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Issue 293 | February 15 2013 James Anderson on leading England’s attack in a double Ashes year Head boy
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Issue 293 | February 15 2013
James Anderson on leading England’s attack in a double Ashes year
Head boy
issue 293, February 15 2013
18 25
06 60
radar
06 Nitro Circus The Movie 3D We ask the adrenaline-addicted Travis Pastrana about his new film and accompanying stunt 08 Red Bull Soapbox Drive around part of London in a silly car. No, we’re not talking about your precious Ford Ka o this coming weekFeatures
18 Jimmy Anderson England’s pace bowler on his split personality, and why he can’t think of anything worse than being stuck in a lift with Tim Bresnan
25 Laura Trott We talk to cycling’s golden girl ahead of her bid to defend her two world titles on the track
28 Another golden generation? Trott’s blazing a trail for the stars of the future – we rate their chances at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships next week
31 Sir Robin Knox-Johnston The first man to circumnavigate the globe non-stop and solo looks forward to the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race
extra Time
52 Kit Football boots to ensure you look the part on a Sunday morning, despite your hangover
54 Gadgets Pimp your ride with gizmos that would have Q hitting the eject button in Bond’s Aston Martin
56 Grooming Many hand creams – your mum would thank us for looking out for you on this one 60 Entertainment A Good Day To Die Hard and Lichtenstein at the Tate make it a good day to turn to page 60
| February 15 2013 | 03
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ive years ago, Codemasters’ Race Driver:
Grid revolutionised the genre with an
innovative career mode and the ability to
rewind the action and recover from your mistakes –
what Romain Grosjean would give to have that feature
in real life, eh? Today, Sport can reveal that a sequel is
in the works – and, as you can see from the exclusive
screenshot above, it looks to be a worthy successor.
Grid 2 will keep the best bits of its predecessor, but
add something equally revolutionary (although, sadly,
fictional): players will be able to compete in a World
Series of Motorsport across all disciplines, in an
attempt to find the greatest driver in the world.
It will feature commentary and graphics from ESPN
for added authenticity and, coupled with the hyper-
realistic damage models when you get it wrong,
it should make for a totally immersive experience.
Grid 2 will be released on May 31 2013 for Xbox 360,
Playstation 3. Visit gridgame.com for more
F
Burning rubber
| February 15 2013 | 05
Radarp06 – Run away with the adrenaline-addicted Nitro Circus The Movie 3D
p08– East or West? Gear up for the NBA All-Star Game
Fast and furious? Let off some steam by smashing up expensive virtual cars
Radar
06 | February 15 2013 |
A
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Circus in town
towards the crazy, but we’re pretty
rational on what’s possible.”
Banged up crew“The worst injury filming the Nitro
Circus movie was Jim DeChamp, who
got a broken back and a concussion.
Luckily – well, okay, I can’t say luckily
– that was really close to the end of
filming, but Jim stole the show. He
had the most crashes by far. You
need to understand what can go
wrong with a stunt before anyone
can do it right – and Jim showed that
perfectly. When you go first, it’s
really hard to know the speed, man.”
Ask a stupid question“We went back and forth on whether
to include Jim’s injury in the film. We
had to put it in, first because Jim
would have killed us if we didn’t, and
also because we didn’t want to hide
the danger factor. When you see
people crashing on TV, you can lose
the realisation that it’s actually
dangerous. The question I get asked
most is: ‘Does it hurt when you fall?’
I’m like: ‘Yeah! What do you think?’”
Living the dreamThere’s two things I’m proudest of.
I was selected for the Motocross of
Nations – in which every country
sends three of their top riders – in
my first year as a professional in
Motocross. I was 15, the youngest
person ever to represent the US,
and we won. The second thing is
Nitro Circus, in that we put together
a group of friends who still don’t have
real jobs – and we’re close to 30 now.
It’s not really an accomplishment
but, ah, it’s still great.”
