Gaviria beats Sagan again to claim 2nd Tour stage

SARZEAU, FRANCE » Fernando Gaviria and Peter Sagan have turned the first four days of the Tour de France into an enthralling duel of rising star versus world champion. And Tour newcomer Gaviria is winning so far. Gaviria edged Sagan at the finish line to claim Stage 4 on Tuesday and take his second stage win in his first participation at cycling’s greatest race.

The 23-year-old Colombian had already bettered Sagan in a sprint to take the opening stage, amid rising expectations since his four stage victories at last year’s Giro d’Italia.

Tuesday’s flat leg with its four-kilometer finish — the longest straightaway to conclude a leg on this Tour— was perfect terrain for the budding rivals to break the tie.

“He is faster than me,” said Sagan, the three-time defending world champion who excels in finishes on slight ascents. “We will see. Maybe I will wait for some mistake (to beat him). And maybe we will see the next days on the climbs. Every stage is different, every sprint is different.”

PGA Tour season to end before football

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLA. » The PGA Tour has eliminated a FedEx Cup playoff event as part of a revamped, tighter schedule that will allow its season to end a week before the football season begins in the United States.

Most of the changes to the 2018-19 schedule released Tuesday already had been announced. The final piece was where to put two new tournaments between the U.S. Open and British Open. Detroit-based Quicken Loans is calling its event the Rocket Mortgage Classic on June 27-30. It will be followed by the 3M Open in Minnesota and the John Deere Classic.

The tour will feature 46 events over 41 weeks, down from 48 tournaments this year.

King opposes IAAF hormone policy

NEW YORK » Billie Jean King is among more than 60 athletes urging international track and field’s governing body to rescind its new standard on natural hormone levels for female runners.

The tennis great joined the athletes in an open letter asking the IAAF to end its policy passed in April that limits testosterone levels for middle-distance runners. Two sports groups — the Women’s Sports Foundation and Athlete Ally — released the letter Tuesday.

Soccer’s Megan Rapinoe, hockey’s Meghan Duggan and softball’s Jessica Mendoza are among the signees. They say the standard discriminates against female athletes and “no woman should be required to change her body” to compete in sports.