Cycling

On Sunday, offensive tackle Luke Tenuta was on the Indianapolis Colts' initial 53-man roster. On Monday afternoon, he was released to make room for defensive back Kapena Gushiken, who was claimed on waivers.
Then on Monday evening, Tenuta was signed to the Colts' practice squad.
Tenuta was in line to be the Colts' swing tackle off the bench on the 53-man roster, and he still very well could be.
As of now, there are only eight offensive linemen on the active roster, and the next man up currently behind Bernhard Raimann and Jalen Travis may very well be Matt Goncalves -- the team's starting right guard.
Unless an addition is made between now and Week 1, Tenuta is a primed practice squad elevation to provide tackle depth. Practice squad players can be elevated up to three times over the course of a season.

#tackle #squad #well

The Seattle Seahawks made the somewhat surprising decision to not just release veteran wide receiver Cody White, but to not even retain him on the practice squad like has been the norm over the past couple of seasons. We now know that the next chapter of White's career will be with his former Seahawks offensive coordinator.
White has signed with the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad, which will reunite him with new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak.
The Raiders have scarcely looked at signing available former Seahawks players, but now they have Cody on the practice squad and free agent signing Dareke Young on their 53-man active roster. If you've taken a look at the Raiders' receiver depth chart, there is a more viable path to game day elevations if not an outright promotion to the active roster for Cody. White joins the waiver-claimed Jared Ivey as the first two Seahawks roster cuts confirmed to be heading elsewhere this season.
White was in competition with Ricky White III, Montorie Foster Jr, and Emmanuel Henderson Jr for the bottom-end of Seattle's wide receiver depth chart. With Jake Bobo out for the year, there figured to be a reasonable chance that Cody would either be on the active roster or signed back to Seattle's practice squad. The fact that neither happened is yet another strong endorsement for the rise of Foster, who appeared to separate himself pretty clearly from Ricky White and Henderson throughout camp and preseason.
We'll always have this moment, Cody White! And you've got a ring as a result.

#squad #roster #active #ricky

Where to watch Vuelta a España 2026: Full schedule, start times, channel, live stream for cycling stage race originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Can anyone find a way to beat Tadej Pogacar?
That's the inevitable question as the Slovenian superstar saddles up for La Vuelta a Espana less than a month after winning his fifth Tour de France.
Pogacar has competed in the Vuelta just once before, placing third in the general classification in 2019 as a 20-year-old. His countryman Primoz Roglic took the maillot rojo that year for the first of his four Vuelta wins and is back in 2026 hoping to recapture past glory two years after his most recent triumph.
It will be a tall task for Roglic and other GC hopefuls like Wout van Aert and Richard Carapaz, as Pogacar simply looks unbeatable at the moment. A brutal route packed with climbs and about 58,000 meters in total elevation gain should only help Pogacar, who always seems to find a way to attack as his rivals crack on the ascent.

#vuelta #pogacar #find #preferred

Coming into tonight's action, the Green Bay Packers hadn't won a game since December 7th against the Chicago Bears, as their last trip to Denver started them on a five game-losing streak (six if you want to include the preseason opener) that capped off with the team being sent home by those same Bears in the Wild Card round. Tonight, they sort of got that monkey off their back, as they beat the Broncos 33-13 at elevation.
Overall, the depth of the team played well on Friday, unlike their Week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when their fourth-team defense gave up a lead and allowed three touchdowns in a row to end the game. This time, the Packers' defense (and offense) held strong, despite the Broncos keeping their first- and second-team units in the game significantly longer than Green Bay.
The story of the game, and the preseason, continues to be rookie kicker Trey Smack, though. The sixth-round pick went three of three last week, not including a deep field goal that was taken off the board because the Steelers committed a penalty. How would he outdo himself in Week 2? By going four of four (and three of three on PATs), including a 59-yard field goal, one yard longer than his long the previous week.
In the kickoff game, Smack's kickoffs continue to be placed inside the 10-yard line and near the numbers, the toughest place for returners to bring the ball out from under the NFL's new "dynamic kickoff" rules. All signs are positive on the rookie in live action. Hopefully, it'll continue through the regular season.
Elsewhere on special teams, fourth-string running back Pierre Strong Jr. busted a 68-yard kickoff return, while receiver Skyy Moore had a nice 16-yard punt return himself.

