Paris-Roubaix is a bike race which rewards guile and experience, one for the battle-hardened pro rather than the wide-eyed youngster. Zoe Backstedt in some ways is both. At 21 she is among the peloton’s younger contingent – but she has an additional weapon in her arsenal: a family history of Paris-Roubaix going back more than 20 years.
Her father, Magnus Backstedt, took the biggest win of his career in the famous Roubaix velodrome in 2004; Zoe and older sister and fellow cyclist Elynor grew up re-watching, analysing and celebrating his race.
“It’s in the family to enjoy this race and to have a special connection to it,” the younger Backstedt tells The Independentover video call,a few days before the 2026 edition. “For me part of it is following what he’s done, and one day I would also like to have a cobblestone to go next to his.”
Magnus’ iconic cobblestone prize lives on a bookshelf in the Backstedt family living room, and his success means that Zoe not only knows the ins and outs of the race – it means she’s aware of what it feels like to lift the trophy, too. “I tell you, if you try and lift it above your head after a race, I don’t think I could do it,” she grins. “[The shelf] now has a dip in it, because it’s just that heavy.”
Magnus raced Paris-Roubaix eight times over the course of his career and has been imparting his wisdom ever since. “He’s told me every single story there is to tell about this race, about every single edition that he’s done, that it was dry, wet, different changes in the course, he knows everything. He knows where every single pothole is on the course, he could tell you literally to a T. So we’ve grown up learning this course as well, watching his race back because as a family, it makes us so proud of his achievement.”
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When we speak Backstedt is fresh from a team recon of five of the 20 cobbled sectors, which make up just over 33km of the 143km women’s race. Her Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto team rode the first three sectors, which are new to the course this year, and the infamous Carrefour de l’Arbre: the fourth-last sector and one of two rated five stars, the most gruelling of all.
“It’s like a two-parter, you have a really awful, aggressive part to start with, and then it goes across the road, you’ve got a nice” – she checks her wording – “nice, I don’t know, less aggressive sector with a bit of gravel on the side. I made the most of that today, saved myself from the cobblestones, and I’m going to go full in for those on Sunday.”
Paris-Roubaix is one of the most gruelling races on the cycling calendar (AFP via Getty Images)
The race sees the riders swap the cobbles of Flanders in the previous Monument for the harsher pavé of northern France (Belga/AFP via Getty Images)
Many riders speak about Paris-Roubaix with a mix of respect and dread – there’s an element of masochism to the race – but Backstedt relishes it. “Just out there having a bit of fun, and the sun was shining in France – not Belgium,” she says, with the air of someone who has made that mix-up before. “It was super nice to see a bit of the course again.”
Backstedt has ridden Paris-Roubaix three times, finishing 46th on her debut at age 18 and upgrading that to 16th in 2024 and 15th last year. And the Red Bull athlete has every reason to hope she can crack the top 10, or go a step further this time round.
She will be one of the in-form riders on the start line in Denain and impressed in the hilly Tour of Flanders – the only other cobbled Monument – last Sunday. She finished fifth, her best-ever result in the race, backing up a fourth place in Dwars door Vlaanderen a few days prior.
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The Welshwoman was part of an elite group including three-time Flanders winner Lotte Kopecky, eventual winner Demi Vollering and defending Paris-Roubaix champion champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot over the infamous Koppenberg hill, and later said she had “goosebumps” being in such elite company.
Backstedt has multiple junior and under-23 world titles to her name and is one of the in-form riders of the peloton heading to Paris-Roubaix (Kristof Ramon / Red Bull Content Pool)
She said: “I was really proud of myself. I really didn’t expect to go into the day with the legs that I had and to be able to go over all of these iconic climbs, going over the Koppenberg in the front group of ten, with Kopecky, [Elisa] Longo Borghini, those kinds of riders, and be almost fighting for a podium – that was not on my bingo card for the day!”