Experience Nitro Circus in 3D, plus a
record-breaking stunt at London’s O2
arena, on February 28. Book your tickets
now on www.nitrocircusthemovie3d.com
head of the release of Nitro
Circus The Movie 3D, we talk
to daredevil, motocross
champ and 10-time X Games gold-
medallist Travis Pastrana. He tells us
about the record-breaking live stunt
planned for the O2 alongside the
screening of his film, and why he’s
in the ‘near-crazy half per cent’
Flipping ’eck“We’ve got pretty much every rider in
the world that can backflip, almost
every guy that’s been on Nitro Circus,
trying to do a melée of timed
backflips. So a world record of
people in the air at the same time,
everyone flipping, going in different
directions and trying to time it where
no one collides. If that happens,
the whole pile could come down.”
Defining crazy“Nitro Circus is really a group bonded
by an idea: anyone in any sport that
was willing to push themselves and
not just set boundaries based on
what’s already been done. You’ve got
to figure that 99 per cent of people in
the world are very safe, and about
half a per cent are just plain crazy.
So Nitro is that fine balance between
the two. Okay, we go a little more
hrowing ourselves face
first down a hill while
being ridden by a giant
panda used to be the stuff of
nightmares – at least until we had
all that therapy. Now, though, Red
Bull are offering you the chance to
bring any similar fantasies you may
have to life, as the Red Bull Soapbox
Race comes to London’s Alexandra
Palace after a nine-year absence.
The race is in July, but applications
are open now. You have until the end
of March to get a crew and an idea
together if you want to join those
wanting to career down a big slope.
Although, the way things are going,
it’ll be in the Olympics before long.
It’s surely more worthy than golf.
redbullsoapboxrace.co.uk
coast
Radar
08 | February 15 2013 |
T
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Po
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he States will be un-united on Sunday, as the
annual NBA All-Star Game pits the best of
the West against some Eastern beasts.
The starters for the game were chosen by a fan vote.
So, after thousands of votes made in the spirit of feverish
partisanship, the likes of LeBron James, Luol Deng, Kevin
Durant and Kobe Bryant will swap their club garb for
these rather fetching directional offerings. You can get in
on the action too – these jerseys, plus a host of other East
and West merchandise, is available from NBAstore.eu.
Perfect for basketball fans stranded in the margins of
England or, indeed, for sport-loving wicked witches.
From £45 at NBAstore.eu. Turn to page 36 for our
preview of the NBA All-Star Game 2013
T
Wacky racers
coastv
10 | February 15 2013 |
Radar Editor’s letter
Editor-in-chief
Simon Caney
@simoncaney
Sport magazine
Part of UTV Media plc
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Editor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951)
Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954)
Art editor: John Mahood (7860)
Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431)
Senior writers: Sarah Shephard (7958),
Alex Reid (7915)
Staff writers: Mark Coughlan (7901),
Amit Katwala (7914)
Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961)
Digital designer: Chris Firth (7952)
Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963)
Contributors: Del Gentleman
Commercial
Agency Sales Director: Iain Duffy (7991)
Business Director: Kevin O’Byrne (7832)
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Printed by: Wyndeham Group Ltd
© UTV Media plc 2012
UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for
the content of advertisements placed in
Sport magazine
£1 where sold
Hearty thanks to: Abby Burton, Mark
Sinclair, Gaia Bursell, Emily Dawson,
Luke Sutton
Don’t forget: Help keep public transport clean and tidy for everyone by taking your copy of Sport away with you when you leave the bus or train.
LAUNCH OFTHE YEAR
2008
Total Average Distribution: 305,676 Jan-Jun 2012
www.sport-magazine.co.uk
@sportmaguk
facebook.com/sportmagazine
B ack in the summer, when Manchester United were spending £24m on Robin van Persie, I took to Twitter to say that I didn’t think he was
a great buy. Clears throat. Ahem.
Okay, okay, I got it wrong. The point I was
trying to make, in 140 characters or fewer,
was that scoring goals was not United’s
problem – they managed to do it 89 times in
38 games last season. What was required,
I argued, was maybe a defence, or at least
another midfielder. Or a decent goalkeeper.
As it turns out, those things are not
really important in the 2013 version of the
Premier League. Indeed, it resembles the
under-12 league I so fondly remember – it
doesn’t matter if you let in five as long as you
score six. So it is that United have notched
an exceptional 62 goals in 26 games, thanks
largely to that man RvP.
They have, however, shipped 31 at the
other end. And yes, before you start, I know
that recently they have remembered the art
of defending and have conceded just three
in their past seven league games – though on
more than one occasion that seems to have
had more to do with luck than judgement.