#game

Where to watch Vuelta a España 2026: Full schedule, start times, channel, live stream for cycling stage race originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Can anyone find a way to beat Tadej Pogacar?
That's the inevitable question as the Slovenian superstar saddles up for La Vuelta a Espana less than a month after winning his fifth Tour de France.
Pogacar has competed in the Vuelta just once before, placing third in the general classification in 2019 as a 20-year-old. His countryman Primoz Roglic took the maillot rojo that year for the first of his four Vuelta wins and is back in 2026 hoping to recapture past glory two years after his most recent triumph.
It will be a tall task for Roglic and other GC hopefuls like Wout van Aert and Richard Carapaz, as Pogacar simply looks unbeatable at the moment. A brutal route packed with climbs and about 58,000 meters in total elevation gain should only help Pogacar, who always seems to find a way to attack as his rivals crack on the ascent.

#sporting #year #full

MARKHAM, Ontario – Now that IndyCar drivers have gone on track following construction delays at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham, teams and drivers are adjusting to their first practice session on the new street circuit. While drivers got some time to do simulator work for the 12-turn, 2.19-mile course in the weeks leading up to the event, racing on the real surface has some differences.
The biggest question coming into the weekend was how the tight, right-handed hairpin in Turn 5 would race. Marcus Armstrong said he and Meyer Shank Racing teammate Felix Rosenqvist thought there'd be a lot of grip at the top of the turn, which would make entering Turn 5 high and wide the ideal path. After one practice, Armstrong isn't so sure.
"I think I tried everything just to see what works," Armstrong said. "As the track evolves, it's probably going to change. Just like Long Beach, that really tight hairpin, it builds a lot of rubber. The line that you take at the start of the weekend can vary a lot towards the end of the weekend. I guess we're going to have to keep adapting to that grip. It's a very tricky corner. Zero grip. You're like sliding in, sliding mid-corner, and sliding out."
Team Penske's David Malukas felt the simulator was "spot on" except at the hairpin. Malukas didn't realize the elevation that takes place on the straightaway between Turns 4 and 5 until he did the track walk Friday. He's not confident that cars will be able to go two-wide into the turn, which leads into the longest straightaway on the track.
"If it is clean air running, I don't think it's big enough of a run," Malukas said. "You can maybe do a dive bomb, but you're going to go wide when the other guy does the normal corner, so I don't know."

#track #drivers #wide #going

Utah endurance cyclist Matthew Lefthand spent 10 nights in an altitude tent — an enclosed canopy over his bed which lowers oxygen levels to simulate high-altitude environments — before attempting to become the fastest rider ever to cover 200 miles on a standard upright bicycle.
But that was only one aspect of his meticulous preparation that included months of aerodynamic testing, equipment optimization, nutritions strategies and training to sustain roughly 200 grams of carbohydrates per hour during the effort.
Lefthand rides at about 4,400 feet elevation near his South Ogden home, but traveled to Colorado late last month for the record attempt at 7,700 feet, where there is less air resistance.
Endurance cyclist Matthew Lefthand of South Ogden, Utah, pictured here on July 26, 2026, became the first rider in history to average more than 30 miles per hour over 200 miles on a certified road course using a standard, upright bicycle. This single performance included six World Ultracycling ***** ociation (WUCA) and Guinness World Records on a 61-mile stretch on Highway 17 in Colorado's San Luis Valley. | Bailey Lefthand
On July 29, he became the first rider in history to average more than 30 mph over 200 miles on a certified road course using a standard upright bike, according to the World Ultra Cycling ***** ociation. He averaged 30.11 mph riding an aerodynamic time trial bike back and forth over a 61-mile, pancake-flat stretch of Highway 17 in the San Luis Valley in 6:38:31.

#upright #utah

NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has wasted little time getting back to work after a productive tour of Zimbabwe, sharing a glimpse of his batting preparations ahead of the new domestic season and the Duleep Trophy.

The teenage India batter posted a video on his official Instagram account showing him working in the nets, focusing on both defence and attacking strokes. "Preparation," Sooryavanshi captioned the post.

The session comes at an important stage in the 15-year-old's rapidly developing career. Sooryavanshi has been named vice-captain of East Zone for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, with experienced wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan set to lead the side.

Watch: Sooryavanshi gets ready for Duleep Trophy
Sooryavanshi's elevation to the leadership group has attracted considerable attention, given his age and meteoric rise over the past year.

