Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Banks is selected by the Minnesota Vikings as the number 18 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings made a somewhat controversial pick in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, picking defensive tackle Caleb Banks at No. 18. The selection turned heads because Banks’s recent injury history had shoved his draft stock into Round 2 on most draft big boards, and few expected a team to pick him in Round 1. But the Vikings die precisely that — and the naysayers are already panning the choice.
National voices wasted no time picking apart the selection and questioning Minnesota’s approach.
The powers that be of NFL media lined up to trash the pick, not even 12 hours removed.
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Banks Faces Instant Pressure in Minnesota
Banks will have to prove people wrong.
Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks (88) meets with reporters during Pro Day at the Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL, March 26, 2026, offering insight into his development and draft outlook after a productive college career. Scouts evaluated his size, strength, and motor as he aims to climb late-round boards. Mandatory Credit: Alan Youngblood-Gainesville Sun.
Mel Kiper Jr. Unhappy about Banks to MIN
Kiper Jr. didn’t mince words, claiming he flat-out didn’t understand the Vikings’ thinking.
He wrote late Thursday night, “Big-time reach for me. Banks was No. 62 on my board, the biggest stretch of the night. Sure, there’s reason to believe this could work out for the Vikings. Banks can stop running backs in their tracks, and he gets enough interior push to be a factor in the pass rush.”
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“He moves well for a 6-foot-6, 327-pounder. But he has been dealing with a foot injury for a while now, and he just had surgery on it after the Combine. A lot of risk here, even if Banks healthy and at his best can shore up the interior. This was made worse by the fact that safety Dillon Thieneman was still on the board.”
Banks lived at No. 44 on the Consensus Big Board, meaning Minnesota could have, in theory, traded down near that spot to get Banks and stockpiled a 2nd-Round pick, according to trade chart value. Instead, interim general manager Rob Brzezinski drafted Banks at No. 18.
Kiper Jr. continued, “Everyone thought that pairing made sense. Harrison Smith is still uncertain to return for 2026, and even if he comes back, he’s 37 years old. Thieneman would have been perfect in Brian Flores’ defense. Not sure I understand this one.”
Thieneman ended up in Chicago and will play against the Vikings at least twice annually.
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CBS Sports Assigns’ D’ Grade
Kiper Jr. wasn’t alone with disdain. CBS Sports‘ Mike Renner assigned a ‘D’ mark to the draft pick and noted, “Banks is the most prodigious physical talent in this defensive tackle class. At 6-foot-6, 327 pounds with an over 7-foot wingspan, when he fires off low into contact, he’s nearly impossible to block.”
“The worry is that we never saw it consistently before his 2025 season was cut short with a foot injury that required surgery. He then had another foot surgery after an injury suffered during the combine week. That’s a big swing for the Vikings to take at 18.”
The grade represented the single-lowest grade handed out by Renner all evening. In short, he claims the Vikings’ draft pick was horrid.
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USA Today Unimpressed
Ready for more? USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz followed suit, grading Minnesota’s selection of Banks as a ‘C.’
Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks (DL02) gets set to run the 40-yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, IN, Feb. 26, 2026, as evaluators track his explosiveness and speed metrics at Lucas Oil Stadium. The drill offered a key look at his athletic profile entering the draft cycle. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
“It’s easy to see the appeal of Banks, a 6-6, 327-pound interior force with unparalleled explosion off the ball. Yet Banks has been waylaid by multiple foot injuries in the last year, and staying healthy could be a considerable concern,” he opined.
“Banks also struggles to finish plays as a tackler once he gets in range of a ball carrier. There’s massive upside here for him to thrive in Brian Flores’ scheme, but this could also go awry if Banks can’t become a consistent performer.”
Middlehurst-Schwartz rendered four C-or-lower grade, and the Vikings grabbed one.
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Why Folks Are Low on Banks
When the draft cycle began in December and January, Banks was envisioned by the draft community as a 1st-Round pick. He has a boom-or-bust trajectory in the pros. Banks even cooked at the Senior Bowl, and right after that event, mock drafts placed him in the back half of Round 1. Life was good.
Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Banks (88) pressures Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) during a rivalry matchup in Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 28, 2023, showcasing his ability to collapse the pocket against top competition. Georgia secured a 43-20 win, but Banks flashed disruptive traits throughout the contest. Mandatory Credit: Corey Perrine-Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
Fast forward to the NFL Combine, and Banks broke a bone in his foot, sending his draft profile to Round 2, and he never left that spot. In fact, his stock fell each week, as no one knew whether the guy who played through injuries in 2025 would be trustworthy after a broken foot at the Combine.
Banks then became a possible Vikings’ draft target in Round 2, not Round 1. For example, Minnesota will pick 49th on Friday night. One week ago, Banks graced Vikings mock drafts at that spot. Minnesota picked him in Round 1 instead.
So, Banks has a familiar mission ahead of him: play well, stay healthy, and no one will care in two years where he was drafted.
One of Anthony Joshua‘s most fierce rivals has sent a warning to the British heavyweight.
Joshua is expected to fight twice this year, first in a warm-up in the summer and then in a long-awaited showdown against Tyson Fury towards the end of the calendar.
However, following the comeback of ‘The Gypsy King’ earlier this month, all signs are pointing to one of the biggest fights in the history of British boxing, with Fury vs Joshua now back on the cards and reportedly nearing an agreement.
First, Joshua hopes to shake off any ring rust by returning to fight in the summer, but he will presumably pick an opponent whom he does not believe can scupper plans for a Fury fight, but also one that properly motivates him.
Therefore, Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller could make for the perfect dance partner given their rivalry which was birthed ahead of their scheduled meeting in 2019, before Miller tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Speaking to Matchroom, with whom Miller has recently teamed up with, the American told Joshua that he is going to get ‘whooped’ sooner or later.
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“[Your] a** whooping gon’ come sooner or later. You can run, but you can’t hide.”
Former Indian men’s hockey team player Gurbax Singh Grewal, a member of the bronze medal-winning squad at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, passed away on Friday evening at the age of 84 following a heart attack.
Grewal breathed his last at his residence in Zirakpur, near Chandigarh. The 1984 Olympics bronze medallist was born on April 1, 1942, in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad in Pakistan). Grewal was known as a pacey forward who represented India at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968, where the team secured a bronze medal.
He also had the rare distinction of playing alongside his brother, Balbir Singh Grewal, at the same Olympic Games, marking a special moment in Indian hockey history, according to Olympics.com.
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In his early 20s, Gurbax Singh Grewal shifted to Mumbai to pursue his hockey career and went on to represent Western Railways, where he established himself as a notable player.
After hanging up his boots, Grewal remained closely associated with the sport, taking up coaching roles and guiding several Mumbai-based teams over the years.
He also served as the Honorary Secretary of the Mumbai Hockey Association, contributing significantly to the administrative and developmental side of hockey in the region.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of Olympian Gurbax Singh Grewal. A proud member of the Indian team that clinched bronze at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Gurbax ji served Indian hockey with immense dedication both on and off the field. From representing the nation with pride to contributing to the sport’s growth as Honorary Secretary of the Mumbai Hockey Association, his legacy will always be remembered. Hockey India extends heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time,” Hockey India shared a post on X, while condoling the Olympian’s death.
Invincible Showdown codes present you with an easy way to earn a few extra freebies without grinding. When redeemed, these codes grant you Cash, which you can use to buy various goodies from the in-game shop. The code redemption system is accessible to all players regardless of their current progress level.
This article lists all active codes for Invincible Showdown and goes over how to use them in-game.
Bookmark this article to access the latest Roblox game codes in Invincible Showdown. We’ll keep updating the page whenever new codes for Invincible Showdown are issued.
