Singer Christina Aguilera chose to celebrate her 30th birthday in style. She took to the slopes in the French Alps in a horse-drawn sleigh. The popstar took a break from her promotional duties for new movie “Burlesque” and went to the ski resort of Courchevel Saturday, her birthday, with her new boyfriend singer Matt Rutler, [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Alps’
Aguilera went for sleigh ride on 30th birthday
December 22nd, 2010 |
No Comments
Frisco Freakout 2010
October 11th, 2010 |
No Comments
12 BANDS, 6 DJS, VISUAL ARTISTS, ALL AGES WELCOME
 Frisco Freakout Poster |
This year’s Frisco Freakout takes place this Saturday, October 16, at Thee Parkside in San Francisco from 1:30pm-2am. Tickets are $15.
The
lineup includes
Howlin Rain, Young Prisms, Sic Alps, Wooden Shjips, Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, Carlton Melton, White
Manna, Glitter Wizard and more.
The all ages event is hosted by Heavy Lode and co-presented with KUSF, Arthur Magazine, and Aquarius Records.
Frisco Freakout is a benefit for arts organization Creativity
Explored.
Click here to
check out the full size version of the hand-drawn poster by the notorious Alan Forbes.
July 16, 1965: Mont Blanc Tunnel Opens
July 16th, 2010 |
No Comments
1965: After 19 years of planning and construction, the Mont Blanc Tunnel officially opens. The new tunnel stretches 7 miles, linking the French town of Chamonix and the Italian town of Courmayeur. Buried 1.5 miles under the Alps’ highest peak, it becomes the world’s deepest road tunnel beneath rock and gains infamy after a deadly [...]
Davos welcomes world economic leaders
January 27th, 2010 |
No Comments
The snow packed resort town of Davos in the Swiss Alps is playing host to more than 2,500 top bosses and leading politicians for the 40th World Economic Forum. Generally an opportunity for international “movers and shakers†to network with like minded people, this year the confidence that power exudes may be a little more diluted.
At least five killed as avalanches hit Swiss Alps
January 4th, 2010 |
No Comments
A series of avalanches struck the Swiss Alps at the weekend, killing at least five people with three still missing, emergency services and police said on Monday. The first avalanche hit on Sunday after 11:30am (1030 GMT) in the central Switzerland’s Bernese Alps, killing a skier, they said.
The 40 Hottest Women of the Decade
December 23rd, 2009 |
No Comments
The first decade of the 2000s is about to end and we need to take a quick look back and decide which female celebrities were considered to be the sexiest of their time.
Swiss court grants bail to Roman Polanski
November 26th, 2009 |
No Comments
Roman Polanski, who is imprisoned in Switzerland over a US child sex case, has been granted bail.
The Swiss Federal Criminal Court has accepted the filmmaker’s plea to be freed on a 4.5million-dollar bail.
However, the court has decided to subject the ‘Chinatowm’ helmer to “constant electronic surveillance.”
Also, he will not be allowed to step out of [...]
Scientists find “Rosetta Stone†of supervolcanoes in Italian Alps
September 22nd, 2009 |
No Comments
A team of scientists has found the “Rosetta Stone†of supervolcanoes, in the form of a fossil supervolcano in the Italian Alps’ Sesia Valley.
A team led by James E. Quick, a geology professor at Southern Methodist University, US, found the fossil.
The discovery will advance scientific understanding of active supervolcanoes, like Yellowstone, which is the second-largest [...]
Aug. 20, 1831: The Real Dr. Suess Comes to Life
August 20th, 2009 |
No Comments
1831: Eduard Suess is born — not the Dr. Seuss of Whoville and Mount Crumpit fame, but geology professor Suess of Vienna and Gondwanaland. Suess would become a founding father of structural geology and a pioneer of ecology.
Born in London to a German merchant family, the future scientist moved with his family to Prague [...]
Taxman cometh
August 11th, 2009 |
No Comments
By Mark Sanders
Europe business reporter, Liechtenstein
The taxman cometh – and little Liechtenstein decided to put on a show of welcome.
Motorcycle outriders shepherded the British delegation through the streets of Vaduz, even though there’s not much traffic in the small capital to delay dignitaries.