Even so, she isn’t satisfied, adding: “It was a shame that I missed those front three that went [Vollering, Ferrand-Prevot and Puck Pieterse, who completed the podium], but what can you do?”
That result means she is full of confidence ahead of Paris-Roubaix, and with good reason: as a former world junior and under-23 cyclo-cross champion, she is well suited to difficult terrain.
She says: “I think it’s a super useful skill to have, just knowing how to handle uneven surfaces and conditions that are very unpredictable, especially if there’s rain at some point, if the cobblestones become super slippery.”
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She was among an elite group of ten at the business end of last Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, won by Demi Vollering (Belga/AFP via Getty Images)
Her success against the clock – she has won both junior and under-23 world titles in time trials too – may also come in handy. “Time trialling is very much an individual pain, an individual effort. Cyclocross is the same: one hour, you’re not riding with any teammates, with tactics, you’re purely riding, constantly with a high heart rate, constantly thinking under pressure. And your whole body is completely dead at the end, the same feeling that I’d have at the end of a time trial.”
And the same as at the end of Paris-Roubaix. “It’s definitely one of those races that you hate in the moment,” she smiles. “And then once you cross the finish line, and you know that you can relax, it’s one of the nicest and most rewarding races. Even to finish, to finish first or last, is such a rewarding thing.
“Going across kilometres of cobblestones that you’re not naturally meant to do, it’s aggressive on your hands, on your legs, on your arms, on your body, all of your muscles are just so tense for four hours. I think that’s also what makes it one of my favourite races, it brings out the strongest riders. The ones that are the front are the ones that can handle all of the pain, that can handle everything that your body is going to go through.”
Backstedt’s cyclo-cross background could give her the edge on Sunday (Kristof Ramon / Red Bull Content Pool)
Unsurprisingly, she has high hopes for Sunday. “It’s my favourite race of the whole season, so I’m hoping that the team will give me the chance to be the leader,” she says frankly. “Of course the whole race is a little bit based on luck, you can have a puncture one kilometre before the most important sector, and then your whole race is done, or someone can crash in front of you. There’s so many unknowns that you can’t really go in with too much expectation.
“But for sure, I want to be better than last year. I mean, I would love to do a top five like I did on the weekend, but I know that’s also going to be hard, so no expectation, no pressure for myself. It’s just going and having fun, racing the bike, and see what I can do.”
And if the 21-year-old can come away with a slab of French rock it will be not just a triumph for her and the team, but for a family bound up in the history of this race, a triumph 22 years in the making.
Bath boss Johann van Graan has questioned why three “headshots” on No 8 Alfie Barbeary were not formally reviewed by the match officials in his side’s Investec Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Bordeaux Begles.
The defending champions set up a final against Leinster with a 38-26 win at the Stade Atlantique, pulling away in the second half in a hard-fought affair.
It was Bath’s first semi-final in the competition since 2006, and the game may have materialised differently had three possible high tackles been picked up, including one by influential scrum half Maxime Lucu.
Commentating on Premier Sports, former England internationals Andy Goode and Lawrence Dallaglio both questioned why pertinent replays did not appear to be made available to referee Nika Amashukeli and television match official (TMO) Ben Whitehouse.
And Van Graan felt that more needs to be done to ensure that all of the angles are there to be viewed.
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“I thought the officials did a fantastic job but there were three, we believe, headshots on Alfie in the 19th, 23rd and 42nd minutes,” said Van Graan.
“All that we as coaches, players, lovers of the game, ask is that there’s consistency right through every single game. I thought Nika Amashukeli did a fantastic job, and I thought Ben Whitehouse, the TMO, did the best that he could with the angles available to him. However, for such an amazing contest, we need to make sure they’ve got the footage they need.”
Johann van Graan was frustrated after Bath’s defeat (Getty)
Bath had hoped to remain in the hunt for a second European crown with victory in the city where they claimed their first against Brive in 1998, but fell short.
Fly half Finn Russell rued a number of “silly mistakes” after the reigning Gallagher Prem champions exited the competition.