The thing is that this is not a typically
balanced Alex Ferguson team. While it is
a goalscoring machine, there are gaping
areas for improvement, but they are clearly
unimportant – at the current rate, United will
have the league won by the time they play
neighbours Man City on April 6, and will finish
the season with a record points tally.
That they can do it without really breaking
sweat must be of huge concern to the rest
of the league, especially because a couple of
astute summer buys – Gareth Bale, anyone?
– would strengthen them drastically.
That RvP bloke is not bad though. That’s
what I really wanted to say.
Here’s a name to remember: Lydia Ko. Die-hard golf fans may have heard of her, but most people won’t have done. She is 15, still an amateur, but last week won her third professional golf tournament in the New Zealand Open. She was already the youngest player, male or female, to win a pro tournament and to win on the tough LPGA Tour. The Korean-born Kiwi has the world at her feet. It will be fascinating to watch her progress into the paid ranks.
Wasn’t it heartening to see Laura Robson
literally banging the drum for her Fed
Cup teammates against Bulgaria at the
weekend? True, it was a toy drum and
she looked very slightly daft; but, even
so, there is clearly a fine spirit in British
women’s tennis, and it is yielding results.
Robson and Heather Watson are leading
the way – they may not be winning Grand
Slams yet, but the signs are promising.
United do it their way They don’t do much in the way of defending, but that won’t stop Manchester United this season
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Jo
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RvP: 25 goals for Man Utd so far – but is he worth it?
Reader comments of the week
I wonder what
@davidflatman will be
buying @george_chuter
for Valentines day??
@Sportmaguk
#whatgoesinDublin
@RBradshaw8
Wow, just 11 weeks to go
until we run the #VLM2013
Great article from running
coach Martin Yelling in
today’s @sportmaguk
@NickiPetitt
@Sportmaguk painful
account of Jose’s state!
Hope he sheds the dark
streak & soon returns as
the charismatic yet cocky
managerial master!
@S4NK33
Good work @amitkatwala
for including Eddie Howe
in @sportmaguk Top
Young Managers feature
#kingeddie #legend #afcb
@dean_potter
@sportmaguk thanks for
heads up on the gorgeous
World Cup winner kits
print. My girlfriend will love
it hanging over the telly
#sportart
@GMizzle_SW
Free iPad app available on Newsstand
Cover of the Year
12 | February 15 2013 |
Radar Opinion
I am an extremely modern man, so once I had finished watching Ireland v
England last Sunday, I grabbed my phone
and sought the oxygen fix that only Twitter can
provide. That’s right, I was multi-screening.
In truth, this is more to do with muscle memory
and uncontrollable habit than with genuine
interest. But, every now and then, an unexpected
theme makes itself known and a new perspective
is proffered by way of the thumb-tapping public.
I loved Sunday’s game in Dublin. I thought it
showed – from England’s point of view – a stunning
level of maturity for a team so young. Owen Farrell
kicked well, yes, but he also showed monstrous
desire in the kick-chase, in the tackle and in the
undisguised quest to out-dog Ronan O’Gara once
the veteran took the field. The back row tackled like
machines, and the front five were so aggressive
and proficient at the breakdown that the predicted
Irish threat on the floor was extinguished at source.
However, Twitter didn’t agree. Twitter told me
that rugby needs to be played in the summer,
because the Aviva Stadium pitch was more
farmland than fairway. This is an argument that
has long been discussed; it probably won’t ever
happen, but I do see the sun-seekers’ point.
Rugby at this time of year is grim. The ball is
sopping wet and covered in sludge, therefore wide
passes are ill-advised; the ground is ploughed up
by the gorillas up front, so those who once skated
across the pitch are reduced to a plod; and any
aesthetically pleasing footwork or snazzy
sidesteps are washed away with the rain.
The British winter makes rugby a dogfight.
We begin the season on crisp, autumnal Saturdays
full of promise, and we finish it in the scorching
sunshine, with tracks hard and fast enough to
have wingers and outside centres alike salivating
before kick-off. And then there’s the bit in the
middle. The winter sees the game cut in half; the
forwards’ required workload doubles with the
rains, and the backs begin to wonder how they
might keep their delicate hands warm until they hit
the baths. And as for the supporters? Well, they
just keep coming. They deserve medals.