The convoy pulled up outside the main government building and out came the UK Treasury minister, Stephen Timms, and Dave Hartnett, head of tax at HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
"When I look back over the years, I never imagined I’d be here," Mr Hartnett said.
Shrouded in secrecy
Liechtenstein, the tiny principality in the Alps between Switzerland and Austria, has been renowned for the secrecy that shrouds the financial affairs of the wealthy who keep their money here.
But it has done a deal with the UK which it thinks can balance banking confidentiality with tax transparency.
After the signing ceremony Stephen Timms explained his surprise that such an event had taken place.
"You will find some [account holders] who have made all sorts of constructions to hide their money. Well, they now have a new situation"
Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein
"A year ago, I think it would have been inconceivable," he said. "That changed with the G20 [summit] in April which created a completely new momentum behind agreements of this kind."
The economic and financial storm hit tax receipts and created a new climate for tax havens.
Governments around the world are eager to trace and recover revenue that should have been paid to them. And Liechtenstein is learning to adapt.
"What Liechtenstein has done is really look at the long-term wellbeing of its financial services industry, recognising that the game is up for tax evasion.
"It’s putting in place, I think, a very impressive agreement that’s to the advantage of the UK Exchequer but also to the advantage of Liechtenstein’s banks," said Mr Timms.
Mr Timms hopes the agreement means that within five years no British account holders in Liechtenstein will have money hidden from HMRC.
Tax affairs
Put simply, the main part of the deal is this: UK investors will be urged to come clean with tax officials back home about what assets they have squirreled away in Liechtenstein.
"Why should Liechtenstein give more than other countries are prepared to give"
Clemens Laternser, Liechtenstein Trustees Association
If they do, they’ll be given more favourable terms to settle their tax affairs.
If they do not co-operate with HMRC, then Liechtenstein will close their accounts.
It is important to note that Liechtenstein will not be handing over bank details to the UK as part of this.
In effect it will ask investors who are not playing ball with HMRC to leave.
Such a system gives super-rich tax dodgers the possibility of moving their money out the principality and putting it elsewhere.
David Hartnett from HMRC gave an estimate of the kind of money he suspects Brits have squirreled away here: "We think the amount is somewhere in the region of £2-3 billion.
"It could be more, it’s unlikely to be less. And we expect to recoup around £1bn back into UK coffers over time."
Respectability
So what’s in this deal for Liechtenstein
Perhaps a sort of respectability when other off shore tax jurisdictions are squirming under international pressure.
Liechtenstein’s ruling royal family is behind the agreement. Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein was at the signing ceremony to represent the family.
He suggested it was wrong to think that all account holders here were trying to shirk their tax obligations.
"Of course you will find all sorts of clients here," he told the BBC.
"You will find those who are totally clear with their tax situation. Then of course you will find some who have made all sorts of constructions to hide their money. Well, they now have a new situation."
But some in Liechtenstein’s financial sector are far from happy with this deal, which goes further than the tax agreements the state has made with Germany and the United States.
"What we seek is a level playing field for all countries and that’s why we oppose the agreement," said Clemens Laternser, deputy managing director of the Liechtenstein Trustees Association.
"It goes beyond the OECD standards [on tax transparency] and we don’t see the point of it. Why should Liechtenstein give more than other countries are prepared to give"
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Indians refine business skills at ‘finishing schools’
August 9th, 2009 |
No Comments
The traditional image of finishing schools is of the Swiss Alps, where elegant young ladies from well-to-do families learn to walk, talk and make conversation before entering polite society. Now India is looking to the model for the three million or so graduates it produces every year to refine
Croatia Open Umag 2009
August 5th, 2009 |
No Comments
Croatia Open started from 1990 and it is played every year since 1990. This tournament is played on a clay surface. ATP Croatia Open Umag has been known as one of the most fascinating tennis tournaments of ATP International series in Europe from 19 years. The shell shape of central stadium is one of its [...]
Alberto Contador wins Tour; Lance Armstrong 3rd
July 26th, 2009 |
No Comments
PARIS — Lance Armstrong’s children were dressed in yellow. He was not.
