CYCLING

Geraint Thomas has been confirmed as the spearhead for INEOS Grenadiers in an eight-man line-up for this year’s Vuelta a España, which starts on August 26.

Wales’ former Tour de France winner who has already finished as runner-up at the Giro d’Italia this year, starts La Vuelta for only the second time, marking his 19th career Grand Tour.

Thomas will be supported by a strong and experienced group of racers including former Tour de France and Giro d’Italia winner Egan Bernal.

Thomas said: “I’m really looking forward to going back to La Vuelta. Hopefully it’ll be better than 2015 – which was horrific – it wasn’t the most enjoyable Grand Tour that I’ve ever done!

“I’m going there to try and get the best result possible for the team. It will be nice to go for some stages and the GC as well, and just see how I’m doing after the first half of the race.

“The goal is to go and do your best and hopefully come out on top; but it’s certainly going to be tough.

“The bigger the challenge the more excited you get and the more you want to put into it and try to do well.

“Having everyone there is going to make it a great race and the whole team we’ve got preparing for the Vuelta will get everyone up and motivated; we’re all looking forward to getting started.”

 

CRICKET

Welsh Fire men’s and women’s teams are in action on Sunday when they host London Spirit at Sophia Gardens.

Welsh Fire women are flying high in second place in the table, while the men are in sixth, having lost their last two matches.

Glamorgan have reached the point of no return if they are going to make the knockout stages of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.

The Welsh county host Somerset on Sunday, needing two victories from their remaining two matches – and for other results to go in their favour – if they are to progress.

Somerset are in seventh place after ending their losing run by defeating Durham on Thursday at Chester-le-Street.

Glamorgan will need to buck the recent trend, though, as the West Country side have won the last five meetings between the two sides.

 

ATHLETICS

Melissa Courtney-Bryant will carry Welsh hopes when she competes at the World Athletics Championships which starts on Saturday in Budapest.

The Team Wales Commonwealth Games star will run in the 1500m alongside fellow Great Britain team members Laura Muir and Katie Snowden.

Courtney-Bryant will go into the championships in good form. Last month, five days after breaking the Welsh women’s 1500m mark with a new sub-four minute run of 3:58.01, she broke the mile record at the Monaco Diamond League meeting.

There are three other Welsh athletes to look out for in Hungary.

Natasha Cockram runs as the only GB athlete in the women’s marathon, Joe Brier is part of the men’s 4x400m relay squad, and sprinter Jeremiah Azu goes in the 4x100m relay.