“We’re gutted,” Russell told Premier Sports. “We went behind in the first half, got ourselves back in the second half but we just didn’t really take our chances in that game.
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“We gave them soft entries into our 22. There will be a lot of frustration from that game. I’m really proud of the boys, but there’s a lot of frustration from that. At this level you give soft penalties away and make silly mistakes you get punished for it.”
Finn Russell rued his side’s ‘silly mistakes’ (Getty)
Bordeaux Begles will bid to defend their title against Leinster in Bilbao on Saturday 23 May. Ulster will play Montpellier in the Challenge Cup final a night prior.
Cherie DeVaux made history on Saturday by becoming the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. However, with a horde of media surrounding her at her backside stable Sunday morning, she was quick to give the credit to jockey Jose Ortiz.
“It’s almost as if he could script it,” she said.
With an entry that’s known for being a closer, DeVaux said she did not mind Golden Tempo drawing an outside post. He got the 19th gate in the draw, but after scratches, he moved into the 16th. While a ways away from the rail, it helped the colt avoid much of the bumping between horses at the start as they work to get inside position.
DeVaux said she’s not one to give her riders many instructions before a race. She kept it simple: “Don’t overthink it. If you can get out, just get a clear path and make a run.”
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Mission accomplished, even if the horse doesn’t quite live up to his name.
“Golden Tempo doesn’t really give Jose any help by just falling back so far,” she added.
While the early front-runners posted blazing quarter times, Golden Tempo ran last in the field for the first three-quarters of a mile. However, as the speed faded, Ortiz had an easy route to the outside, and down the final stretch, he chased down Renegade, the bettors’ second choice, to win by a neck.
Another issue that may have been in Golden Tempo’s favor was not having to load into the gate a second time. That’s something several horses had to do after racing officials scratched Great White at the last minute for dumping jockey Alex Achard and falling over backward while being led to the gate.
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“It was a rough trip, everybody was all over the place,” said Luis Saez, who rode seventh-place finisher Commandment. “He ran pretty well and made a nice move, but it was just a tough race.”
Commandment, one of two Derby horses trained by Brad Cox, was the co-second choice in the morning line. At post time, he ended up being the fourth choice at 6-1. Cox’s other horse, Further Ado, ended up the slight favorite over Renegade, with both breaking at 5-1.
Renegade was the morning-line favorite, despite drawing the inside post – a position that had not produced a winner in 40 years. However, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt and Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose’s brother, did everything they could to make some history of their own.
“He got a little roughed and got pushed out of his position,” Pletcher said. “But he kept on going and made his run. He just didn’t get there today.”
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With the Kentucky Derby having the largest field of any U.S. thoroughbred race, longshots often find their way to the winner’s circle. Since 2019, the lowest payout for a $2 win ticket was Sovereignty last year, and his bettors still won $17.96.
One of the other big surprises Saturday was the bettors’ interest in So Happy. While he and jockey Mike Smith won the Santa Anita Derby, the colt was given morning line odds of 15-1. That was due primarily to his being sired by Runhappy, who was an excellent sprinter.
Bettors made him the third choice at 5-1.
So Happy stayed among the front pack for the first mile but faded down the stretch to finish ninth.
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“He just did too much early on, and we went too fast,” Smith said.
A TV licence is required to watch or record live TV on any channel or service in the UK or use BBC iPlayer. Income from the fee is largely used to fund the BBC’s television, radio and online services.
The incident followed a male spectator being ejected from the venue late in Saturday’s semi-final between Wu and Mark Allen after shouting: “Never forget the Epstein files.”
In February, the US government released millions of new files from its investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Names of some of the world’s most rich and powerful people with links to the disgraced financier are contained in the files.
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There is no suggestion that appearing in the documents implies any wrongdoing. Many people who have featured in previous releases have denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
There have been multiple disruptions during this year’s World Championships in Sheffield.