When the seven-time Tour de France champion returned to the Tour podium Sunday, his family was there. His fans were there. And so was rival and teammate Alberto Cont…
Bikes, mud and zero testosterone
July 25th, 2009 |
No Comments
Susan Greenwood gets downhill and dirty on a women-only mountain bike course in the French Alps
When it rains in Morzine it really means business. Locals probably don’t even have a word for “damp” in a vocabulary dominated by “torrential”, “downpour” and “total washout”. With nose pressed up against the misty window of the Kariboo cafe in neighbouring Les Gets, I survey the scene, latte in hand, and savour the smug satisfaction of being dry.
Strange, then, that two minutes later I find myself being hustled back on to my mountain bike and urged towards the chairlift. Rain doesn’t stop play, informs Jo Petterson, one of the pro downhill mountain bikers on hand for this week of female-only riding, it just means you get muddy. That’ll be why it’s called Dirtgirls, then.
The French Alps has long been a summer playground for mountain bikers, and the vast Portes du Soleil area is rightly regarded as the European epicentre of the sport. On the French side, along with Morzine and Les Gets, it encompasses the popular ski resorts of Avoriaz and Chatel, while also taking in the Swiss towns of Champéry, Morgins and Champoussin. The terrain is steep, the views – you’re near Mont Blanc – predictably humbling and the mountain biking little short of legendary.
Being a woman mountain biker can be quite challenging because you are pretty much guaranteed to be in the minority. Which makes arriving at Dirtgirls’ base for the week, Chalet Snion in the centre of Morzine, something of a revelation. Women outnumber men. The toilet seat is down. Conversation isn’t about the worst injury anyone has ever sustained and whether a video of the crash is on YouTube.
The women seated around the dinner table range from a jewellery designer to a chef, and while sizing me up for one of her fleet of Santa Cruz dual-suspension bikes, Dirtgirls’ creator, Sara Burdon, comments on my highlights. Camaraderie is established almost immediately. Gosh, I think as I trundle off to bed, ditching the testosterone and riding with girls is so much fun.
It’s not a sentiment I share the next day as I am unceremoniously spat off a corner on the infamous Pleney downhill track. At 3,300m long, with over 500m of vertical descent, it is a man-made lesson in facing your fears. Fionn Griffiths, the 2006 world downhill champion, decides it’s time for some cornering instruction. Seeking out a little-used track, she gets to work. And gradually, as the heavens open, the penny drops. Through a combination of patient demonstration and practice we start turning at speed against a backdrop of steaming mountains.
The Portes du Soleil marks out its mountain bike trails like its ski runs – head for a black and you had better have your wits about you. And like skiing, riding uphill is made a whole lot easier with the use of 13 bike-happy chairlifts. The bikes simply hang on the side and, after swaying rather precariously for the duration, are unhooked by lift attendants at the summit.
After the assault on the Pleney track we decide to ride some of the blue runs leading off the Les Chavannes lift in Les Gets. By now the mud is deep, the tree runs quite tight and the roots slippery. It is the sort of terrain I would usually try to avoid – even, shock horror, claiming my inferior strength as a reason I can’t ride it properly. This is not an option when you’ve watched four other women sail through the obstacles with style. It’s not really surprising I end up wrapped around a tree; that I get up for another go is.
By now the scenery is beginning to work its magic. Banked turns and a twisting single track pull us out on to sweeping open mountainside, giving us time to catch our breath before diving back into the fray, trails looping and plunging across the terrain like roller coasters. The coaches are constantly at our heels, offering advice to make us go faster, honing our style and providing support for shaky nerves.
My nerves are calming down by the time I’m on my second beer in the Crépu bar. Judging by the amount of mud on the floor, it’s a popular spot with Morzine’s mountain bikers. And there are a lot of them. While most ski resorts become ghost towns during the “off” season, Morzine is positively buzzing. Before dinner I head to the heated Olympic-sized outdoor pool and manage a length before cramp sets in. But thankfully nothing more arduous is planned for the evening than a three-course meal at the chalet, during which a fight erupts over who gets to eat the extra banoffee pie. Clearly “diet” is not a word female mountain bikers have much time for – nor is it one Sara at Dirtgirls factors into her menus.
The next day we are split into groups according to where we want to ride and – to put it bluntly – how good we are. High on my achievements the day before, I decide to follow Fionn and Jo to Chatel for some more lessons on the blue runs. A man flies over our heads across the valley attached to a zip wire confirming the dawning realisation that mountain bikers are not the only adrenalin junkies attracted here during the summer.
