Cycling
LA CAMPERONA, Spain – Nairo Quintana successfully attacked Chris Froome on the demanding summit finish of the Spanish Vuelta’s eighth stage to take over the lead of the grand tour on Saturday.
Sergey Lagutin of Russia won the 113-mile stage from Villalpando finishing at the category-one La Camperona summit in just over four hours. It was the Katusha rider’s first major win.
Quintana claimed the red jersey from fellow Colombian Darwin Atapuma, who fell behind the title favorites on the final ascent with gradients reaching 25 percent.
Golf
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Rickie Fowler kept bogeys off his card for the second straight day and closed with a 5-foot birdie putt for a 3-under 68, giving him a one-shot lead over Patrick Reed going into the final round of The Barclays.
Fowler had three par putts of 10 feet or more. He has gone 45 straight holes without a bogey at Bethpage Black.
Along with having a chance to win his first PGA Tour event in a year, Fowler is in prime position to earn a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
NFL
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is refusing to stand for the national anthem before games because he believes the United States oppresses African Americans and other minorities.
Kaepernick sat on the team’s bench Friday night during the anthem before the Niners played host to the Green Bay Packers in an exhibition game. He later explained his reasoning in an interview with NFL Media .
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
FRISCO, Texas – Tony Romo is out with yet another back injury and it’s unknown when he will return, although Dallas coach Jason Garrett says he expects his star quarterback to play this season.
Garrett said Saturday that Romo sustained a broken bone in his back when he was hit from behind by Seattle’s Cliff Avrill and slid awkwardly on the third play of a preseason game.
An MRI revealed Romo’s fourth back injury in less than four years. The injury will not require surgery.
Garrett wouldn’t rule out Romo for the regular-season opener Sept. 11 against the New York Giants. Rookie Dak Prescott, a fourth-round pick who has had a strong preseason, is the presumed starter, although Garrett wouldn’t acknowledge that either.
Soccer
Hope Solo has taken an indefinite leave from the Seattle Reign of the National Women’s Soccer League, less than a week after being suspended for six months by the U.S. national team for disparaging remarks about Sweden.
The move was announced Saturday by the Reign, saying that the Olympic goaltender has been granted personal leave. The team did not say how long Solo would be away.
It’s been a rough time for the record-breaking goalie. On Wednesday, she was suspended after calling the Swedes “cowards” for their defensive style of play after the U.S. lost the Aug. 12 match on penalty kicks.
Associated Press