So why do we need this stodgy, rugby-by-
darkness in our lives? Because it’s totally wonderful,
that’s why. Think of rugby and, invariably, the
images that spring unconsciously to the front of
your mind will involve large men whacking into
each other... and mud. From the iconic image of
Fran Cotton’s face post-submergence to the local
under-15s on a Sunday morning, we need mud in
our game. As a player, you never know what sort
of individual you really are until you’ve gone toe to
toe in a game in which route-one confrontation is
the only way to survive. As my approach to social
media confirms, I am up for the shiny and the new
– but I am also convinced that no bloke can call
himself a bloke until he’s had a good scrap in the
mud. Winter rugby is for heroes.
@davidflatman
Da
vid
Ly
ttle
ton
Flats on Friday
Rugby union: as happy as a pig in mud
It’s worse than we thought. After a brief period of illness, our esteemed editor is now
at rest with his arms crossed and his hands flat
against his chest. His last words were, apparently:
‘Double Carpet! Double Carpet!’ But panic not – he is
still breathing.
A man familiar with the nuances of tic-tac betting,
he is in fact offering me 33/1 that City will win the
Premier League. It’s not a bad bet. After the results at
the weekend, high-street bookies are offering 16/1
– and the tabloids reckon, variously, ‘It’s In The Bag’ and
that ‘It Dozen Get Any Better’.
Roberto Mancini reckons we only have a 10 per
cent chance of repeating last year’s title win, and
even Sir Alex Ferguson allowed himself a little smile.
Although that may have been trapped wind.
The response of City fans, however, is divided by
category. ‘Etihad City’ comprises the under-20s, deluded
seniors a couple of season tickets away from a rest
home and bandwagon jumpers who started supporting
the club after the arrival of Robinho in September 2008.
Everybody else is ‘Maine Road City.’ Neither group
is suicidal.
Etihad City believes the club probably won’t win the
league this year – despite United having the distraction
of the Champions League and the fact that RVP has to
run out of form and/or fitness soon – but Neymar is a
shoo-in for next year, when City will sweep all before
them and finally knock Fergie off his ‘f*cking perch’.
Maine Road City are the fans who said ‘bless’
when youthful chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak claimed,
after the dramatic final game of last season: “We are
not ‘typical City’… we have destroyed that thought.”
They also remember City playing Macclesfield Town.
In the league.
Forever criticised by the Etihads for finding the glass
half-empty, Maine Roaders (while keeping a wary eye on
Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal) are far from downcast.
Happy to point out that we have already won a trophy
this season – the Whatever-They-Call-The-Charity-
Shield-This-Week Trophy – they note that Betfred is
paying out on United again, and that we should have
a full-strength side for the last third of the season.
So, I’ll have a tenner, Mr Editor. Each way.
@BorrowsSPORT
Plank of the WeekEmanuel Britez, defender, Union de Santa Fe
Struggling to get to grips with striker Pablo
Lugüercio in a tight Argentina Primera Division match
at the weekend, Britez decided to stick his fingers
up Lugüercio’s bottom. The Arsenal de Sarandi (yes,
really) player responded, not unnaturally, by flooring
the defender and receiving the red card. Britez,
feigning a face injury, then proceeded to smell
his fingers. Wrong on so many levels.
It’s like this…Bill Borrows
14 | February 15 2013 |
Frozen in time
| 15
28 Dollar thrillsWe’re more used to pictures of dozens of football
pitches at Hackney Marshes, but across the pond
they’re made of sturdier stuff. Indeed, this is the Pond
Hockey Championship in Wisconsin – 2,400 ice hockey
players competing on 28 makeshift pitches over
three days on the frozen Dollar Lake for the honour
of winning a trophy made out of a beer keg. The ice is
almost two feet thick, in case you were wondering.
Even the biggest American won’t fall through it.Bru
ce
Be
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18 | February 15 2013 |
James Anderson
England’s Jimmy
Anderson tells Sport
why it’s time to leave
the nice guy at home
Split personality
| 19
Cre
dit
You join up with England for the one-day
games against New Zealand. How much of
you is looking forward to the cricket, and
how much of you finds it hard to tear
yourself away from your family?