Halfway down we stop off at Chez Babette, a restaurant that has embraced fairy lights with enthusiasm and which, during the winter, you can ski into before being wrapped in faux fur blankets. We scramble up a scree slope and fill the doorway with helmets, pads and mud. Babette, the world’s most effervescent hostess, loves it. Refuelled, we drop down the valley, riding tiny bridges across rushing alpine rivers, the temperature falling every time we get close to them. I’m pretty sure the high five was invented for the end of a Portes du Soleil mountain bike run.
Back on the chairlift, bike swinging companiably to my right, I hear a rumble of thunder as clouds roll in. This time I know better than to think I’ll stay dry.
More fun for the girls on two wheels
Forest Freeride, Powys, Wales
These weekend courses in the Llanbrynmair forest are aimed at those with some experience of mountain biking who want to progress to the next level. They cover confidence at speed and the all-important cornering technique. Accommodation and bike hire can be arranged. The next course is 22-23 August, price £110.
• 01650 521301; forestfreeride.co.uk
Whistler Bike Park, Canada
This is where mountain biking gets serious. If you love life on full suspension, you will have to make the trip to Whistler at some point. Luckily Monday and Wednesday nights are women-only sessions, where females of all abilities can learn from experienced riders, guides and pros. If you want to push your riding, this is the place to be. A lift ticket plus the services of a guide costs from $27 (£15) a night until 7 September. Nights run from 6pm to 8pm.
• 00 1 604 904 8134; whistlerbike.com
Over the Bars Camp, Snowmass, Colorado
With pro riders and ex-racers on hand as instructors, your chances of going over the bars are pretty minimal. This five-day camp is aimed at intermediates and advanced riders, and spends two days honing fast downhill skills. But it also indulges your girly side with yoga and massage sessions. Prices from $1,200 (£729). The next camp is in June 2010.
• 00 1 208 709 8141; womensmountainbikecamp.com
Highlands and Islands Adventures, Cairngorms
As well as running women-only skills days in the Cairngorms, using the expertise of local rider Cat Shearer, Highlands and Islands will tailor any itinerary to remove the testosterone and add a bit of girly luxury. Prices and dates vary.
• 01463 239716; handiadventures.co.uk
• The next Dirtgirls (020 8123 5654; flowmtb.com) course runs from 15-22 August, and costs €800, including accommodation, breakfast and dinner, lift pass and transfers from Geneva
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Wiggins makes hay but Contador flies
July 23rd, 2009 |
No Comments
• Wiggins goes fourth after stage 18
• Contador wins time trial to increase his lead
“Time is my everything,” Bradley Wiggins tapped out on his Twitter site a couple of hours before the start of race today’s against the clock, quoting Ian Brown, the former lead singer of the Stone Roses, but it was not destined to be a day on which the clock became his plaything.
After losing the advantage of a promising start to a 40km time trial around Lake Annecy, however, he did well enough to ensure that he ended the day in fourth position in the general classification of the Tour de France, two places above his standing when he rolled down the starting ramp.
The time trial is his speciality, its disciplines honed during his reign as the world’s finest individual pursuit rider, and the course, including a third-category climb, appeared to be made for him. But, like all the contenders for the overall victory, he was outshone by a staggering ride from Alberto Contador, who took over the maillot jaune in Verbier last Sunday and used today’s stage 18 to make it virtually certain that he will wear it all the way to Paris this weekend.
Starting last, Contador was a yellow-clad streak of lightning cutting through the heavy air on a day when thunder rumbled in the surrounding mountains. Much earlier in the day the Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara, the Olympic time trial champion, set an impressive time of 48min 33sec and appeared to have secured a repeat of his victory in the opening stage in Monaco. But when Contador arrived at the first check-point, after 18km, the stopwatch suggested that he was moving in another dimension.
Inevitably his exertions took a toll, and his margin over the field gradually diminished as he circled the lake, but he came home in a time three seconds faster than that of the Swiss rider, with Wiggins, the closest of the challengers to his overall leadership, a further 40sec behind.
It was a demonstration worthy of his compatriot Miguel Indurain, a prodigious time trial performer who won the Tour five times in a row between 1991 and 1995, and on Sunday there will surely be a second victory in three years for Contador.
