BR IEFS QUINTANA DOUBLES UP AS GIRO RIVALS SUFFER

COLOMBIA’S Nairo Quintana (pix) soared to victory on a dramatic ninth stage of the Giro d’Italia yesterday that secured the race leader’s pink jersey and dented the victory hopes of several key rivals. Quintana, a twotime runner-up at the Tour de France who won the 2014 Giro, had been expected to blow the race apart on a punishing 13.6 km climb that gave Belgian legend Eddy Merckx his maiden Giro win in 1967. And the diminutive Movistar team climber fulfilled predictions by leaving defending champion Vincenzo Nibali, and several others, in his wake after a series of attacks launched inside the final six kilometres. Quintana soloed over the finish 23secs ahead of Frenchman Thibaut Pinot and Dutchman Tom Dumoulin to wrest the race lead from Luxembourg’s Bob Jungels. He is now 28 ahead of FDJ rider Pinot in the overall standings, with two-time champion Nibali (Bahrain) 1min 10secs behind after trailing home in fifth place one minute in arrears. a fitting farewell to the retiring captain Misbah ul Haq and veteran Younis Khan. Roston Chase’s unbeaten 101, his second hundred of the series, proved in vain as the home side, set a target of 303 at Windsor Park in Dominica, slipped to 93 for six before the lower order almost rescued a dramatic draw. “This was just incredible,” said Misbah. “There were so many things happening in that last session – dropped catches, appeals, no-ball dismissals – it looked for a while as if it wasn’t going to happen. I am thankful for myself, the team and all supporters of Pakistan cricket that we were able to pull it off.”