The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)

Sagan claims second Tour de France stage

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A year after leaving the Tour de France in disgrace, Peter Sagan earned the race’s yellow jersey on Sunday after doing what he does best: Powering past the competitio­n to reach the finish line.

The three-time defending world champion took the overall lead of the Tour on Sunday after he bettered about a dozen other sprinters to win Stage 2.

The Slovakian rider’s ninth career win at the Tour came just over a year since he was disqualifi­ed from cycling’s most prestigiou­s event by race officials who ruled he had caused a crash that broke Mark Cavendish’s shoulder.

Sagan, however, said there was no revenge factor in mind, and that just wearing yellow was reason enough to celebrate.

“Revenge? I already forgot about last year,” Sagan said. “I’m just happy I can be in the Tour de France, the biggest race in the world.”

Defending champion Chris Froome, who fell into a ditch near the end of Saturday’s Stage 1, arrived safely with most of the peloton.

Golf

NA WINS AT GREENBRIER » Kevin Na rode a hot putter to halt a winless streak of nearly seven years on the PGA Tour.

Na shot a 6-under-64 for a five-stroke victory at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier.

The 34-year-old Na’s only previous tour win came in Las Vegas in October 2011.

“I wasn’t sure if it was going to come again. I was hoping it would sooner than later,” Na said. “I’ve been close so many times, failed so many times.”

He’s had three dozen top-10 finishes since that last win and showed signs earlier this year that reaching the top again was still well within reach. He tied for second at the Genesis Open in January, two shots behind Bubba Watson. In late May he shot 61 in the first round of the Fort Worth Invitation­al to match the course record and finished fourth.

Na finished at 19-under 261 and picked up the $1.31 million winner’s paycheck.

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