He explained that he had eased up towards the end of Wednesday’s stage, when he and the Schlecks were climbing the Col de la Colombière, in order to conserve his energy for the time trial. “That was an important factor,” he said.
He had started off thinking only of preserving his leadership, but when he saw his time at the top of the hill he decided to go for the stage win. “I knew Cancellara had gained a lot of time on the descent,” he said, “so I focused on going down the other side of the climb as fast as possible.”
The Schleck brothers, whose combined assault on Wednesday had lifted them to second and third places overall, experienced mixed fortunes. Neither is a time trial expert but, while the elder, Frank, lost 2min 34sec to Contador and dropped to sixth in the standings, the younger, Andy, limited his deficit on the day to 1min 45sec and held on to his second position, now 4min 11sec behind the yellow jersey, as a reward.
“I didn’t lose too much,” the 24-year-old Luxemburger said with a relieved smile at the end of a day that might have brought much worse news. He emphasised that he and his brother are looking forward to Saturday, when the race’s penultimate stage takes the riders up the Mont Ventoux, where they will again be hoping to use their climbing skills to isolate and attack Contador.
On the day Lance Armstrong announced that the principal sponsor of his new team will be RadioShack, a US chain of electronics stores, the seven-times winner failed to respond to signals and could finish no higher than 16th, 1min 30sec behind Contador. Frank Schleck’s bad display, however, lifted Armstrong to third place in the standings, 1min 14sec behind the younger Schleck but now a mere 11sec ahead of Wiggins.
The Englishman’s performance was clearly compromised by his earlier labours in the Pyrenees and the Alps, where he kept pace with the world’s greatest climbers. He was always likely to be presented with a bill, and it arrived on the Côte de Bluffy where he began to struggle.
His start had been fast enough to raise hopes of an ideal way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the last time the Tour stopped by the side of this lake in the Haute-Savoie, when a stage from Annecy to Chalon-sur-Saone was won by Brian Robinson. That day the Yorkshireman was following up his achievement of the previous year when he had become the first British rider to win a Tour stage.
Wiggins has yet to join the list of Britain’s Tour de France laureates, but one of them, his current Garmin-Slipstream colleague David Millar, did not stint with his praise. “If you’d asked me three years ago whether Brad would have been in contention going up the mountains, I’d have said no,” the Scot announced after coming in with a time good enough for fifth place on the day, two seconds ahead of Wiggins. “But after seeing his determination and how hard he’s worked to be in such great physical condition, I’m proud to call him a team-mate. He inspires me.”
Saturday’s rolling stage from Bourgoin-Jallieu to Aubenas is likely to be a day of recovery rather than inspiration for those still in contention for a place on the podium, before the Giant of Provence discloses how much Wiggins, Armstrong, Andy Schleck and Andreas Kloden have left in the tank. The man in yellow, however, appears to be away and gone.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Live text – Tour de France
July 23rd, 2009 |
No Comments
Stage 18 – Annecy time trial, 40.5km
LATEST ACTION (all times BST)
606: DEBATEYour thoughts on the action
To get involved use 606 or text us your views & comments on 81111 and put "Cycling" at the start of them. (Not all contributions can be used)
By Chris Bevan
1249: Mikhail Ignatiev’s time will probably be good enough to keep him out in front for a good while longer, but I’ll keep an eye on Fabian Cancellara’s progress (he’s just started) and Britain’s David Millar too (he starts in five minutes).1245: TOP FIVE FINISHERS (53 out of 158 riders have completed the course):
1. Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus/Katusha) 48 minutes and 46 seconds
2. Stef Clement + 1 min 22 secs
3. Bert Grabsch (Ger/Columbia) + 1 min 23 secs
Lance Armstrong on Twitter: "Watch Kloden fly today…"
1242: Both Wiggo and Lance Armstrong will be confident of making up time on the Schleck brothers today – neither Andy or Frank are renowned time triallers. But who does Lance think will shine around Annecy…1240: So, what do you lot think Wiggo is capable of today… Can he really make the top three in Paris
1238: From Dan in Leicester, via text on 81111:"Watch out for Andreas Kloden today, could surprise a few people."