Active Invincible Showdown codes
Active codes for Invincible Showdown (Image via Roblox)
The following Invincible Showdown codes can be used to redeem freebies like Cash and Spins:
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List of active Invincible Showdown codes
Code
Rewards
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KAIDO
1,000 Cash (Latest)
UPDATETWO
500 Cash (Latest)
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UPDATE2SOON
500 Cash
100KLIKES
3x Spins
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How to redeem active Invincible Showdown codes
How to redeem codes in Invincible Showdown (Image via Roblox || Sportskeeda)
Redeeming codes in Invincible Showdown is straightforward, as detailed below:
Launch the game on the Roblox Player app.
Hit the “Play” button on the title screen to load into the game world.
Once in the game world, click the “Rewards” button to open a sub-menu.
In the ensuing sub-menu, select “Codes” to access the code box.
Enter an active code in the box and press “Redeem Code” to receive the associated prizes.
Repeat for all active codes.
Note that to claim the prizes offered by codes in this title, you need to join the Invincibly Roblox group, the game’s official Roblox group. You also need to Like the game to be able to access the code redemption system.
Invincible Showdown code rewards importance
Codes for Invincible Showdown and their importance (Image via Roblox)
Codes for Invincible Showdown offer two main resources: Spins and Cash.
Spins can be used to perform rolls on the massive Spin board in the game’s lobby. This can potentially yield useful resources like Cash, special Skins, and more. As for Cash, you can use money at the in-game shop to unlock a variety of new gameplay elements, including Skins, Finishers, Emotes, and more.
Below is a list of codes that no longer work in Invincible Showdown:
List of inactive Invincible Showdown codes
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Code
Rewards
SRYFORSHUTDOWN1
Freebies
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SORRYFORDELAY
Freebies
BattleBeastOTW
Freebies
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HappyNewYears!
Freebies
PATCHBEFOREUPDATE
Freebies
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THXFOR15K
Freebies
Where to find new Invincible Showdown codes
New codes for Invincible Showdown are routinely posted on the game’s official Discord server. Otherwise, you can rely on this page for access to the newest codes in the game. We will update the active codes table the moment a fresh set is released.
FAQs on Invincible Showdown codes
What are the latest codes for Invincible Showdown?
The latest codes for Invincible Showdown are “KAIDO” and “UPDATETWO”.
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What are the main rewards for redeeming codes in Invincible Showdown?
The main rewards for redeeming codes in Invincible Showdown are Cash and Spins.
When does Invincible Showdown receive new codes?
New codes for Invincible Showdown are added during major updates, milestone achievements, and holidays.
Conor Benn could be set for a world title shot against Ryan Garcia, but there is one reigning world champion who claims that the Briton recently pulled out of a shot at his belt, despite ‘the whole deal being set up’.
Benn made his Zuffa Boxing debut earlier this month, outpointing Regis Prograis in a 150lb catchweight bout – his first contest below 154lbs in four years – and now looks poised to challenge for world honours as a welterweight.
Although, whilst his position as the WBC mandatory challenger has lined him up for a clash with Garcia, the WBA champion of the 147lb division, Rolando Romero, has claimed that Benn pulled out of a bid for his title.
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Speaking to Fight Hub TV, ‘Rolly’ explained why he doubts whether the Garcia fight will go ahead and revealed that he had been expecting to fight Benn, until ‘The Destroyer’ had a change of heart.
“Conor Benn ducked me, we had the whole deal set up, we were going to fight May 30 in New York for my world title and then he just disappeared out of nowhere.
Conor Benn was over there, begging for the fight with me. We had the whole deal set up, by the way, but he is over there in New York trying to cause all of that commotion and other stuff – he did it for clout. Same thing with this, he might be doing this with Ryan for clout too.
“They are over there trying to make all of this stuff, I don’t do that fake beef. That’s what throws me off, you go and do all of that fake beef and then you come over here, act like a big, tough guy, then you go run off and not fight.
“He might be doing that with Ryan, because Ryan would knock him out cold.”
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) drops back during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sep 29, 2024, scanning the field as he looks to deliver a pass early in the game while leading the offense in a road matchup. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images.