There were several instances of shouting during the Wu-Allen semi-final and fans have repeatedly been warned about phone usage.
In the second frame of the final, Murphy threw down the rest after missing a green, having appeared to be distracted by a phone ringing.
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Spencer subsequently addressed the crowd and said: “Make sure your phones are on silent or switched off. Don’t be the person that has to be thrown out.”
Murphy recovered from 3-0 down to finish the first session level at 4-4 with Wu.
Carrick found out about Ferguson’s health complaint before the game and admitted it had affected him. The 84-year-old Scot signed Carrick from Tottenham in 2006 and he remained on the club’s books after Ferguson retired as manager in 2013.
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It’s unclear whether Ferguson was able to watch United beat Liverpool 3-2 on TV, a result that confirmed a return to the Champions League, but Carrick hoped the victory would bring him some cheer as he recovers.
“I haven’t got any updates, so I don’t know the latest as we stand now,” Carrick told the media after the match.
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“I did hear about it before the game, so I was aware of it before the game. All I can say is I wish him our thoughts here. I was very affected by it, and we just hope he’s all right. I just don’t know the latest.
“We hope for him to be in good shape and we wish him all the best. I’m certainly thinking of him and hopefully the result, when he hears about it, gives him a good boost.”
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
USC’s 2027 recruiting class is continuing to grow. On Saturday, the Trojans picked up another notable commitment, landing four-star defensive lineman Alifeleti Tuihalamaka.
Tuihalamaka is a Southern California product, attending nearby Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California. 247Sports Composite ranks him as the No. 181 overall player and the No. 21 defensive lineman in the class of 2027.
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With the addition of Tuihalamaka, USC now has 13 commits in its 2027 recruiting class. Of those, nine are ranked as either four or five-star recruits by 247Sports Composite. 247Sports currently ranks the Trojans’ 2027 class as No. 3 in the country, behind only Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
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Tuihalamaka is the younger brother of former Notre Dame defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka. The elder Tuihalamaka was recruited by the Trojans in the 2022 class, but ultimately chose the Irish instead. Now, five years later, Lincoln Riley and USC are trying to right that wrong by landing his younger brother.
Neither player made the trip to Denver. Wild coach John Hynes said the team is still “making a couple decisions on the lineup” ahead of Game 1 on Sunday night.
“He’s played good in the time he’s been with us,” Bednar said. “We got him for a reason — like the way he moves, like the way he moves the puck. He plays with a little bite. He’s got to stay within himself. It’s going to be a challenge for him tonight, because the thing we’ll miss with (Manson) is the size, the strength, the physicality.”
Eriksson Ek had three goals and two assists in the Wild’s first-round series win over Dallas. He finished with a 56.4% faceoff win rate. Danila Yurov and Hunter Haight could be possibilities to take Eriksson Ek’s place.
“Ekky’s a big part of the team,” Hynes said. “When you lose a guy that plays that many situations, you have to do it collectively as a group, and it’s not all on one guy.”
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Brodin didn’t play in Game 6 against Dallas.
Hynes said given the break between Games 2 and 3 — the teams play Tuesday and not again until Saturday — that “both those guys will be reevaluated and see where it goes from there.”
Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s mixed 4x400m team won bronze at the World Athletics Relays in Botswana, while four other GB teams also qualified automatically for the 2027 World Athletics Championships.
Alex Haydock-Wilson, Lina Nielsen, Jake Minshull and Yemi Mary John finished third in three minutes 8.24 seconds, behind the USA and Jamaica.
GB’s men’s 4x100m, the women’s 4x400m and the mixed 4x100m line-ups progressed to Sunday’s finals from Saturday’s heats, earning them a place in Beijing next year.
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The women’s 4x100m team, who were disqualified after finishing second in their first day heat, came in second in their Sunday repechage to take one of four remaining World Championships slots.
However the men’s 4x400m quartet, who finished seventh in their first race, placed third in their repechage and will bid to qualify for Beijing on time at a later date.
