Alberto Contador ruled himself out of the road race at next month’s Rio Olympics, saying yesterday that he needed four weeks to recover from injuries sustained on the Tour de France.

Leader Chris Froome and his Tour de France rivals will have a measure of respite as the peloton headed back to its homeland yesterday — but not before a testing climb.

Chris Froome and his Sky manager Dave Brailsford have questioned the tactics of chief rival Nairo Quintana at the Tour de France.

Michael Matthews completed the full set of Grand Tour stage victories with a “dream come true” success at the Tour de France 10th stage yesterday.

Australia paceman Mitchell Starc can take 300 Test wickets and join the ranks of the nation’s great seamers if he can stay fit for long enough, coach Darren Lehmann said.

England batsman Joe Root is confident he can cope with the added responsibility of batting at number three during the upcoming Test series against Pakistan.

The floppy hair he had as a teenager may have been replaced by a shorter cut and the once clean-shaven face is now home to a goatee beard.

Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz has insisted Mohamed Amir has the support of all his teammates as he prepares to make his return to Test cricket at Lord’s tomorrow.

Justin Rose is hopeful the threat posed by the Zika virus will prove to be a “non-event” as he explained his decision to compete at the Rio Olympics next month.

New Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti has no plans to rip up the foundations laid by predecessor Pep Guardiola and says he will look to continue the club’s tradition of attacking football when the season kicks off in August.

José Mourinho has called on Manchester United’s fans to once more get behind the team after three disaffected years in which they were forced to endure the unadventurous tactics of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.

Just days before Rio de Janeiro hosts the Olympics, the city’s Mayor Eduardo Paes has taken to Twitter to slam critics of his role in preparing for the Games.