The NFL draft is in full bloom, and we’re here to deliver Minnesota Vikings-themed rumors right in the middle of it. Each weekend, we provided two batches of rumors; this is the first.
The post-draft rumor cycle is already moving.
After the draft, the Vikings will turn their sights to the NFL schedule release, organized team activities (OTAs), and minicamp.
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QB Chatter Takes Over Minnesota’s Latest Rumor Roundup
It’s the Purple Rumor Mill for April 25th, 2026.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) walks toward the locker room after a loss to Buffalo at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Dec 7, 2025, following a late-game swing in a 39-34 contest as Cincinnati’s offense came up short in a tightly contested AFC matchup. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-Imagn Images.
Rumor: If the Cincinnati Bengals cut ties with Joe Burrow in the 2027 offseason, the Vikings are a likely landing spot, according to Bleacher Report.
BR’s Moe Moton identified several trade landing spots for Burrow in 2027, in the event that the Bengals don’t reach the postseason, and the Vikings were on the list.
He wrote, “Among the possible landing spots, the Vikings would have the best structure in place for Burrow. He would reunite with his former LSU teammate, Justin Jefferson, who’s one of the league’s top receivers, easing the sting of leaving another star wideout, Ja’Marr Chase. Furthermore, as the Vikings’ lead skipper, Kevin O’Connell has won Coach of the Year and fielded a top-six passing offense in three of four seasons.”
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“Regardless of Murray’s performance in the upcoming term, the Vikings should monitor Burrow’s situation in Cincinnati. They would need to clear some cap space to offer him a deal comparable to what other teams with more financial flexibility can offer, though. Minnesota is projected to have slightly less than $50 million in cap space next offseason.”
The Burrow rumor will persist as long as Justin Jefferson remains in Minnesota, thanks to their strong LSU connection forged during their 2019 National Championship season. If Burrow is on the trade block, Minnesota will be whispered. Simple as that.
Rumor: Cris Carter believes J.J. McCarthy still has a path to the Vikings’ QB1 job.
Carter chatted with Heavy.com last week, and to the surprise of some, he dropped a flavorful McCarthy take.
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“J.J. McCarthy, he’s still going to get an opportunity because most quarterbacks aren’t going to stay healthy for 17 games, so there will be an opportunity for him not only to learn and get better, but also to watch and learn from a guy like Kyler Murray … But I’d expect Kyler to be the starter this season,” Carter said.
Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter watches pregame action at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Dec 23, 2019, observing the field before a matchup with the Green Bay Packers as the Hall of Famer returns to a familiar setting tied to his decorated NFL career. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports.
He noted on the Vikings’ offense, “Kevin O’Connell has proven with this offense when he’s had a healthy QB, he’s been able to win 12, 13, 14 games during the regular season. If you look at the nucleus of players they do have coming back … you’d have to be looking at the Vikings to be back in the playoffs and competing for the NFC.”
“Their offensive and defensive lines are more fortified than they were 2 years ago; they just need consistent quarterback play and the ability to allow that defense to be able to turn the ball over and get after the quarterback.”
Last year, Carter vocally criticized McCarthy, so when he struck a different chord this offseason, his argument resonated.
Murray has missed 26% of his career games due to injury. McCarthy, indeed, could get his chance in 2026.
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Rumor: Former Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones’s Achilles tendon recovery is on track — or even ahead of schedule.
NFL.com ran a comprehensive round on non-draft storylines, and for Indianapolis, the focus landed on a positive development involving Jones.
NFL.com’s staff collectively wrote, “QB Daniel Jones (Achilles) has begun throwing the football and is performing well on his dropbacks, head coach Shane Steichen told reporters Tuesday. Jones underwent surgery in early December after suffering the season-ending injury.”