However, East Zone selector Pravanjan Mullick said the appointment is intended to gradually prepare the teenager for greater responsibility rather than place the burden of captaincy on him immediately.

"He has not been made the captain. He has only been made the vice-captain. The captain is Ishan Kishan. Besides, Ishan is a wicketkeeper, so he will be actively involved throughout the day. It is not as though Vaibhav will be captaining the team all day. As he grows, he is maturing day by day. Giving him more responsibility will help him mature even further," Mullick told Cricbuzz after the squad announcement.

The selectors have also pointed to Sooryavanshi's previous experience in leadership roles. He has served as Bihar's vice-captain in first-class cricket and was part of India's leadership group during their Under-19 World Cup campaign.

"This is a great opportunity for him to take on the responsibility of being vice-captain in the Duleep Trophy. He wants to do well for the country, and we believe giving young players responsibility is important. Who knows? We are keeping our fingers crossed that one day he could even become India's captain. That is the thought behind giving him the vice-captaincy," Mullick had said.
Sooryavanshi's preparations come after an impressive tour of Zimbabwe, where he finished as India's leading run-scorer with 151 runs in three innings at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 196.10.

He scored two fifties, including an unbeaten 81, and was named Player of the Series as India secured their first T20I series victory under captain Shreyas Iyer.

That was a significant response after a difficult start to his international career. Sooryavanshi made his India debut during the England tour but failed to cross the 20-run mark in his three innings.

He now has six T20I appearances and 193 runs at an average of 32.16 and a remarkable strike rate of 189.21, including two fifties.

His next challenge will be markedly different. The Duleep Trophy will provide Sooryavanshi with an opportunity to test his batting in the longer format, with national selectors s

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Management attributes the record EBITDA performance to a fundamental transformation of the AA&S segment from a cyclical business to a high-margin, durable earnings engine.
The AA&S shift is driven by portfolio optimization, with aerospace and defense now accounting for 44% of segment revenue, more than double its share from five years ago.
ATI is leveraging its position as one of only three qualified Western producers of high-purity hafnium and zirconium to capture value as China limits exports to aerospace and nuclear markets.
The 'Elevation' operating system is driving measurable productivity gains, including a 30% increase in ultrasonic inspection throughput and 15% in isothermal forgings.

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Before the first whistle blew, University of Tennessee at Knoxville researchers scrambled in the 11th hour to prepare soccer pitches across 16 North American stadiums hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a range of time zones, climates and elevations.
John Sorochan, a distinguished professor of turfgrass science and management at UT, had FIFA's high expectations to worry about: "It would be a failure if we had to replace any grass between any games in any of the stadiums," he said.
But as players ran, cut, kicked and tackled on the turf, his concerns began to melt into relief. Not only did FIFA not have to replace turf, Sorochan told Knox News, but pitch managers at several stadiums found "the pitch got better as the tournament went on."
As UT researchers wrap up their final reports, the tournament's success is already shaping UT's next chapter with FIFA.
FIFA officials have signaled their desire to continue working with UT. Before this year's tournament, Sorochan completed a research visit to Morocco − one of six countries set to host the 2030 World Cup − to help identify potential challenges, obstacles and opportunities in the host country.

#sorochan #researchers #replace

NEW DELHI: The decision to name 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as East Zone vice-captain for the upcoming Duleep Trophy has raised eyebrows across the cricketing world, but the selectors believe they are investing in the future of Indian cricket.

With experienced wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan appointed captain, Sooryavanshi's elevation as deputy is not being viewed as an immediate leadership burden but as an opportunity to accelerate his development as a cricketer.

One member of the East Zone selection committee explained the thinking behind the move, saying the teenager was not being handed the captaincy but was being prepared for greater responsibilities in the future.

"He has not been made the captain. He has only been made the vice-captain. The captain is Ishan Kishan. Besides, Ishan is a wicketkeeper, so he will be actively involved throughout the day. It is not as though Vaibhav will be captaining the team all day. As he grows, he is maturing day by day. Giving him more responsibility will help him mature even further," former Odisha Ranji player and selector Pravanjan Mullick told Cricbuzz.
Mullick revealed that the selectors' decision was based on Sooryavanshi's rapid rise and his ability to handle responsibility despite his age.

"This is a great opportunity for him to take on the responsibility of being vice-captain in the Duleep Trophy. He wants to do well for the country, and we believe giving young players responsibility is important. Who knows? We are keeping our fingers crossed that one day he could even become India's captain. That is the thought behind giving him the vice-captaincy," he told Cricbuzz.

