Cycling
Van Garderen rides to the top at Tour of California
SANTA ROSA, Calif. – Tejay van Garderen stayed out of trouble to seal his first professional stage race title Sunday, winning the Tour of California in front of the BMC Racing Team’s home fans.
The American cruised through the smooth and scenic final stage from San Francisco to Santa Rosa without incident to edge Australian Michael Rogers for the overall title by 1 minute, 47 seconds. Colombian Janier Acevedo was third, 3:26 behind van Garderen.
Van Garderen completed the eight-day, 727.8-mile race that has evolved into North America’s most prominent cycling event in 29 hours and 43 minutes. He held the overall lead the final three days.
Sprinter Peter Sagan pulled away to win the 80.7-mile final stage in 3 hours, 4 minutes and 7 seconds. Daniel Schorn was second and Tyler Farrar third in a crowded finish.
Visconti’s climb puts him atop Stage 15 at Giro
COL DU GALIBIER, France – A superb solo ride up the grueling Col du Galibier gave Giovanni Visconti the victory in a weather-affected 15th stage of the Giro d’Italia on Sunday, while favorite Vincenzo Nibali retained the overall lead.
Atrocious weather conditions once again altered the race course and heavy snow fell at the finish as Visconti won in a time of 4 hours, 40 minutes, 52 seconds, beating Carlos Betancur and Przemyslaw Niemiec by 42 seconds.
Nibali, who finished third and second in his two previous Giro d’Italia races, maintained his 1:26 lead over Cadel Evans.
Saturday’s leg was changed because of avalanche threats, and Sunday’s leg also was affected by the sub-zero temperatures, with the final 2.7 miles up the famous Galibier removed.
The stage instead finished at the monument to deceased Italian cyclist Marco Pantani.
Golf
Bae hangs on to capture Byron Nelson Championship
IRVING, Texas – Sang-Moon Bae won the Byron Nelson Championship on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title, beating Keegan Bradley by two strokes after blowing a four-stroke lead.
The 26-year-old South Korean closed with a 1-under 69 to finish at 13-under 267.
Bradley was trying to become the Nelson’s first wire-to-wire winner since Tom Watson in 1980. Bradley set the TPC Four Seasons course record with an opening-round 60 even with two bogeys but finished with a 72 on a day with wind gusting to near 40 mph at times.
Bae already had 11 international victories – winning on the Korea, Japan and Asian tours.
Four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the front nine gave Bae a four-stroke advantage in the final group. But he struggled in the middle of the round, making a double bogey at No. 9 and a bogey at the next hole.
Bradley, whose first PGA Tour victory came as a rookie at the Nelson two years ago, got even with a birdie at the 15th hole. But he missed a short birdie putt at the next hole to fall behind for good.
Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champ, shot a 68 to finish third at 10 under.
Tennis
Nadal, Serena Williams roll to Italian Open crowns
ROME – Rafel Nadal controlled the Italian Open final from start to finish, beating Roger Federer 6-1, 6-3 on Sunday in the 30th meeting between the two stars.
Nadal improved to 20-10 in his career against Federer, and won the Italian Open for the seventh time. He also showed once again that he’ll be the player to beat when the French Open starts next Sunday.
It was Nadal’s fifth title since returning earlier this year from a seven-month layoff because of a left knee injury.
In the women’s final, Serena Williams won her fourth consecutive title of the year in impressive fashion, defeating third-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3.
Associated Press
