Gone is the truce for confectioners! The competitions start again in this first week of the year 2021. In France, Ligue 2 will play no less than two days; elsewhere, the Dakar gets to the heart of the matter and the snow athletes keep a steady pace.
Ligue 2: two days this week!
January will be a busy month for Ligue 2 clubs, including AJ Auxerre. This week, two days are scheduled. Thus, the AJA (4th) will receive Caen (7th) on Tuesday January 5 at 8 p.m. for the 18th day, before moving to Grenoble (1st) on Saturday January 9 at 3 p.m. for the 19th.
The matches for the 18th day are scheduled for Tuesday, all at 8 p.m. Auxerre – Caen, Clermont – Grenoble, Troyes – Châteauroux, Toulouse – Paris FC, Sochaux – Dunkirk, Rodez – Niort, Guingamp – Amiens, Valenciennes – Nancy, Chambly – Le Havre and AC Ajaccio – Pau.
Here are those of the 19th: Friday January 8 at 8 p.m., Châteauroux – Guingamp, Dunkirk – Troyes, Le Havre – Valenciennes, Nancy – Rodez, Niort – Amiens, Paris FC – Ajaccio, Pau – Chambly and Sochaux – Clermont. Then, Grenoble – AJA Saturday at 3 pm; and finally Caen – Toulouse on Monday at 8:45 p.m.
Francis Graille, president of the AJA, on the balance sheet at the truce: “We are happy, but we did not win anything”
The Dakar at the heart of the matter
For the second year in a row, the Dakar, the most famous of rally-raids, took to the tracks of Saudi Arabia on Sunday January 3, for its 43rd edition, despite the Covid-19 and the controversies linked to the respect of human rights in this ultra-conservative kingdom.
Tragedies and accidents, the Dakar has known. But he hadn’t yet had to overcome a pandemic. A challenge of a new kind for the organizers, as for the 555 registered competitors, ready to do battle during the twelve stages on the program of this edition, traced according to a loop of 7,500 km at the start and finish of Jeddah on the shores of the Red Sea.
On the sporting side, the return of Sébastien Loeb for his 5th Dakar is the highlight of the 2021 edition.
The first week of the race will be crucial for everyone. A single day of rest, a marathon stage: here is the menu for participants this week.
Monday 4 : 2nd stage between Bisha and Wadi Ad-Dawasir, 685 km (457 km of special).
Mardi : 3rd stage between Wadi Ad-Dawasir and Wadi Ad-Dawasir, 630 km (403 km of special).
Wednesday : 4th stage between Wadi Ad-Dawasir and Riyadh, 813 km (337 km of special).
Thursday : 5th stage between Riyadh and Al Qaisumah, 661 km (456 km of special).
Friday : 6th stage between Buraydah and Ha’il, 655 km (485 km of special).
Saturday : day off.
Sunday : 7th stage between Ha’il and Sakaka, 737 km (471 km of special). Marathon stage: on arrival, mechanics will be authorized in a work park only accessible to competitors.
On the snow: for all tastes!
Winter sports are back. From Wednesday, the ski jumping returns with the Four Springboards Tour and its fourth and last competition in Bischofshofen (Austria).
Start the same day of the Ski world cup men, with the Zagreb slalom (Croatia).
Then Friday, launch of the World Cup of biathlon in Oberhof (Germany), with the ladies’ and men’s sprints. They will be followed by ladies and gentlemen’s pursuits on Saturday, then by mixed relay Sunday.
Friday, the Men’s Skiing World Cup takes its marks in Adelboden (Switzerland) with the giant slalom, followed on Saturday by slalom.
Saturday will mark the return of the Ladies’ World Cup with the super-G from St Anton (Austria).
Unusual, moving, spectacular: the striking photos of the sporting year 2020 in Yonne
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