“It’s a tricky balance. I’m looking forward to
playing cricket, but it is difficult to leave
behind a young family. My wife and I have got
used to it over the years and, unfortunately,
the kids are going to have to get used to it
too. It’s harder for them the older they get.
Especially my four-year-old, who’s now
understanding that I do go away for chunks of
time. She doesn’t like cricket at the minute.”
Your daughter hates cricket! Jimmy, this
is no good…
“I know. But for me, I’ve got used to it, playing
for almost 10 years now. It sounds horrible,
but wherever I am, when I get out on the
pitch, I just switch off from what goes on
at home and concentrate on the job.”
In your autobiography, you talk about the
two different sides to you: James at home
and Jimmy on the cricket pitch. Is that
a deliberate divide?
“Yeah, over the last couple of years I’ve been
working with the team psychologist to try and
differentiate between the two. If a bit of the
person I am at home creeps into my cricket, I’m
a bit too nice on the field, whereas you want to
be aggressive and really have that hunger to
win. So it’s tuned into a bit of a skill, trying to
separate the two. I try and work on it, like I
would on any part of my bowling.”
So when does James disappear and Jimmy
take over?
“It’s a gradual thing. Once I get on the plane
it starts and, then, when I meet up with
the guys, I kind of switch into cricket mode.
That’s when the changes start, I guess –
and then throughout practice I’ll get
more and more settled into it. Hopefully
I’ll be raring to go once the first game
comes around.”
Are you a very different character to the
one who came into the team a decade ago,
would you say?
“I’m more sure of what I’m doing. I’m louder
in the dressing room now and I voice my
opinions, whereas in the past I’d be a bit
too shy and maybe not speak up when I felt
something needed to be said. I’ve changed
a little bit, but not a huge amount.”
Last year had plenty of ups and downs for
the England team. Were there any lessons
you learned from it?
“As a team, we’ve come out of it quite
positively, because we now know that we can
actually get through a year like that. The year
we had was a real one-off, we won’t have
anything like it again – or at least I hope we
won’t. The stuff that went on in the summer
[with Kevin Pietersen] wasn’t great, but
we’ve moved on from that. Going to India
in the winter, a lot of people – probably
even ourselves – weren’t sure how we
were going to get on. I think to win that >
“Last year was a real one-off, we won't have anything like it again – at least I hope we won't”
Sunday
New ZealaNd v eNglaNd:
First ONe-day iNterNatiONal |
HamiltON | sky spOrts 1 1am
Ne
il G
av
in
20 | February 15 2013 |
James Anderson
series shows that, as a team, we can
probably get through most things that
are thrown our way.”
Are the fences now mended between Kevin
and the team?
“Definitely. We sorted most of it out before
we went to India, and he’s settled back into
the team really well. Things needed to be said
from both sides. Kevin wanted to say a few
things, the players wanted to say a few
things, so we got those out in the open. That
was a really positive step. Once we got out to
India, it was like he’d never been out of the
side and nothing had happened.”
India was Alastair Cook’s first series as
England’s full Test captain. We tend to think
of him as cut from a similar cloth to Andrew
Strauss, but do you see a difference in their
captaincy styles?
“They’ve probably got the same tough mental
composition, but actually in personality
they’re very, very different. I think Alastair
is planning to put his own stamp on the
captaincy. The biggest difference is that
Straussy was very eloquent and spoke
brilliantly to the team – and that’s something
Alastair is still developing. He’ll get better
and better at it.”
You had a lot of responsibility under Strauss
– he would often refer to you as the leader
of the bowling attack. Is that something you
see continuing under Cook?
“I hope so, yeah. Unless he drops me! But
that’s something I’ve really enjoyed and, since
I’ve felt like I have that responsibility, my
performances have improved a huge amount.
I want to carry on in that role, if it’s possible.”
New Zealand have had a tumultuous time
of it lately. Does that make them a difficult
team to prepare for? We’re not sure what
to expect.
“Not for us, because we know how good New
Zealand can be. You can’t prepare to play a
team thinking they’re going to be out of form;
we’ll go into this series thinking that they’re
going to be at their strongest. There’s a bit of
danger that, as you say, they’ve had a tough
time of it of late – certainly in the Tests –
and some people are expecting us to roll
over them, but they play very well at home.
