Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/535515
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 1 JULY 2015 Sport 23 Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Wednesday WEATHER: Fine VISIBILITY: Good WIND: Mainly West to Northwest force 2 to 3, locally force 3 to 4 at times, becoming variable during the night SEA: Slight SWELL: Negligible SEA TEMP: 22°C A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 White to play and mate in four moves A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Last week's solution Sudoku rules are extremely easy: Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 9x9 box. SUNNY 31 º C / 20 º C UV INDEX: 9 Today's Weather Chess Sudoku Pursuits Across 1. Prices paid (5) 6. Teashop (7) 8. Shining (7) 9. Speck (3) 10. Sudden blast of wind (4) 12. Roused (4) 15. Lever for rowing (3) 16. Pertaining to an orbit (7) 18. Bondage (7) 19. To use up (5) Down 1. Brave (10) 2. Potato (4) 3. Meat (5) 4. Planet (5) 5. Black magic (6) 7. One's native land (10) 11. Story in instalments (6) 13. Not drunk (5) 14. Follows orders (5) 17. Ripped (4) Qc4+ Kf8 (or Qe6) Qc8+ Kf7 Qe8+ Kf6 Re6# TOUR DE FRANCE Froome buckled up for rocky Tour de France challenge FROOME, who claimed the 2013 Tour having won almost every race he entered in the build-up to the three-week extravaganza, took a rockier road this year before tak- ing overall victory in the Criteri- um du Dauphine, the prestigious warm-up for the Tour. A couple of trademark late at- tacks in the final climbs helped him beat American Tejay van Garderen while defending Tour champion Vincenzo Nibali was still struggling for fitness. Before he got there, Froome was forced to skip the Tirreno-Adri- atico week-long race in March because of illness and looked lost in the Tour of Catalunya later that month before crashing in the Fleche Wallonne classic in April. "I definitely feel as if I had a slower build up to the Tour this year, I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing. I'm exactly where I need to be," said Froome, who achieved the Dauphine/Tour dou- ble in 2013. He picked himself up in the Tour de Romandie, finishing third over- all, and looked closer to his awe- inspiring best on the Dauphine. "There are still one or two little things to touch on but things are looking good," he said. To help Froome win the Dau- phine, Team Sky rode hard to contain attacks and provide their leader with the perfect launching pad for his late accelerations. It may be not possible on the Tour, though, where a unique set of aggressive riders will assemble at the start in Utrecht. He will face old rival Alberto Contador, who will use every op- portunity to wear down the Sky machine, but also Colombian Nairo Quintana, France's Thibaut Pinot and Nibali -- all offensive riders who have never been at their best all together at the start of the Tour, which should be the case this year. Froome, who abandoned the race when he crashed in the fifth stage last year, was exposed on the Dau- phine once when Nibali's attack- ing flair meant he and Van Gard- eren missed the winning move in a rain-hit mountain stage. When Sky are taken out of their comfort zone -- which does not happen very often -- they look more vulnerable and their rivals' attitude should be key to Froome's chances. One thing he cannnot rely on, however, is a private motorhome, which team mate Richie Porte benefited from on the Giro d'Italia, to avoid dodgy hotels as the International Cycling Union (UCI) has banned its use "to reaf- firm absolute fairness between all riders." Chris Froome struggled for form, then crashed but the Briton looks ready just in time to compete for a second Tour de France title although micro managers Team Sky will struggle to control the race like they usually do Chris Froome