The selectors also considered Sooryavanshi's previous leadership experience. The teenage batter has already served as vice-captain of Bihar in first-class cricket and was part of India's leadership group during the Under-19 World Cup triumph.

"He has been doing very well for the country and also had an excellent IPL season with Rajasthan Royals. He is also the vice-captain of Bihar in first-class cricket," Mullick said.

The 15-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the last year. He became one of the youngest players to feature in the IPL and went on to top the batting charts during the tournament, earning widespread praise for his fearless approach. He was also named Player of the Series during India's tour of Zimbabwe.
The East Zone selection committee meeting was held at Eden Gardens, with representatives from the Cricket ***** ociation of Bengal, Jharkhand State Cricket ***** ociation, Tripura Cricket ***** ociation, Bihar Cricket ***** ociation and Odisha Cricket ***** ociation taking part.

Mullick clarified that there was no discussion with Sooryavanshi before the decision was made.

"No, none at all. It was a collective decision taken by all the selectors from the eastern states. He has the ability to handle responsibility and is capable of leading the team when required," he said.

Th

RAGBRAI 2026 already was challenging, starting with two days of nearly 100-degree heat and thousands of feet of elevation gain as it ascended from the Missouri River valley.
Even the cooler Day 3 on Tuesday, July 21, was a challenge on the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, with a stiff headwind pushing back on the riders during the second half.
But an even bigger challenge lay ahead on Day 5, Thursday, July 23, for a self-selected few.
Near the end of Thursday's 87.1 miles ― already the longest of the week ― lay the annual Karras Century Loop, an optional chance to turn the day into a more than 100-mile trek. And for those seeking the ultimate feat, the ride organizers had mapped out a second, add-on loop that would bring the day's total for anyone completing it to 160 miles ― roughly 250 kilometers in honor of America's 250th birthday year.
By the time those who accepted the challenge arrived in the overnight town of Independence, they had ridden the longest one-day route in RAGBRAI's 53-year history.

#challenge #annual #already #longest

The 2026 Tour de France will meet the famous 21 hairpins of Alpe d’Huez on Friday, in the first of two back-to-back days scaling the famous peak. But it is the second journey, up the lesser travelled Col de Sarenne, which has provoked protest, a petition and criticism of race organisers.
The route for this year’s Tour was announced at a Paris ceremony last October. Saturday’s stage 20 immediately stood out, partly as a rare double ascent of Alpe d’Huez, perhaps the most famous mountain in Tour de France lore; and partly because the stage is brutal in its own right. It features 5,000m of elevation gain over four Tour behemoths: the Croix de Fer, the Col du Telegraphe, Col du Galibier, and finally the Col de Sarenne – the eastern back road up the Alpe – before an undulating final 14km to the finish, via the final four hairpins of the traditional route.
The Col de Sarenne is an unusual pass for the Tour to tackle. This is the first time it has been used as an ascent, after it was used once as a descent in 2013. The debate back then was about rider safety, with sheer drops either side of the narrow, uneven path near the top, and hay bales were hastily planted along the road’s edge to protect a disgruntled peloton.
Ahead of this year’s return to the Col de Sarenne, environmentalists have led protests against race organiser ASO and its decision to send the world’s biggest bike race over the Sarenne pass in the Ferrand Valley, part of Ecrins National Park and an ecologically sensitive area.
A petition which garnered more than 15,000 signatures called for the stage to be re-routed away from the “beautiful and wild” area, which the petition stresses is home to numerous animals including stoats, marmots, foxes, chamois, eagles, bearded vultures, ptarmigan, rock partridges and the rare black grouse, whose chicks hatch in July.

#france #huez

Shreyas Iyer was officially handed the reins of India's T20I side as the team geared up for its tour of Ireland and England across June and July.
Alongside this appointment, Tilak Varma took over as his deputy, stepping into the vice-captain's role previously held by Axar Patel.
The squad announcement also brought attention to 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who had earned his maiden senior call-up on the strength of a sensational IPL campaign with Rajasthan Royals.
Iyer's elevation to the national captaincy hasn't come out of nowhere. It stems almost entirely from the leadership credentials he built across various IPL franchises over the years.

