Sport

America’s Cup: Saddling up on the high seas – the life of a cyclor

Published

2 hours ago

September 20, 2024

America's Cup: Saddling up on the high seas - the life of a cyclor

The races take place across head-to-head events that are split into two parts.

The first part – the Louis Vuitton Cup – determines which of five challengers will face this year’s defending champion Emirates Team New Zealand in the second, the America’s Cup itself.

Races take approximately 25 minutes and this year start in August and end in October.

Endurance is the key metric for cyclors, who need to be able to consistently produce a high wattage during the races themselves and maintain their form across 10 weeks.

“We just want a huge reliable engine for the three months that we’re going to be racing,” Van Velthooven says.

“Big days are big days and easy days are still big days because they still need heaps of power. It’s relentless.”

The UK’s Ineos Britannia team, led by Sir Ben Ainslie, might not have recruited professional cyclists to their crew like some of their rivals but they have the next best thing – an affiliation with the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team, formerly Team Sky and winner of seven Tours de France.

Matt Gotrel is part of Ineos Britannia’s crew. This year will be his second America’s Cup, but his first as a cyclor rather than grinder. A former Olympic gold medal-winning rower, having been part of Great Britain’s eight at Rio 2016, Gotrel has found it a “big challenge” to train a different muscle group, even if recreationally he considered himself a cyclist already.

“As rowers, we had an upside-down pyramid [body shape] before, but it’s flipped around now,” Gotrel says.

As grinders, his crew would aim to produce 400 watts of power over 20 minutes. As cyclors they are now “well north of that”.

Training for the past two years has predominantly taken place on the road or in the gym, rather than on water. Volume blocks can consist of four to six-hour-long rides, three times a week, interspersed with high-intensity intervals on a static bike and weight training.

Gotrel, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, compares powering the boats in a race to a cycling time trial, but with repeated sprint efforts throughout.

“You want to have a really good aerobic base where you can sit at as high a power as possible without producing too much lactate, and then you have your big spikes and need to be able to recover from those,” he says.

The connection to Ineos’ cycling team has been a “massive” resource for Gotrel and his fellow cyclors, enabling them to share training and nutritional insight on a training camp in Spain together.

“I had a chat with [sprinter Elia] Viviani about some sprinting technique, and then there are Filippo Ganna and Dan Bigham who have been really good on some of the strategy and fuelling things and what they did to push on the hour record,” says Gotrel

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Sport

NFL: Aaron Rodgers helps New York Jets beat New England Patriots

Published

19 mins ago

September 20, 2024

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NFL: Aaron Rodgers helps New York Jets beat New England Patriots

Aaron Rodgers starred for the New York Jets in their dominant 24-3 home victory against the New England Patriots.

The 40-year-old threw for two touchdowns in his first start at the Jets’ MetLife Stadium since he suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon on his debut one year ago.

Rodgers, named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player four times during his long career with the Green Bay Packers, was given a warm reception in the Jets’ first home game of the season.

“I felt pretty good. I was doing some things I did as a younger man,” Rodgers said.

“I feel great to be able to play an entire game in front of our amazing fans.”

In their opening two games of the new season the Jets lost at the San Francisco 49ers before winning at the Tennessee Titans.

Rodgers, who made his return to action in the opening-weekend loss in San Francisco, completed 27 of 35 passes for 281 yards on Thursday.

He had a stellar career with Green Bay, helping them win the Super Bowl in 2011, before a surprise trade was agreed with the Jets last year.

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Sport

Australia head coach Graham Arnold resigns

Published

40 mins ago

September 20, 2024

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Australia head coach Graham Arnold resigns

Australia head coach Graham Arnold has resigned as it is the “best for the nation” after a poor start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying.

The 61-year-old ends his six-year second stint in the job, following a shock 1-0 defeat by Bahrain at home before drawing 0-0 against Indonesia.

The Socceroos are now looking to appoint a permanent replacement before their next World Cup qualifier at home to China on 10 October.

“I said after our game against Indonesia that I had some decisions to make, and after deep reflection, my gut has told me it’s time for change,” Arnold said in a statement.

