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When the bollards go up, the people come out. The freedom for Gaslamp goers to walk throughout Fifth Avenue without the fear of cars coming through is just one of the factors of its bustling nightlife. But as of February 1st, the bollards stopped being installed due to budget issues with the city.

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While the early editions were more of a sprinters’ race, the Tour Down Under has morphed into a well-rounded event allowing climbers to showcase their talents for the general classification during the more challenging stages.

Race director Stuart O’Grady and his organization did a fantastic job honoring the 25-year history of the event’s classic routes and finishes, while also including some new roads that tested the riders’ early season condition with almost 10,000m of climbing over six stages surrounding Adelaide.

The general classification was won by Ecuadorian rider Jhonatan Narváez of the mighty UAE Team Emirates-XRG in front of Javier Romo of Movistar and Finn Fisher-Black of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. But for me, there were many more takeaways than just the overall result.

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The UAE Tour Women 2025 starts on Thursday, with three flat stages and a summit finish atop Jebel Hafeet. There is always a risk of crosswinds and echelon racing in the UAE but the flat stages will surely see some of the biggest sprinters in the women's peloton go head to head.

Twenty teams will race on the fast flat and wide roads of the UAE, with warm temperatures and crosswinds likely in the next few days.

Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), Charlotte Kool (Team Picnic PostNL) and Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) will be fighting for the stage victories.

"It's the first time for me racing here and it's the sprinting world championship," said Balsamo. "We have a good team and we are ready to fight."

Kool won two stages in the 2023 edition but missed last year's race because of sickness. Her winter has been affected by the consequences of her broken collarbone at the Tour de France Femmes.

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Swiss Champion Mauro Schmid (Jayco-AlUla) has won Cadel’s Race, capping a solid team effort and securing Jayco-AlUla’s men’s squad’s first victory in its home one-day race.

Schmid opened a small gap at around 7 km remaining, soloing in to the finish where he finished three seconds ahead of a select chasing group. Veteran Kiwi Aaron Gate (XdS-Astana) took second, with fellow New Zealander and defending champion Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) rounding out the podium.

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Marlen Reusser (Movistar) beat Mavi García (Team Spain) to win the Trofeo Palma Femina, the second race of the women's Challenge Mallorca, after a head-to-head battle in the hilly final kilometres.

The two surged away from a front group on the late Coll de Sa Creu climb near Palma, descended to the coast together and then fought for victory on the ascent to the Castell de Bellver.

Reusser led García on the climb to the finish and led out the sprint, simply powering away from García.

Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) won the close sprint for third place, beating Thalita de Jong (Human Powered Health).

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Stood next to a rubbish bin and used as an ashtray by oblivious Londoners, the bollard next to Southwark Bridge is overlooked by most who pass it.

But unknown to thousands of locals and tourists who walk by everyday, the battered post holds a remarkable past.

The bollard is actually an old French cannon dating back to the late 18th Century, likely taken from ships that fought in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

After its victory over France during the Napoleonic Wars, Britain started to strip the French boats and reuse anything of value.

When the cannons were found to be too big to be retrofitted onto British ships, they were transported back to London and showcased in the form of street bollards - a reminder of Britain's victory.

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/24966932

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) today announced it has awarded Denver, Colorado the league’s 16th franchise. The Denver NWSL team, set to begin play in the 2026 season, is comprised of a robust ownership group that includes local and national investors including Rob Cohen, Project Level, a subsidiary of Ariel Investments led by Chairwoman Mellody Hobson and former Washington Commanders President Jason Wright, FirstTracks Sports Ventures LLC (FTSV), led by siblings Jon-Erik Borgen and Kaia Borgen Moritz, Neelima Joshi and Dhiren Jhaveri and Molly Coors. Cohen will serve as the club’s controlling owner and Governor with Hobson as Denver NWSL’s Alternate Governor. Denver is the second franchise awarded by the NWSL during this round of expansion, following Team 15 in Boston, bringing the league from 14 to 16 clubs. Denver NWSL becomes the first women’s professional sports team in a major national league to call the Mile High City home.

The new Denver NWSL franchise is finalizing plans for a purpose-built stadium for professional women’s soccer and a dedicated, purpose-built performance facility for female athletes. More information will be available as these plans are finalized. Team name, crest, colors and brand identity will be announced at a later date.

“As the NWSL continues its rapid growth, we knew it was critical to launch our 16th team in a city with a passionate sports culture and vibrant fan base, and Denver is the perfect match,” said Jessica Berman, Commissioner of the NWSL. “The club’s plans for a purpose-built stadium and state-of-the-art training facility demonstrate a commitment to providing world-class environments for our players and fans alike. With this ownership group’s vision and dedication, we are confident that Denver NWSL will set new standards for excellence on and off the pitch, inspiring the next generation of players and supporters across the Rocky Mountain region.”

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) today announced it has awarded Denver, Colorado the league’s 16th franchise. The Denver NWSL team, set to begin play in the 2026 season, is comprised of a robust ownership group that includes local and national investors including Rob Cohen, Project Level, a subsidiary of Ariel Investments led by Chairwoman Mellody Hobson and former Washington Commanders President Jason Wright, FirstTracks Sports Ventures LLC (FTSV), led by siblings Jon-Erik Borgen and Kaia Borgen Moritz, Neelima Joshi and Dhiren Jhaveri and Molly Coors. Cohen will serve as the club’s controlling owner and Governor with Hobson as Denver NWSL’s Alternate Governor. Denver is the second franchise awarded by the NWSL during this round of expansion, following Team 15 in Boston, bringing the league from 14 to 16 clubs. Denver NWSL becomes the first women’s professional sports team in a major national league to call the Mile High City home.

The new Denver NWSL franchise is finalizing plans for a purpose-built stadium for professional women’s soccer and a dedicated, purpose-built performance facility for female athletes. More information will be available as these plans are finalized. Team name, crest, colors and brand identity will be announced at a later date.

“As the NWSL continues its rapid growth, we knew it was critical to launch our 16th team in a city with a passionate sports culture and vibrant fan base, and Denver is the perfect match,” said Jessica Berman, Commissioner of the NWSL. “The club’s plans for a purpose-built stadium and state-of-the-art training facility demonstrate a commitment to providing world-class environments for our players and fans alike. With this ownership group’s vision and dedication, we are confident that Denver NWSL will set new standards for excellence on and off the pitch, inspiring the next generation of players and supporters across the Rocky Mountain region.”

Drivers have damaged graves when using a closed cemetery road as a shortcut to avoid traffic in neighbouring roads.

The route through Avon View Cemetery in east Bristol is only supposed to be used by hearses, maintenance vehicles or visitors with limited mobility.

But drivers have been using the route regularly to avoid heavy traffic and bypass roadblocks within the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood scheme.

The cemetery installed bollards to block the road, but people have since driven directly over graves to evade the closure.

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After weeks of speculation, Australian Caleb Ewan has signed a late single-year deal with Ineos Grenadiers for 2025.

Ewan was set to be part of home WorldTour team Jayco-AIUIa this season for a second year, but his name did not appear on the squad's line-up for 2025, sparking rumours that he could be moving on, for reasons that remain unclear. There was talk about a possible deal with Astana, but the idea never gained real traction.

After Italian fast man Elia Viviani and Ineos Grenadiers parted ways in 2025, the British team were lacking firepower for the sprints, with Ewan now set to strengthen their options in that area.

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