1233: TOP FIVE FINISHERS (35 out of 158 riders have completed the course):
1. Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus/Katusha) 48 minutes and 46 seconds
2. Bert Grabsch (Ger/Columbia) + 1 min 23 secs
3. Niki Terpstra + 1min 59 secs1227: And, of course, who is in possession of the jerseys:
TOUR DE FRANCE 2009 AFTER STAGE 17:
Yellow jersey: Alberto Contador (Spa/Astana)
Green jersey: Thor Hushovd (Nor/Cervelo)
Polka dot jersey: Franco Pellizotti (Ita/Liquigas)
White jersey: Andy Schleck (Lux/Saxo Bank)
1225: Just a reminder of how things stand at the top of the GC….
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 17:
1. Alberto Contador (Spa/Astana) 72 hrs 27 mins 09 seconds
2. Andy Schleck (Lux/Saxo Bank) + 2 mins 26 secs
3. Frank Schleck (Lux/Saxo Bank) + 3 mins 25 secs
4. Lance Armstrong (USA/Astana) + 3 min 55 secs
5. Andreas Kloden (Ger/Astana) + 4 mins 44secs
6. Bradley Wiggins(GB/Garmin) + 4 min 53 secs
1220: Tpott55 on 606:"Black clouds over the lake and a good chance for rain. Ignatiev quickest so far by a couple minutes, expect the quickest time to be low 46′s or maybe high 45′s. My tip for today will have to be split, either Contador or Cancellara."1218: And some other riders worth watching out for:
Fabian Cancellara 1242
David Millar 1256
Charles Wegelius 1325
Cadel Evans 1422
Nicolas Roche 1438
1216: Here’s the departure times (BST) of all the big-hitters in the General Classification today:
Vincenzo Nibali 1529
Bradley Wiggins 1532
Andreas Kloden 1535
Lance Armstrong 1538
Frank Schleck 1541
Andy Schleck 1544
Alberto Contador 1547
1214: The lower-ranked riders in the General Classification started out on the time trial a couple of hours ago – I’ll bring you the top five finishers so far soon, but first news of Mark Cavendish – He is 23rd out of 35 finishers so far, with a time of 54 minutes. Fastest so far is Russia’s Mikhail Ignatiev, who clocked 48 minutes and 46 seconds.
1211: BBC Radio 5 Live’s Alex Murray on 606:"Reports from out on the course (twittering journos mainly) suggest it could be windy out on the course with potential for rain which will have an effect on times."
1210: Today’s route is a 40.5km circuit of the picturesque Lake Annecy – the first 25km are flat, followed by a climb up the Col de Bluffy and a descent to the finish. There are time checks at 18km (Doussard) and 28.5km.
1208: Yep, Britain’s Bradley Wiggins will look at Thursday’s time trial around Lake Annecy as a way of boosting his hopes of a place on the podium in Paris. Wiggo slipped from third to sixth overall after Wednesday’s gruelling stage from Bourg St Maurice to Le Grand Bornard, where the Schleck brothers (Andy and Frank) – plus Andreas Kloden – leapfrogged him in the General Classification.
But he has a chance of repairing some, if not all, of that damage today…
1205 BST: Right then. It’s time to find out whether Wiggo has got anything left in the tank after his efforts in the Alps…<br/
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Jens Voigt crash in Stage 16 of the Tour de France
July 21st, 2009 |
No Comments
BOURG-SAINT-MAURICE, France (AP) — Alberto Contador rode hard to keep the Tour de France’s yellow jersey in the Alps on Tuesday, while teammate Lance Armstrong produced a dazzling burst of speed to remain in second place.
Mikel Astarloza of Spain won the 16th stage, a 99-mile route from the Swiss town of Martigny to Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Contador [...]
Tour de france stage 16
July 21st, 2009 |
No Comments
SION, Switzerland (AP) — The tension with Lance Armstrong is all but gone in the crisp mountain air and the line of authority is clear. Now, Alberto Contador wants to concentrate on those teams intent on seizing his Tour de France lead.
The Spaniard used Monday’s rest day to lay out his plan of attack to [...]
Flintoff vows to finish the job
July 20th, 2009 |
No Comments
• Relive all the final-day drama with our Lord’s video highlights
• Andrew Strauss hails ‘magnificent’ Flintoff after 115-run win
These are the days where the sporting gods are cruel. They dare to spin dreams and then crush them. First Tom Watson at Turnberry, and Lance Armstrong in the Alps, and now Australia at the English citadel they have made impregnable for the past three-quarters of a century. Australia, who even with innermost turmoils, never ever display anything but the utter conviction of their right to dominate, arrived here today believing they could overturn a century and more of Test history and with an unfeasible run chase to win a match that was unwinnable.
