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British cyclist Finlay Tarling, 19, dies after accident at Volta a Portugal

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British cyclist Finlay Tarling has died aged 19 after an accident during the Volta a Portugal race which caused the eighth stage to be neutralised.

Race organisers and the Portuguese Cycling Federation said in a statement Friday that Tarling, who rides for NSN Development Team, died “following a serious accident” which occurred during the eighth stage of the race, between the northern municipality of Melgaco and Fafe.

The statement read: “At this time of deep sorrow, the organisers of the Volta a Portugal and the Portuguese Cycling Federation extend their deepest condolences to Finlay Tarling’s family, his teammates, the NSN Development Team, and all his friends and loved ones.”

It added that the race would be neutralised and that the podium ceremony scheduled to take place in Fafe would no longer do so.

“The organisation will provide any additional information as soon as conditions permit,” it added.

NSN Cycling Team, meanwhile, said: “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Finlay Tarling at the Volta a Portugal today.

“Fin was a much loved member of our team but most importantly, he was a son, a brother, and a friend to so many. He will be deeply missed.

“Our deepest condolences go out to Fin’s parents Michael and Dawn, his brother Josh, and everyone who was lucky enough to call Fin a friend. Rest in peace, Fin.”

The younger brother of Ineos Grenadiers rider Joshua Tarling, Finlay has represented Great Britain on the road and track. He joined the Israel-Premier Tech Academy before the 2025 campaign, and stayed with the team’s development set-up when it was re-named NSN Cycling Team.

This year, he finished second in Stage 6 of the Tour du Rwanda, while also placing third in the men’s under-23 British National Time Trial Championships.

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Ohio State moves football senior day to Week 1, away from Michigan rivalry game

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It’s a tradition for most college football teams to honor seniors with senior day ceremonies around the last home game of the regular season. That won’t be the case for Ohio State when it hosts rival Michigan in its season-ending rivalry game Nov. 28.

Ohio State announced Friday that it is moving senior day to Week 1, when it hosts Ball State in its Sept. 5 opener. Instead of honoring seniors before their final game in Ohio Stadium, the program will do it to start their final season — on the same day former coach Jim Tressel, the current lieutenant governor of Ohio who led the Buckeyes to the 2002 national title, will be enshrined in the team’s ring of honor.

Senior day isn’t the first tradition Ohio State has moved away from Rivalry Week. Last year, after four consecutive losses to the Wolverines, Ohio State coach Ryan Day moved the marching band’s annual practice in front of the team to help “normalize” the rivalry game. Ohio State also flew to Ann Arbor instead of taking a bus.

“I know the past four years hasn’t worked,” Day said then. “You’ve got to look at these things and try to figure out how to make them better.”

Ohio State beat Michigan 27-9 in Ann Arbor last November. This year’s matchup will be the first in Columbus since Michigan’s massive upset of the Buckeyes in 2024, after which Ohio State recovered to win the national championship. Ohio State also lost at home to Michigan in 2022.

Day isn’t the only one trying to make the rivalry game feel more normal.

When asked about the rivalry, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood recently told NBC Sports: “It’s just another game. Just, we’re guys in a different color. That’s how I see it.”

Comments this summer from new Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham, who worked with former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer at Utah, have also drawn scrutiny.

“Based on what Urban has told me about it, I just think that a rivalry can be intense and emotional without the hatred factor,” Whittingham said at Big Ten media days. “I don’t think there’s any place for that, personally.”

Whittingham added that Meyer is welcome at Michigan practice anytime except during Ohio State week.

“I’m not trying to downplay (the rivalry) at all,” Whittingham said this week. “It’s a huge game. Gigantic. It’s something that we all have in the back of our mind 24/7. I probably should have worded it differently, but that game is of the utmost importance.”

Ohio State isn’t the first team to hold senior day ceremonies earlier in the season, but it feels like an obvious effort to take pressure off the Michigan game and make it feel more routine. But one thing about the Ohio State-Michigan game will continue to be true: The Athletic’s No. 1 college football rivalry is anything but normal, no matter what anybody tries to do.

What other college football rivalry dominates the news cycle in August?

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‘Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition’ ends after 18-year television run

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A "Hockey Night in Canada" logo.

“For 18 years, this show brought our community closer to the game we love,” statement from the program read. David Cooper / Toronto Star via Getty Images

“Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition” has been cancelled after an 18-year run, the program announced on its X account. A spinoff show of “Hockey Night in Canada,” the television program broadcast NHL games in Punjabi on Saturday nights. The broadcasts were available on OMNI Television, a multilingual, free, over-the-air channel based in Canada.

The show featured several South Asian broadcasters and presenters, including Harnarayan Singh, who went viral for his call of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Bonino’s winning goal in Game 1 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final against the San Jose Sharks. The broadcast also featured host Randip Janda, who also worked with Sportsnet on Vancouver Canucks game broadcasts as the first full-time radio commentator of South Asian descent in NHL history.

“For 18 years, this show brought our community closer to the game we love,” the program’s statement read. “It shared the stories of South Asian players and families and created a space that was truly unique in Canadian sports. We are incredibly proud of what we built together.”

The news comes after it was announced in June that “Hockey Night in Canada” would be coming off the air after 74 years. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Rogers Communications did not renew their 12-year sublicensing agreement, which allowed “Hockey Night in Canada” to be broadcast on Rogers channels, including Sportsnet. Rogers is about to begin a new 12-year national broadcasting deal to air NHL games this fall, with Amazon Prime Video airing Wednesday night games and select Stanley Cup playoff games next spring.

The CBC still owns the rights to “Hockey Night in Canada” and plans to use the brand in “different ways going forward,” CBC head of public affairs Chuck Thompson told The Athletic in June.

This story will be updated. 

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Shakhtar Donetsk, Chelsea in advanced talks over Stamford Bridge use for Champions League

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General view outside the Stamford Bridge stadium

Discussions between Shakhtar and Chelsea are progressing well ahead of the 2026-27 campaign Jasper Wax/Getty Images

Shakhtar Donetsk’s negotiations with Chelsea over playing their Champions League games at Stamford Bridge this season are at an advanced stage.

The Athletic reported in July that talks between Shakhtar and Chelsea to use their ground for the 2026-27 Champions League campaign were under way, with fellow London clubs Fulham and Brentford also in the mix.

But sources close to the Ukrainian club, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, have told The Athletic that discussions with Chelsea are progressing well. Nothing has been agreed yet and there is still a lot of documentation to take care of.

Another stadium was still in contention this week too, however Stamford Bridge is considered to be the front runner. Shakhtar are expected to make an official announcement of who they have chosen early next week.

Shakhtar have not played at the Donbas Arena, in their home stadium in the east of Ukraine, since 2014, when Russian troops annexed Crimea and war broke out in the region. They have played their home European matches in Germany, Slovenia and Poland since the 2022-23 season.

They have qualified for the group phase of the 2026-27 Champions League and been sounding out venues to play in over the summer. The opportunity to have London as a venue has appealed from a very early stage.

Chelsea are not involved in any European competition this season after failing to qualify. It means there will be plenty of spare weeks for them to host games. The Premier League club are used to staging European matches having been regulars in UEFA tournaments since 1997-98.

There will be a fee involved for Shakhtar to use Stamford Bridge but Chelsea’s main priority is to help a club they enjoy a good relationship with. Chelsea signed Mykhailo Mudryk for an initial £62million from Shakhtar in January 2023.

When contacted by The Athletic over the increasing possibility of Shakhtar using Stamford Bridge, a spokesperson said: “Shakhtar have no comment on this matter at the moment. The club will announce their official decision next week.”

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