Cycling race abandoned

MILAN: Italian cycling race Tre Valli Varesine, which was due to feature Tadej Pogacar, was abandoned on Tuesday after heavy rains battered the north of the country. The soaking conditions which hit the race between Busto Arsizio and Varese in Lombardy, which had earlier been delayed and shortened to 168 kilometres, caused riders to stop with 58km completed. Italian media reported that the riders then spoke to organizers and it was decided that the race would not be finished due to the poor conditions. UAE rider Pogacar was the big favorite for Tuesday’s race, which is a warm-up for Il Lombardia on Saturday, the final “Monument” one-day race of the road cycling season. The Slovenian star won the Tour of Emilia at the weekend in his first race after being crowned world champion for the first time last month. The rain didn’t stop the women’s race, which was held on Tuesday morning and won by France’s Cedrine Kerbaol after also being significantly shortened. — AFP

Hernandez receives suspension

MILAN: Theo Hernandez has been suspended for two games for ranting at referee Luca Pairetto following AC Milan’s dramatic defeat at Fiorentina, Serie A said on Tuesday. France full-back Hernandez was sent off after the final whistle of Sunday’s 2-1 loss in Florence for having repeatedly aimed “seriously disrespectful criticism” at Pairetto. Hernandez, who wore the captain’s armband on Sunday, will miss Milan’s matches with Udinese and Bologna after the international break. His ban could have been longer as he had to be dragged back by Alvaro Morata following a thrilling match which featured three saved penalties including one taken by Hernandez. The aftermath of the defeat has created more unwanted controversy for Milan, who are five points behind league leaders Napoli after an inconsistent start to the season. — AFP

MLS sets attendance record

NEW YORK: More than 11 million fans have flocked to Major League Soccer games this season, the league said Monday, breaking the previous record of 10.9 millions fans who attended games in 2024. The league said in a statement that the league has averaged 23,240 fans per game, breaking the 11 million-fan barrier for the first time in history. MLS said the arrival of international stars such as Lionel Messi — whose presence in the league has often prompted teams to switch fixtures to bigger stadiums — had helped boost attendances. “The arrival of international stars and the work from clubs to create more unique fan friendly ticket packages and game day experiences are among the key drivers of the continued surge of record-breaking attendance across MLS,” the league announced. The record-breaking tally comes with the regular season still to be completed. Sixteen more matches are due to take place before the season wraps up on October 19. — AFP