One hundred and five minutes later they were all out for 406, England triumphant by 115 runs, and the dream lay in tatters, blown away by a raging bull called Flintoff, in his Lord’s Test match swansong, and an upstart Swann having the time of his life. Andrew Flintoff rampaged in from the Pavilion end unchanged and unbowed since he took the new ball six overs before the close of play on Sunday. The three wickets he took today, beginning with that of Brad Haddin with his fourth ball and without addition to the score, and ending when he uprooted the stumps of Peter Siddle, gave him morning figures of 10-1-43-3 and five for 92 in all, the third five-wicket haul of his Test career and his first since The Oval against this same opposition four years ago. If he milked each wicket for all it was worth, hamming it up for the crowd, posturing and posing, then this was glorious teeth-jarring fast bowling, not a thing of beauty but driven by brute force and personality.
At one time, Andrew Strauss, sensing his steam running out, and wishing to protect him from himself, tried to suggest he might hand over to another. The captain was forced to hold his hands up in reluctant acceptance of the inevitable: he might as well have tried to stop the tide. Those who know Flintoff understand that the announcement of his retirement from Tests at the end of this series would impel him to greater things and, through him, perhaps the team. It has proved thus. He has earned a place on both bowling and batting honours boards, a double given to very few.
It was Graeme Swann, though, who cleared the passage to the win and then administered the coup de grâce. For more than five hours Michael Clarke had batted sublimely, and now he had the chance to complete one of the finest match-winning innings in history. Jimmy Anderson’s urgent opening burst had been repelled, and now Strauss turned not to another seamer but to Swann, whose Ashes debut jitters in Cardiff had held him back. Clarke had played him beautifully, twinkling feet and deft angles. This time he danced down to the second ball which drifted away from him at the last moment, eluded the outside edge before spinning back to hit off-stump.
The off-spinner kept his nerve at the end, too, when Mitchell Johnson, a bowler in tatters but dangerous batsman with a Test hundred in South Africa and now 63 good runs to his name, had licence to throw the bat in one last effort. Swann fired one in flatter, through the arc of the swing and took out middle. Four for 87 was his reward and proof that off-spin should not just be bowled dogmatically from the Pavilion end: if it spins it will turn up the slope sufficient enough while the same slope will help an armball.
If England leave here with some concerns, and will certainly consider a change for the third Test at Edgbaston in days time – probably in the form of Steve Harmison for Graham Onions – then it is Australia who are in disarray. Their batting is sound, although the manner in which Phillip Hughes has been hounded and harried makes the lack of a third opener in the touring party a concern, sound enough indeed to make 674 for five in Cardiff and 406 in the fourth innings here.
The bowling, though, is a disaster, with Johnson’s timing, an essential ingredient in an unorthodox method, totally out of kilter and his confidence in the basement, while Siddle has huffed and puffed but blown down only Swann’s Cardiff house. They have few places to which to turn with Brett Lee unlikely to play in the game against Northamptonshire that starts on Friday and therefore too high a risk for Edgbaston, and the need to retain Johnson if the lower order is not to be weakened, but to have the option of a fourth seamer should his woes continue. The performance of the all-rounder Shane Watson will be intriguing for he might be pencilled in to replace Marcus North at six and bring a further bowling option.
Hindsight for England says that Harmison would have been a decent pick for this match, his pace and bounce a better option than Onions, who could not quite find the consistency of line and length that can create pressure and bring wickets. He cannot be expected to blast out batsmen. Edgbaston may not offer steepling bounce but no Australian batsman will relish the prospect of Harmison at the top of his game.
Meanwhile, there is the chance now to rest and recuperate: Flintoff his knee, the toss up being whether it is his knee or his gin and tonic which receives the most ice; Kevin Pietersen his achilles tendons that so restricted him in this match; Onions his sore elbow that kept him from the field on the fourth evening. And for Ravi Bopara to reflect that style is no substitute for substance. He has much to learn if No3 is to be his position.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds