Wuhan to Play Host as World Snooker Returns to China

China's Ding Junhui in action at the 2018 Shanghai Masters. AFP
China's Ding Junhui in action at the 2018 Shanghai Masters. AFP
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Wuhan to Play Host as World Snooker Returns to China

China's Ding Junhui in action at the 2018 Shanghai Masters. AFP
China's Ding Junhui in action at the 2018 Shanghai Masters. AFP

The World Snooker Tour hailed the "momentous announcement" of three tournaments in China this year, including one in Wuhan, as the return of international sport to the country gathers pace.

Almost all international sports events were cancelled in China after Covid emerged in Wuhan in late 2019, and they are only just returning after travel curbs were lifted.

The World Snooker Tour will stage the first professional snooker tournament in mainland China in four years with the showpiece Shanghai Masters on September 11-17, the WST said.

That will be followed by the Wuhan Open on October 9-15 and the International Championship in November at a Chinese city yet to be confirmed, AFP reported.

Total prize money for three events combined will be more than £2 million ($2.5 million).

"This is a momentous announcement for our sport as we ramp up our return to staging events in Asia," said WST chairman Steve Dawson.

"Throughout the pandemic we have maintained dialogue and relationships with the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association as well as our key partners and promoters across China.

"This has allowed us to make a fast return to staging key events now that travel restrictions have lifted."

In a nod to snooker's popularity in the world's most populous country, Dawson added: "We will continue to explore opportunities to stage further events in China and beyond."



Arensman Wins Tour de France 19th Stage as Pogacar Retains Yellow Jersey

INEOS Grenadiers team's Dutch rider Thymen Arensman celebrates on the podium after winning the 19th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 93.1 km between Albertville and La Plagne, in the French Alps, on July 25, 2025. (AFP)
INEOS Grenadiers team's Dutch rider Thymen Arensman celebrates on the podium after winning the 19th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 93.1 km between Albertville and La Plagne, in the French Alps, on July 25, 2025. (AFP)
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Arensman Wins Tour de France 19th Stage as Pogacar Retains Yellow Jersey

INEOS Grenadiers team's Dutch rider Thymen Arensman celebrates on the podium after winning the 19th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 93.1 km between Albertville and La Plagne, in the French Alps, on July 25, 2025. (AFP)
INEOS Grenadiers team's Dutch rider Thymen Arensman celebrates on the podium after winning the 19th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 93.1 km between Albertville and La Plagne, in the French Alps, on July 25, 2025. (AFP)

Thymen Arensman claimed his second victory in this year's Tour de France when he benefited from the top guns' waiting game to prevail in the 19th stage, the last mountain trek of the race on Friday.

The Ineos Grenadiers rider, whose team have been facing doping questions related to their glorious days as Team Sky, went solo in the final climb to La Plagne before crossing the line two seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, who were second and third respectively.

Slovenian Pogacar retained the overall leader's yellow jersey and leads Vingegaard by 4:24 going into the final two stages and is widely expected to win a fourth title if he avoids a major incident.

German Florian Lipowitz took fourth place on the shortened stage to cement his third place overall, stretching his advantage over fourth-placed Oscar Onley of Britain by 41 seconds to 1:03.

It would have taken a colossal coup from Vingegaard to topple Pogacar on the final mountain test in the Alps, but the Visma-Lease a Bike rider only tried within the last 100 meters to take two seconds off of the Slovenian's lead, with Pogacar emerging as the puppet master of the peloton.

A leading trio featuring France's Lenny Martinez and Valentin Paret Peintre as well as former Tour runner-up Primoz Roglic, reached the Col du Pre with a small gap of a chasing group after a brutal 12.2-km ascent at 7.7%.

The peloton, controlled by Pogacar's UAE Emirates-XRG, trailed by less than a minute.

With two kilometers left in the climb up to the Cormet de Roselend (5.9km at 6.9%), Paret Peintre and Roglic shook off Martinez, but only briefly as the Bahrain-Victorious rider clawed his way back.

Roglic went solo in the descent into Bourg Saint Maurice, dropping Martinez and Paret Peintre, who were quickly caught by the bunch.

Roglic was then swallowed two kilometers before the final climb and spat out immediately.

Austrian Felix Gall, gunning for a top five finish in Paris, accelerated 14.5km from the finish with Arensman, Pogacar and Vingegaard reacting.

Pogacar made his own move 14km from the top with Vingegaard and Arensman the only riders able to get into his slipstream.

Pogacar eventually let Arensman go and seemed content with setting a decent tempo to keep the Dutchman within reach, but the Slovenian eventually did not make the effort to go for a fifth stage win this year.