It’s going to be a hard tour for us.”
I’m sure the start of any cricket year is
exciting, but does this one feel extra special
because there’s two Ashes series ahead?
“It’s special when any Ashes series comes
around, but having two in a year does make >
“The biggest difference is that Straussy was very eloquent and spoke brilliantly to the team – that’s something Alastair is still developing. He’ll get better and better at it”
Ha
rry
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, Ia
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/AF
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22 | February 15 2013 |
James Anderson
it even more so. But looking ahead can be
dangerous. We can’t ignore the Ashes, because
everyone’s talking about it, but that’s just
something we’ll put on the backburner for
a bit. If we concentrate on the New Zealand
series, hopefully we can win those matches
and build up some momentum.”
You tell a story in your book about cuffing
Michael Clarke around the head with a
cricket pad in the dressing room while the
teams shared a drink once. Is it fair to say
you don’t like him much?
“Erm [laughter and long pause]. Well, that
was a long time ago – six years, I think. Look,
I don’t know him well at all, so I’m not going
to say either way. It’s one of those things.
Sometimes you get into those situations
when you’re having a beer with someone.
At that moment in time, we probably didn’t
see eye to eye.”
That’s fine though, isn’t it? A bit of heat
tends to work in the bowler’s favour, and
you’ll probably be bowling at him a fair
bit this year.
“It can do, but a lot of batsmen thrive on that
sort of thing. A bit of heat is not too bad, but
I don’t want to go overboard with it.”
Another prolific Australian batsman, Mike
Hussey, announced a surprise retirement
this year. It’s good news that he’s out of the
team, right?
“Well, the professional answer here would be
that any sportsman wants to test themselves
against the best – and he was one of the best
that I’ve bowled at. The other way of looking
at it is that he’s one of the best players I’ve
ever bowled at, so I’m quite glad I don’t have
to this time. I was quite happy with that, yes.”
You must be looking at the Australian
batting line-up and licking your lips...
“Well, the media and people in general who
I speak to seem to have written off New
Zealand and are doing the same to Australia
as well. They’re saying Australia have guys
they’ve never heard of coming in, but we have
played against most of them before and we
know how good they are. A lot of them have
played in England in county cricket, so there
will be experience in their side. We know how
competitive and determined the Australians
are, so expect a very tough series.”
As you’re on tour: have you ever made a
worse decision while away than letting
Stuart Broad cut your hair?
“That was a bit silly, yeah. I once let a drunk
Simon Jones do it and he shaved it all off, so
that was stupid. Although I actually probably
got a better haircut from Simon. But stuff like
that goes on when you’re on tour – you have
to try and keep yourself amused.”
Have you missed your pal Graeme Swann?
“I’ve not really missed him because I’ve seen
quite a lot of him over Christmas and the
England in New Zealand(February-
March)
The current tour
involves three
T20 internationals
(already played),
three ODIs and
culminates in a
three-Test series
against the Kiwis
New Zealand in England(May-June)
Begins on May 16
with the first of
two Tests,
followed
by three ODIs. A
pair of Twenty20
internationals take
place after the
ICC Champions
Trophy
Champions Trophy in England(June)
The second most
important ODI
tournament after
the World Cup
starts on June 6.
England will play
Australia, Sri
Lanka and New
Zealand in the
group stage
Australia in England(July-
September)
The first of five
hotly anticipated
Ashes Tests begins
on July 10 at Trent
Bridge. A pair
of Twenty20
internationals and
a five-match ODI
series follows
England in Australia(November-
January)
Australia get a
quick chance to
avenge their 5-0
humbling in
England as the
first in a five-Test
Ashes series starts
on November 21
in Brisbane
Why oh why?The reason England and Australia are
playing back-to-back Test series for the
first time in 38 years is to break the cycle of
a ODI World Cup following quickly after
the end of an Ashes winter. Previously – in
2011, for example – the England team went
into the World Cup straight on the back of
a long, tiring winter in Australia spent
batting away giant insects and erratic
fast-bowlers.
With this rescheduling, Australian
Ashes series will now end in non-World
Cup years.