The timeline often stretches close to a year for an Achilles recovery, which would put a November injury in jeopardy. Jones looks ahead of that curve based on the April update.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones (13) lines up against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Jan 13, 2025, focusing on the defense before the snap as Minnesota navigates a high-stakes postseason matchup. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder on Jones’s recovery: “The Colts have said throughout the offseason that they and their doctors believe a return for the start of the 2026 season is well within reason. To ensure that happens, the approach to Jones’ rehab has been an all-hands-on-deck approach for the organization.”
“To that end, Shane Steichen said he has consulted with Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens on how the team oversaw the Achilles recovery of Boston star Jayson Tatum, who sustained a torn Achilles in the 2025 postseason but has returned to the lineup and become a force for the Celtics. Both Tatum and Jones also shared the same surgeon for their Achilles repair.”
The Colts have Super Bowl odds similar to the Vikings’. They’re at +4000, and Minnesota checks in at +4500. Sportsbooks evidently believe Jones will be just fine.
LINCOLN, Ala. – NASCAR’s high-stakes Jack Links 500 race is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama, where 41 drivers will take on the league’s largest track in front of an estimated 100,000 race fans.
The legendary track attracts visitors from “all 50 states and multiple countries,” according to track officials.
“It’s like a vacation for them. There’s people that just see each other twice a year here, and they meet up here at Talladega Superspeedway,” Patrick Barfield, Senior Director of Venue Experience and Guest Services at Talladega Superspeedway, said. “They all have their little parties and groups, and it’s a great site.”
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Josh Harris, Regional President at Talladega Superspeedway, credits the charm of the track to its unpredictable pack racing at extreme speeds exceeding 200 mph. The track, at 2.66 miles, is the longest in the NASCAR Cup Series, and drivers must complete 188 laps to finish the 500-mile race.
Track officials expect about 100,000 fans to attend the Jack Links 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama.(FOX News)
“Everything’s just a little bit bigger here at Talladega, and that’s how we like it,” Harris said.
The Jack Links 500 is the tenth race in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series, and drivers are already fighting for their spot in the playoff standings.
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“Drivers are positioning themselves. They want to be in that top 16 come Daytona in August and be able to jump themselves into the chase,” Harris said.
Talladega is always challenging for drivers, according to Harris, both physically and mentally. As the NASCAR Cup Series continues into Spring and Summer, he said the inside of a race car can exceed 100 degrees on an 85-degree day.
Many fans, however, are taking advantage of the warm weather. Thousands of fans started camping outside the track and in the infield over the past week.
Riley Eubanks traveled from Indianapolis, Indiana, with his cousin and friend. The three of them are spending their first Talladega race together in a small tent inside turn one, living on “plenty of food and water” and a constant game of poker.
Some race fans started camping out in the infield of Talladega Superspeedway in the week leading up to the Jack Links 500. (FOX News)
“We spent hundreds, if not thousands on meat and plenty of water,” Eubanks said. “We’re able to provide food to others if they want to come by, but we have got plenty to eat here for a few days.”
Many fans said they were excited to see the track’s infamous 33-degree banking in its four turns, the steepest in stock car racing. The turns are engineered to allow drivers to maintain 200 miles per hour without losing traction.
Talladaga Superspeedway is home to the steepest banking in stock car racing with a 33 degree banking in its four turns. (FOX News)
“The coolest thing is getting over here and checking out how high up that wall really is. Seeing it for the first time. Just crash after crash over years. After years of watching, I got to see it,” Caleb Eubanks said.
Modern sport is obsessed with exclusive clubs: take tennis’ much-lauded ‘Big Three’, the all-conquering trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Cycling has various permutations that never quite stick: a Big Six, a Big Five, Big Four, and now increasingly – with Primoz Roglic in the somewhat drawn-out twilight of his career – a Big Three of Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel. Cycling’s problem is that Pogacar stands alone; a Big One is a daft idea.
But the last few weeks of ever-ratcheting hype have given rise to the idea that, if not now, certainly in the next couple of years, a new Big Two could dominate. And this weekend’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege is its first litmus test.