The women’s 4x400m squad finished fourth, while the men’s and mixed 4x100m teams both failed to get the baton round in their finals.
British athletes won medals in all five relay events at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but failed to reach the podium at last year’s World Championships in Tokyo.
Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Manchester United secured a dramatic 3-2 win over rivals Liverpool FC on Sunday to confirm their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League. The match at Old Trafford had everything — early dominance from United, a Liverpool comeback and a late winner from Kobbie Mainoo that sealed an important victory for the home side.United started strongly and raced to a 2-0 lead within the opening 15 minutes. Matheus Cunha opened the scoring with a powerful strike that deflected off Alexis Mac Allister, leaving Liverpool goalkeeper Freddie Woodman with no chance. Soon after, Benjamin Sesko added a second goal after reacting quickly inside the box following a headed pass from Bruno Fernandes.Despite United’s strong first half, Liverpool looked much sharper after the break. Dominik Szoboszlai pulled one back after capitalising on a loose pass, before helping create the equaliser for Cody Gakpo moments later.Liverpool, missing key forwards Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak due to injuries, still managed to put United under serious pressure. However, both teams continued attacking in search of a winner instead of settling for a draw.Mainoo Delivers Big MomentThe decisive moment came late in the game when Mainoo collected a loose clearance and calmly fired the ball into the bottom corner. The young midfielder recently signed a new five-year contract after impressing under interim manager Michael Carrick.The victory guarantees United a top-five finish and Champions League qualification after two seasons away from Europe’s biggest club competition. It also strengthened Carrick’s chances of keeping the manager’s job permanently after notable wins over Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and now Liverpool.
Vanessa Bryant‘s close friend Monica Denise stepped forward to debunk remarriage rumors surrounding the Lakers icon’s widow. It has been six years since Kobe Bryant died in a tragic helicopter crash along with his daughter Gianna Bryant.
Since then, Vanessa and her three daughters have been mourning their big loss. On Saturday, an Instagram account claimed that the Lakers icon’s wife is set to remarry after inheriting 50% of her late husband’s wealth.
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The post claimed that the other 50% of Kobe Bryant’s wealth would be distributed among his three daughters. Monica Denise dropped in the post’s comments section to debunk the rumor. The singer revealed that the rumor was absolutely untrue.
“Absolutely Untrue and Not ok, she’s still grieving deeply! Her deceased daughter’s birthday was yesterday! As her friend, I kindly ask for prayers & silence ❤️” she wrote.
Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant met each other at a music video set in 1999. The widow of the Lakers icon was a background dancer on set at the time. Their relationship took off from that point and they dated for almost two years.
The couple took the next step in their relationship on 18 April, 2001. The couple welcomed four daughters into the world. Kobe and Vanessa Bryant went through many ups and downs in their marriage, but they stayed together in the end. However, their relationship came to a tragic end with Bryant’s untimely death on Jan. 26, 2020.
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“She is always there”: Monica Denise once revealed the depth of her friendship with Vanessa Bryant
Following the Lakers icon and her daughter’s death, Monica Denise supported Vanessa Bryant through the bad times. On August 28, 2020, Denise did an interview with ET, where she talked about being there for Bryant while she was mourning the loss of her husband and child. During one segment, she revealed her thoughts on her friendship with Bryant.
“I always say ’till death do us part because this is something that will forever be a pain. But she’s been a strong one. She’s been really strong,” she said. “I’m really proud of her and I have been really fortunate to have her in my corner through my divorce, through everything that has ever happened in my life. She is always there.”
Later, she recalled an incident when Vanessa Bryant helped turn one of her worst birthdays into a good one.
“One of my worst birthdays, that was the first person to shut down a restaurant and say, ‘This is what we are doing!’ You have got to give what you get. She has been an amazing friend, so it is easy to just be one back.”
Denise and Bryant have been close friends for more than a decade and always look out for each other and their families.
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