GER’S WEAK IN HELL Thomas: It’s damage limitation
CROLLA: I WON’T END CAREER AGAINST PUSHOVER
5 ANTHONY CROLLA insists he won’t pick a ‘patsy’ for what will likely be the final fight of his career.
The 32-year-old Mancunian, who held the WBA World lightweight title between 2015 and 2016, is set to bring down the curtain in front of his home city fans later this year.
It follows his final bid to win GERAINT THOMAS admitted he felt “weak” after his hopes of another Yellow Jersey unravelled like golden threads on the Tourmalet’s brutal slopes.
For the second d day running, Britain’s defending Tour de France champion was expected to o make up time on leader Ju l i a n Alaphilippe (above) – but lost ground in the general classification.
Thomas hinted broadly he was now trying to play catch-up when struggling with illness, and admitted: “I just didn’t feel quite on it from the start. I was quite weak.”
For 34 years, since Bernard Hinault was crowned on the Champs- Elysees in 1985, France has craved a home win in its signature bike race. And now it could happen.
For Thomas, a world title — a fourth-round knockout at the hands of WBA Super World and WBO World lightweight champ Vasyl Lomachenko in April.
Crolla said: “I’ll be back out later in the year and there’s a good chance it will be my last fight.
“It will be Manchester Arena, I don’t know any dates yet but it will probably be October or November however, the dream of back-toback Yellow Jerseys is at the crossroads.
On Friday, he surprisingly lost time to Alaphilippe on his specialist time trial discipline – and on the short, sharp 73 73-mile e transfer from Tarbes to t the Tourmalet, Thomas s shipped another 30 seconds to his French rival.
The Welshman is n now 2min 2secs be behind on the general clas classification, and any further time losses on today’s gruelling stage 15 from Limoux to Foix could prove critical.
Thomas put a brave face on his setback after losing touch with the main contenders on the final stretch of the lung-bursting 11-mile climb to almost 7,000ft in the Pyrenees.
Alaphilippe finished second behind compatriot Thibaut Pinot on stage 14, with Thomas half a minute back in eighth.
He said: “It’s disappointing. I just tried to limit the damage.”
Fellow Brit Adam Yates was dropped pp halfway y down the mountain, and his hopes of a podium finish in Paris next Sunday are all but over. time, and it’ll be a decent opponent.
“I’ve boxed for a number of years at a high level and I don’t believe in going out against an opponent who’ll just be there to be beaten.
“How do I hope to be remembered? As a former world champion who beat other world-level fighters, a genuine world champion who never ducked anyone.”
LUKE CAMPBELL will face Vasyl Lomachenko for the WBC, WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine lightweight titles on Saturday, August 31 at London’s O2 Arena.
Campbell said: “I can knock out anyone that I hit right. I believe I am one of the biggest punchers in the division. This is going to be the toughest fight of my life but I’m prepared for it.”