The 12 months ahead
new year. My wife is quite close to his wife
and they have two young kids as well, so
we’ve seen a lot of each other. Well, not
a lot, but enough to get by.”
Lastly – and crucially – we asked Tim
Bresnan which England teammate he’d most
like to be stuck in a lift with, and he picked
you. So, would you like being stuck in a lift
with Tim Bresnan?
[Suddenly animated] “I honestly couldn’t think
of anything worse! Tim Bresnan is the last
person I’d want to be stuck in a lift with.”
Oh. Who would you pick to be stuck in a
lift with, then?
“I wouldn’t really want to be stuck in a lift
with any of them. I’m trying to think of
someone who’s sort of like a handyman
who could actually get us out. No, I can’t
think. [Relents] Probably Swanny. He’ll know
what buttons to push or which screws to
unscrew. I hope.”
Alex Reid @otheralexreid
Jimmy Anderson is sponsored by Vitabiotics Wellman
vitamin supplements. For more, visit wellman.co.uk
“Bresnan is the last man I’d want to be stuck in a lift with. I couldn’t think of anything worse”
To
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| February 15 2013 | 25
Laura TrottB
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Golden Generationdouble olympic track cycling champion laura trott heads to the world championships as, once again, the woman to beat
When Laura Trott competed at last year’s Track
Cycling World Championships, she was the holder of
just one Rainbow Jersey – for the team pursuit in
Holland in 2011. Next week, she heads to Minsk,
Belarus, as the holder of the World Championship
and Olympic team pursuit and omnium titles.
Sport caught up with Britain’s golden girl to ask
how she’s coping with the weight of expectation
You’ll arrive in Minsk as a double world and Olympic
champion. Is that a confidence boost or a burden?
“I’m used to the expectation now. I tend not to let
things I hear in the background bother me. If I listened
to people saying ’oh, she should win both [the omnium
and team pursuit]’, I’d never be where I am now
because it would have cracked me after the World
Championships last year. I was a double world
champion going into a home Olympics. Before the
worlds last year, I did let things get to me because I’d
read articles – especially in cycling magazines – that
put pressure on me. They’d say: ’She could be the
next best thing.’ And I was like: ’Oh my god, people
are actually going to expect me to win.’ Whereas now
I’m like: ’Oh, whatever.’”
What expectations do you have for
yourself in Minsk, then?
“I’d love it if I could defend my omnium title
and, as a team, we defended the team
pursuit – that would be a dream. But
it’s a new team. Elinor Barker is riding
with me and Dani King in place of
Joanna Rowsell, and it’s only a year
after the Olympics – so this is more of
a stepping stone. I need to look at the
bigger picture, but it’s hard as an
athlete to think: ’Oh, it’s alright if I don’t
win because I’m training for Rio.’ I just
want to race and see what we can do.” >
26 | February 15 2013 |
Laura TrottB
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How different is life for you now, compared with
before the World Championships in Melbourne
around this time last year?
“Completely. People actually know me now. Just a
minute ago, I was walking through the reception area
in the velodrome and three girls were walking with
their teacher. One of them just shouted: ’Laura!’
They were hysterical because they really wanted to
meet me. It was so nice, and that is the reality of it
now, whereas before it wasn’t like that at all. The first
few weeks after the Games were absolutely mental,
though, with people recognising me in the street and
stuff. To start with I just wanted my life to go back
to normal. But once you get used to it and see that
you are inspiring people – especially the younger
generation, like those girls today – it’s brilliant. If I can
get them riding their bikes just by having a photo with
them, then that’s what I’ll do.”
It’s the start of a new Olympic cycle and there are
some new faces around the velodrome in Manchester,
while some older ones have departed. How does the
mood compare with the start of the 2012 cycle?
“In our team, Elinor Barker has stepped straight in
and it’s really nice – almost like a fresh start. So that
side of it is nice. But I also loved it when Sir Chris Hoy
was there – I did – because I looked up to him and it
was so nice that I had the chance to train with him and
just have him there telling his stories. I loved that and
I miss it. He’d come out with the most random things.”
You’ve joined the new British-run Wiggle Honda road
team. What was it that made you decide that was
the team for you?
