MAN Magazine Summer 2019

SPORT
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MAN MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019
F1 British Grand Prix
(July 12 - July 14)
By Michael Golson
T
his summer’s British Grand Prix
will be an extra special treat
for Formula One fans, with a
plethora of local talent on display
at the home of motorsport... All eyes will no
doubt be on five-time world champion Lewis
Hamilton as he looks to win his home event for
the sixth time of his career – which would see
him overtake past masters Jim Clark and Alain
Prost as the British GP’s most successful driver.
Hamilton will also be hoping that victory
at Silverstone
can help him get
the edge on his
championship
rivals as the season
reaches its halfway
stage, with the likes
of Sebastian Vettel,
Valtteri Bottas and
Max Verstappen
all vying to get
ahead of him in the
Drivers’ Standings.
Last year,
Hamilton came
second to Vettel
in the searing
Silverstone
summer heat and
threatened to fall
further behind
the German in the
championship,
before a late-season surge saw him pip the
Ferrari driver to the title at the Mexican Grand
Prix in October.
While British fans will no doubt be
hoping to see Hamilton on the top
step of the podium this year, there’s also
plenty of intrigue surrounding the grid’s other
home heroes in Lando Norris and George
Russell – two of the rookies of this year’s
F1 circus.
Fresh from their F2 rivalry last season;
each of the young duo is competing in
British-based teams – with Russell driving
for Williams and Norris at McLaren... But
despite winning their home event 24
times combined over the years, the two
famous constructors have fallen on hard
times in recent years and few would look
beyond Williams finishing dead-last in the
Constructors’ Championship at the end of
the campaign.
You can watch full coverage of the British
Grand Prix – including practice sessions
on Friday and Saturday, qualifying on
Saturday and the race on Sunday (July
14); live on Channel 4, Sky Sports F1 or
NOW TV.
CYCLING Tour de France
(July 6 - 28 July)
By Michael Golson
T
his year’s Tour de France looks
set to be one for the pure
climbers, with an eye-watering
five mountaintop finishes
over the total distance of 3,460km. It’s all
kicking off in Belgium on July 6 with the
race honouring the great Eddy Merckx with its
Grand Départ from Brussels, before finishing
off in Paris on the 28th.
Between there, riders will be drinking in the
scenery of the summit finish at La Planche des
Belles Filles through to the mountainous Vosges
region of eastern France.
The best action can be found on Stage 18;
starting in Embrun, with the 207K monster
course kicking off the first of the three days in
the Alps.
Last year’s edition of the Tour was won by
Great Britain’s Geraint Thomas of Team Sky,
ahead of Dutchman Tom Dumoulin and fourtime
winner Chris Froome, and all eyes will be
on Thomas and Team Sky this time around too
with the team dominating the race over the
last decade – most famously with Sir Bradley
Wiggins in 2012.
Thomas will likely face opposition from Nairo
Quintana, Romain Bardet, Vincenzo Nibali and
Richie Porte this time around.
You can watch all the action on Eurosport
and ITV4 from July 6 – 28.
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