#across #shreyas #iyer #england

An apparent knee injury snuffed out whatever magic Conor McGregor planned to rekindle in his first Ultimate Fighting Championship ****** ignment in five years.

Max Holloway was awarded an anticlimactic technical knockout over the SBG Ireland cornerstone in the first round of their UFC 329 headliner on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A disappointed and dejected McGregor (22-7, 10-5 UFC)—who had beaten the Hawaiian by unanimous decision in their first meeting in 2013—bowed out 1:09 into Round 1.

It was essentially over before it began. McGregor appeared to suffer the injury while throwing a jumping round kick inside the first 10 seconds. He collapsed on multiple occasions afterward, unable to put any weight on his right leg while he attempted to engage Holloway (28-9, 24-9 UFC). It soon became clear to all involved that McGregor was compromised to such an extent that he could not move forward with the match.

Meanwhile, former Cage Warriors champion Paddy Pimblett put Benoit St. Denis to sleep with a Peruvian necktie in the first round of their lightweight co-main event. St. Denis (17-4, 9-4 UFC) lost consciousness 52 seconds into Round 1.
Pimblett (24-4, 8-1 UFC) survived the initial burst of offense from the Frenchman and made him pay for an ill-conceived takedown attempt. The Next Generation MMA star zeroed in on St. Denis’ exposed neck, bullied him to the canvas and proceeded to tighten the strings on the necktie. Pimblett then moved to a seated position—with one leg over the back, the other over the head—and maximized torque until the onetime French Special Forces operator lost his grip on reality.

It was the second sub-minute finish for Pimblett in 28 professional appearances.

Further down the main draw, Mario Bautista avenged a January 2019 submission defeat to Cory Sandhagen and laid claim to a unanimous decision over the Elevation Fight Team rep in their three-round bantamweight rematch. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Bautista (18-3, 12-3 UFC).

Sandhagen (18-7, 11-6 UFC) was undone by two key moments. Bautista appeared to damage his left leg with an attempted Suloev stretch kneebar late in the first round and dropped him with a sweeping left hook in the third. The rest of their 15-minute battle was marked by give-and-take action—Sandhagen opened a cut near the MMA Lab export’s right eye in the second round—in which neither man gained a discernible advantage.

Bautista, 33, has won 10 of his past 11 bouts.

Elsewhere, Factory X mainstay Brandon Royval rebounded from back-to-back losses to Joshua Van and Manel Kape, as he dismissed Lone’er Kavanagh with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their flyweight barnburner. Kavanagh (10-2, 3-2 UFC) waved the white flag of surrender 3:40 into Round 3.
Royval (18-9, 8-5 UFC) leaned into his jab and struck for a takedown in the first round, then averted disaster in the second. There, Kavanagh set him on rubber legs with a clean right hand ov

The distance from the Canada border to the Mexico border of the United States along the Pacific Coast is around 1,650 miles. The route features an elevation gain and loss of nearly 80,000 feet.
Lifelong cyclist and Eugene middle school teacher Tanner Faris was unfazed.
He set his sights on smashing the fastest known time on the route — nine days and 14 hours by Tyler Pearce at the time of his decision — and to do it by himself with no material support. Starting December 2025, Faris kicked off a rigorous training regime that put in the miles needed to complete the trip in June after summer break started for Kelly Middle School.
While many Americans were resting and recharging over the Christmas holiday, Faris began the Rapha Festive 500, a challenge running from Dec. 24 to 31 to encourage cyclists to traverse 500 kilometers (310 miles).
This, he said, often feels like the toughest time to train: the days are short and the weather poor. Each workday he also biked to and from the middle school, racking up 10 miles per round trip.