27-year-old Pogacar is in his prime, no longer the dazzling young upstart. His potential has been realised. But Paul Seixas? A wholly different story.
Some readers may not be familiar with the young Frenchman, although those numbers will be diminishing as rapidly as he pedals uphill. The 19-year-old only took his first WorldTour victory this month, at Itzulia Basque Country, a stage race in which he joined luminaries including Roglic, Juan Ayuso, and two other young sensations, Isaac del Toro and Florian Lipowitz on the start list. Del Toro was second in last year’s Giro d’Italia, Lipowitz third at the Tour de France; Seixas blew them all out of the water, winning the individual time trial, two gruelling mountain stages, and all four classifications, wearing yellow from stage two until the end.
His command of the race was astonishing, but it only confirmed what we already knew. Last autumn he was one of only 17 riders to finish a nasty edition of the European Championships, with 3,400m of climbing to surmount. He played a patient game then burst away to finish a clear third-best of the field, behind only Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel.
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This spring he finished second on the rolling Tuscan hills of Strade Bianche, then warmed up for Liege-Bastogne-Liege by winning this week’s La Fleche Wallonne, surging to victory on the infamous Mur de Huy, eating up its 15 per cent gradients with ease. It made him the youngest-ever winner of the Classic. Other records will inevitably follow. Evenepoel and Pogacar both opted to skip the race to conserve their energy for the weekend – but they will have been watching with interest.
Cycling is full of young prodigies who never quite live up to early hype – Cian Uijtdebroeks, who was the next best thing a couple of years ago before a troubling couple of seasons with illness and injury problems, is one such cautionary tale and another on the startlist in Belgium.
Seixas won three stages and all four classifications at Itzulia Basque Country (AFP via Getty Images)
But it’s hard not to get excited about Seixas.
The Decathlon CMA CGM rider has the weight of all of France’s hopes and expectations on his shoulders – and riding for a French team, it seems more and more likely that he will be thrust further into the spotlight with a first Tour start this summer. But he seems a measured and confident character despite the noise. He told The Athletic earlier this year: “I really need to stay calm because I guess there’s a lot of pressure on me. I take it as a positive effect, I manage it well,” and credited the “very wise” team around him for keeping him grounded.
He’ll need to be, because for all the hype, the youngster from Lyon still has a way to go. Pogacar, the three-time champion, remains the five-star favourite. The two-time world champion can so far reflect on a successful spring – a long-awaited Milan-San Remo triumph the highlight – but he was again thwarted in Paris-Roubaix and hasn’t looked quite as imperious as normal.
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Pogacar is back on firmer ground in Liege after being pipped for the second year in a row at Paris-Roubaix (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
But after the bone-battering rock slabs of northern France, we are now firmly back in Pogacar’s preferred territory: hills, hills, and more hills. Those of Liege-Bastogne-Liege are punchier than the climbs Seixas distinguished himself on in the Basque Country, but he showed a remarkable aptitude for them on the Mur de Huy. The teenager may not be best suited to this race now, but it offers another chance for him to test himself against the best on this terrain.
Two of the best, in fact: Pogacar and Seixas’ major competition on Sunday is Remco Evenepoel, arguably a better one-day racer than a Grand Tour rider despite his best efforts to get into Tour-winning shape. He has two wins from three starts at Liege-Bastogne-Liege and warmed up for it with a dominant performance at Amstel Gold last week, when he easily got the better of Mattias Skjelmose in a two-up sprint having done much of the heavy lifting until that point.
The Belgian’s positioning in races and his impetuosity sometimes work against him, but he appears to have gone some way recently to correcting these weaknesses, and if he can keep his head screwed on should be best placed to challenge Pogacar.
Amstel Gold winner Remco Evenepoel completes the line-up of favourites (ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
Normally Tom Pidcock would be a contender too, but after falling down a ravine at the Volta a Catalunya and sustaining bone bruising, ligament damage, and stress fractures to his tibia, 260km of flat-out racing may be a step too far. But the Brit – who returned less than four weeks after his crash, having been given an eight-week timeline for recovery – still won a stage at the Tour of the Alps this week and just having him back racing, after initial fears his entire season had been derailed, is promising.
