Auto Racing
Kyle Busch wins Nationwide, his 57th win in the series
CONCORD, N.C. – Kyle Busch dominated at Charlotte Motor Speedway again Saturday, racing to his sixth Nationwide Series victory of the season and record seventh career win at the track.
Ten years and a day after his Nationwide debut, Busch won for the record 57th time in the series.
Busch, however, never has won a Sprint Cup race at the track; he’ll try and change that Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600.
Cycling
Nibali wins snowy Stage 20 to put the Giro on ice
TRE CIME DI LAVAREDO, Italy – Vincenzo Nibali nearly wrapped up the Giro d’Italia title with a dominating solo performance to win the penultimate stage Saturday, leaving behind his rivals under a blizzard of snow on the final climb.
Nibali attacked with less than 2 miles left on the steep ascent to Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the three-week race’s highest point at an altitude of 7,550 feet. An Italian with the Astana team, Nibali clocked 5 hours, 27 minutes, 41 seconds over the 131-mile leg, which began in Silandro and passed through Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The race will end on flat ground in Brescia on Sunday with a 122-mile stage starting in Riese Pio X.
Durangoans finish 1-2 in the women’s USA Pro time trial
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Tom Zirbel won a national time-trial title Saturday at the USA Cycling Pro Championships, edging Brent Bookwalter by 17 seconds.
Zirbel, from Boulder, covered the 19-mile course in Chattanooga in 38 minutes, 16 seconds.
This is the first time men and women have competed at the championships in the same weekend. Carmen Small of Durango won the women’s time trial in 42:37, beating Durango native Kristin McGrath of Boise, Idaho, and Alison Powers of Pinecliffe.
NHL
Coyotes sell to Canada, but a lease agreement remains
PHOENIX – The NHL has approved the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes to a group of Canadian-led investors, but the deal is contingent on reaching a lease agreement with the city of Glendale, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
The NHL agreed to sell the team to Renaissance Sports & Entertainment, a group headed by George Gosbee, Anthony LeBlanc and Daryl Jones.
Soccer
Robben robs European crown for Bayern Munich
LONDON – Arjen Robben scored in the 89th minute to give Bayern Munich a 2-1 win over German rival Borussia Dortmund on Saturday in the Champions League final, ending four years of frustration for his team in Europe’s biggest tournament.
Robben ran onto Franck Ribery’s backheeled flick in the penalty area and sent the ball past goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller to give Bayern its first Champions League victory since 2001. The German team had lost two of the last three finals.
Mario Mandzukic put Bayern ahead in the 60th minute at Wembley Stadium before Ilkay Gundogan evened the score with a penalty kick eight minutes later.
Tennis
Four clay champs crowned before French Open
DUESSELDORF, Germany – Juan Monaco beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday to win the inaugural Power Horse Cup for his first title of the year.
NICE, France – Albert Montanes of Spain clinched his sixth title by defeating French wild-card entry Gael Monfils 6-0, 7-6 (3) in the final of the Nice Open.
STRASBOURG, France – Third-seeded Alize Cornet of France beat Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 7-6 (4), 6-0 to win the Strasbourg International.
BRUSSELS – Kaia Kanepi of Estonia beat Peng Shuai of China 6-2, 7-5 to win the Brussels Open, the fourth title in her WTA career.
Associated Press