One of the biggest home-field advantages in sports is considered Mexico’s national football stadium, the Estadio Azteca, and a big part of that is its elevation.
One of the highest stadiums in the world used for World Cup matches (the highest stadiums in the world are in the Andes, in Peru and Bolivia), it is considered a substantial home-field advantage for Mexico.
More: What a World Cup sounds like in Texas. Sights from England-Croatia
That is presumably even more true for England, where the highest elevation is 3,209 feet (978 meters).
Estadio Azteca is at an elevation of approximately 7,220 feet (2,240 meters) above sea level. By comparison, El Paso, considered to be at a high elevation, is 3,800 feet.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Altitude may have helped Mexico achieve a perfect record in the group stage of this World Cup, but it isn't likely to provide the same edge against Ecuador in the Round of 32.
Mexico swept through the group stage matches at the tournament for the first time in its history, but the unbeaten run came with a caveat. All three victories took place at venues more than 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) above sea level. El Tri often capitalized late, scoring five of its six goals after halftime, perhaps as fatigue began to take its toll.
"We have a massive advantage as the host country because we're playing at the Estadio Azteca with our fans and the altitude," Mexican football commissioner Mikel Arriola said before the tournament. "It is a very potent setting."
Ecuador, unlike Mexico's previous opponents, should be well-suited to playing at roughly 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) elevation at the Azteca in Mexico City — which FIFA has renamed Mexico City Stadium during the tournament. The South American nation often plays home matches at more than 9,000 feet (2,743 meters) in Quito, and, like Mexico, has used geography to its advantage. The Ecuadorians went unbeaten at home during qualifying and had victories over Uruguay, Chile, Peru and Venezuela in Quito. They also joined Argentina as the only nations to win a qualifier at Bolivia, which plays its home matches at almost 12,000 feet (3,657 meters) of elevation. The altitude has been such a factor in Ecuador's impressive home record that the Ecuadorian Football Federation decided to move some qualifying matches to Guayaquil, which is close to sea level, in order to prove that Ecuador could compete in all environments. They did just that by beating Argentina and drawing with Brazil at lower elevation. The positive results have inspired confidence in Ecuador coach Sebastián Beccacece and he believes his team is ready for any environment. "We haven't prepared in any way regarding the altitude," Beccacece said. "Let's trust these footballers, let's trust what we've been working on, let's trust what we've been doing."
Players unfamiliar with the elevation typically fatigue quicker and have higher heart rates at any given running intensity. This results in a reduced capacity to sustain sprints, pressing actions, and rapid changes of pace. To attempt to address these challenges, South Africa and South Korea, Mexico's first two opponents, spent significant time training high above sea level.

Don't tell Shane van Gisbergen that he is the undisputed favorite to win this weekend, as that "pisses me off a bit," he admitted in a Friday press conference.
"I feel like it disrespects my competition. I hold my competition to a really high level. So yeah, I feel like I've spent the last little while talking myself down because I know that there's 10 guys probably that can win on pure pace. In NASCAR, so much stuff can happen with strategies and stages, that there's even more guys who can win. So I don't think it's going to be easy, that's for sure.”
And while all eyes will still be on SVG this weekend, the Qualcomm Street Circuit at Naval Base Coronado is a true wildcard race where anything can happen. The new 3.4-mile street course is ******* py with ever-changing and uneven surfaces, abrupt shifts in elevation, and even a spot where cars are going airborne in the run down into a braking zone (between Turns 1 and 2).
SVG's Trackhouse Racing teammate (for the weekend) Kevin Magnussen called it one of the most 'extreme' race tracks he has ever raced on, and while Van Gisbergen did concede that it is a challenge, it's not the most difficult he has personally experienced.
"I've driven on some pretty average tracks," remarked Van Gisbergen. "Turn two is exactly like turn nine at Homebush with the ******* ps and the surface changes. So yeah, I've driven on some stinkers, so this track is pretty smooth in some spots compared to some.”

ELKHART LAKE – The NTT IndyCar Series is returning to Road America for the XPEL Grand Prix presented by AMR, a four-day event set to begin June 18.
The event is expected to feature a deep field of drivers, including defending Road America winner Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Kyle Kirkwood and newly crowned Indianapolis 500 champion Felix Rosenqvist, according to a community announcement.
The main race is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday and will be broadcast live on FOX, according to the announcement. Practice and qualifying sessions will be available on FS1, FS2 and FOX One, with radio coverage on SiriusXM channel 218 and the INDYCAR App.
Road America is a 4-mile, 14-turn circuit known for its long straightaways, fast corners, elevation changes and natural viewing areas. The track is widely recognized as one of the most respected road courses globally and is considered one of the most demanding stops on the IndyCar schedule.
Beyond the main event, the weekend will feature several other races, including Indy NXT by Firestone, USF Pro 2000, USF2000, Radical Cup North America and Vintage Indy. Indy NXT will have two races, with the first scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Saturday on FS1, and the second at 11 a.m. Sunday, also on FS1.

Graphics via FanGraphs.
Putting it all together: Kyle Karros, +0.28 WPA
Pitching at elevation is hard: Jeffrey Springs, -0.62 WPA
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