But the focus this weekend will all be on two figures: Pogacar, and the gangly youngster hoping to shadow him. The final Monument of this spring, the coda to this part of the season, offers something of a prologue to cycling’s future. On the one side, Pogacar; on the other, life beyond Pogacar.
It may not arrive this weekend; Seixas has conceded himself he “doesn’t have the level” to beat the Slovenian. But it doesn’t mean we can’t await with bated breath what’s to come.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been named the 2025–26 NBA Most Improved Player.
The Atlanta Hawks guard receives the George Mikan Trophy after a significant jump in performance this season.
Alexander-Walker increased his scoring from 9.4 points per game last season to 20.8 this year, a rise of 11.4 points. That places him among a small group of players over the past few decades to make that level of jump while playing full seasons.
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He also becomes part of a notable run for Atlanta. Following Dyson Daniels, the Hawks are now the first team to produce back-to-back winners of the award.
The voting was decided by a panel of 100 media members, and had Alexander-Walker finishing ahead of Jalen Duren and Deni Avdija.
The award recognises the player who has shown the most progress over the season, and this year, that recognition goes to Alexander-Walker after a clear step forward in his game.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 24: Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts in front of Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics in the first quarter during game three of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Friday night in the NBA playoffs saw three Game 3 matchups, with all three road teams picking up wins to shift their series.
The Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-100 to take a 2-1 lead. Jayson Tatum led the way with 25 points and a good fourth quarter that helped Boston close out the game.
The Los Angeles Lakers edged the Houston Rockets 112-108 in overtime to move 3-0 up in the series. The Lakers came back late in the fourth quarter to force overtime before taking control. LeBron James finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, while Marcus Smart added 21 points and 10 assists.
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In the final game, the San Antonio Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-108 to take a 2-1 lead. Stephon Castle scored 33 points, while Dylan Harper added 27 points off the bench to lead the comeback after trailing in the second half.
These results mean Boston and San Antonio now lead their series 2-1, while the Lakers are one win away from advancing.
The stable of Ciaron Maher has dispatched Seraphox to Melbourne targeting a Stakes race which could provide various directions for the young horse.
In the Listed Anzac Day Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday, Seraphox arrives after two Sydney races, including a triumph at Warwick Farm last time out.
The colt impressed the Maher team sufficiently from the outset to launch him in the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill last month; he placed second last but trailed the winner by a mere four lengths.
Jack Turnbull, National Assistant Trainer at Ciaron Maher Racing, affirmed the high regard the stable has for the colt Seraphox.
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“He’s a beautiful horse,” Turnbull said.
“It’s the right trip and it’s the right time to bring him down.
“He debuted in a good race on a Saturday in Sydney and did a few things wrong, and then he won his maiden next time around.
“He’s been down here a couple of weeks, and he’s taken to the left-handed direction without a problem.
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“He’s a placid animal and has taken no extra work to settle him in, he’s been very natural and very straight forward.
“He will be a very interesting horse because he will continue to get better as he’s only young and whatever he does over 1400 (metres) you can potentially look to the spring, if he takes that step.”
Saturday’s performance will dictate the next steps for Seraphox, as per Turnbull, who hasn’t excluded a Brisbane trip over winter.
“There are races in Brisbane if we wanted to push on, or we could put him away and go through the pathway of trying to get him to the (Caulfield) Guineas in the spring,” Turnbull said.
From Sydney, two-year-old Nialah enters the Anzac Day Stakes having run third in her maiden debut at Wyong.
Nialah took a while to adapt and become race-ready, Turnbull observed.
“Early in her career she was very fast and fierce, but she’s settled a bit now and we were pleased with how she ran at Wyong,” Turnbull said.
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“Joe and the team up there in Sydney were pretty keen to step her up in trip, so she’s come down for an early chance at some Black Type.”
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