“I’ve made the decision to resign based upon what’s best for the nation, the players and Football Australia.

“I’ve given absolutely everything I can to the role, and I am immensely proud of what has been achieved during my tenure.”

Arnold led Australia to the last 16 of the World Cup in Qatar where they were knocked out of the tournament by winners Argentina, with Football Australia chief executive James Johnson recently backing the Australian to get back on track.

The former Socceroos striker was appointed assistant coach of Australia in 2000 and then served as interim boss for a year after Dutchman Guus Hiddink left in 2006.

He returned to the national side in 2018 as coach after a disappointing World Cup campaign in Russia saw Australia finish bottom of Group C.

Despite initially backing Arnold, Johnson thought he had “run out of gas” and hopes the replacement can still guide Australia to the World Cup.

The Socceroos sit fifth in their Asian qualifying group, with only the top two teams from each group heading directly to the World Cup staged across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

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Football

Dave King challenges Rangers to meeting over chairmanship – Scottish gossip

Published

48 mins ago

September 20, 2024

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Dave King challenges Rangers to meeting over chairmanship - Scottish gossip

Dave King, Rangers’ largest shareholder, has challenged the current board to call an emergency meeting to let shareholders decide who should succeed John Bennett as chairman after the South Africa-based businessman’s offer to return to the role was given short shrift by fellow directors. (Record), external

Former manager Steven Gerrard did not want to leave Rangers to join Aston Villa when the Premier League club approached him in November 2021, King, has claimed. (Herald – subscription), external

Rangers’ commercial revenue could increase to around £30m next season after agreeing two new deals, an extension with the Kindred Group for the Unibet brand to continue as the club’s front-of-shirt sponsor in addition to Elior becoming their new food and beverage partner. (Football Insider), external

Meanwhile, Rangers’ biggest-ever shirt sponsorship deal, which will enjoy an increase of £1.5m per year to nearly £3m if all targets are met, was more than matched by city rivals Celtic in one game this week in the Champions League. (Record), external

Former Rangers and Scotland Under-21 striker Dapo Mebude will be given the chance to impress in Dunfermline Athletic’s reserve game against Falkirk next week as the 23-year-old continues to train with the Scottish Championship club after leaving Oostende. (Courier – subscription), external

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Sport

Rory Gallagher: Former Derry GAA manager intends to return

Published

1 hour ago

September 20, 2024

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Rory Gallagher: Former Derry GAA manager intends to return

Former Derry GAA manager Rory Gallagher has said he “fully intends” to return to inter-county management in a statement issued by his solicitors.

Gallagher was “temporarily debarred” from the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in September 2023 after Ulster GAA asked an independent panel to investigate claims of abuse made by Gallagher’s estranged wife Nicola Gallagher.

Gallagher, who stepped back as Derry boss in May 2023, challenged his ban and the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA), an independent arbitration body, found in Gallagher’s favour following a hearing on 1 February.

“There is no legal impediment to our client undertaking or accepting a role as a GAA Senior Football manager,” a statement from Gallagher’s solicitors Phoenix Law read.

“Our client fully intends to return to inter county management in the near future.

“Two separate investigations have led – rightly – to decisions by the PPS not to prosecute. Mr Gallagher has not been charged with a single offence,” the statement continued.

More to follow

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Sport

Sir Alex Ferguson on helping families affected by dementia

Published

1 hour ago

September 20, 2024

NewsAdmin

Sir Alex Ferguson on helping families affected by dementia

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Women’s Super League predictions: Can anyone stop Chelsea?

Published

2 hours ago

September 20, 2024

NewsAdmin

Women's Super League predictions: Can anyone stop Chelsea?

The Women’s Super League returns this weekend and Chelsea are aiming to win a sixth title in a row – but can anyone stop them?

New manager Sonia Bompastor is hoping to pick up her first WSL title but Manchester City, who lost out on goal difference last season, will want revenge.

With Crystal Palace joining the top flight and others spending big money in the summer transfer window, it promises to be another rollercoaster campaign.

Some of BBC Sport’s pundits have predicted their top three for the 2024-25 campaign, along with who they think will be relegated, while Emma Sanders tries to predict where each team will finish this season.

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