“I am a track rider and I will still be track right up to
Rio – but I need to go on the road to get stronger, and
it’s an easy transition from track to road with that
team because it’s British-registered, so my coach has
a bit of involvement. It’s professionally run, too, so we
have the equipment and the kit – whatever we need
– at our fingertips. I’ve raced for club teams before,
and it’s completely different. You get a jersey and that’s
it. You have to ride your own bike and, if you puncture,
that’s it. Game over. So it’s nice that I can actually
race and know that I have that support behind me.”
Your sister, Emma, is a road racer. Will you come up
against each other on the circuit?
“Oh yeah, we will. All summer I’ll race against her.
The first time we’ll go head to head is in April, at
a time trial out in Holland. We used to be really
competitive with each other when I first started
cycling – I always wanted to beat her. I think that’s
why I am where I am today, because she’s three
years older than me. So if I beat her, that meant I
was likely to beat the boys in my age group, which
was like a massive deal. Not many girls did that.”
The omnium’s one of your favoured events, but there’s
talk of it being dropped from the Rio Olympics...
“I know. How annoying. I don’t get what they’re trying
to achieve with that. It just annoys me – it really does.
They’re chopping and changing the events every
Olympics. I’m sorry, right, but you don’t see the
heptathlon being taken out of athletics, do you? It
doesn’t make sense to me. I understand that it can
be confusing to watch, but at the Olympics so many
people got behind me and enjoyed it. Somebody
tweeted the other day to say if the omnium got taken
out of the Olympics, he’d organise a street party.
So I tweeted him back saying: ’Each to their own, but
I think a lot of people enjoyed it.’”
When we spoke to you early last year, you told us
how you’d blown up your oven cooking a jacket
potato. Have your cooking skills improved at all?
“I’m much better now because I was given a machine,
and it’s quality. It’s called a Thermomix and you just
chuck everything in – whatever you want. The other
day, I made a prawn curry. I chucked all the ingredients
in: peppers, tomatoes, coconut milk, prawns, then
put rice and water in the top of it. You set it for 20
minutes, then it starts going nuts when it’s done.
That’s it. It’s basically done the cooking for you.”
You tweeted that you were reading Tyler Hamilton’s
book about drugs in cycling, The Secret Race. What
impact did the revelations in the book have on you?
“The book itself is a bit like ’woah’, because you don’t
expect it all to go on. I only read it because there were
so many stories going around that made me want to
read it. But the book is one thing and everything else
is another, isn’t it? I just want everyone to forget
about that and look at us, for example – the younger
generation coming through. Look up to us and forget
about all that crap that’s gone on in the past.”
Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag
"look at the younger generation. look up to us and forget about all that crap in the past"
28 | February 15 2013 |
UCI Track Cycling World Championships
THE ULTIMATE SOLDIERS ARE BACK
OUT NOW ON DVD, BLU-RAY AND LIMITED EDITION 3D BLU-RA
“BONE-BREAKING, BULLETVARIETY
Becky JamesAge 21
An unused reserve for Team
GB at London 2012, the
2009 world junior sprint and
keirin champion has moved
swiftly to fill the Pendleton-
shaped hole in the women’s
sprint squad. After winning
four titles at the British
Championships last year,
James teamed up with Jess
Varnish to win team sprint
gold at both the Cali and
Glasgow rounds of the Track
Cycling World Cup (as well as
winning silver and bronze
medals, respectively, in the
individual sprint at the same
events). She heads to Minsk
– her third appearance at
the worlds – expecting to
compete in the sprint, team
sprint, keirin and 500m time
trial events.
Vicky WilliamsonAge 19
With James’ usual sprint
partner Varnish out with
a back injury, academy
rider Vicky Williamson steps
up to make her World
Championships debut just
four years after switching
from athletics. “Lots of
people were talking about
cycling after Team GB’s
success in Beijing, so I
thought I’d give it a shot,”
says Williamson. ”I did some
power tests and produced
some really good results.”
They were good enough for
her to be offered a spot on
British Cycling’s Olympic
Development Programme,
and medals at the 2011
Track Cycling Junior World
Champs suggest that’s
exactly where she belongs.
Jason kennyAge 24
One of the younger athletes
who has benefited from
training and racing
alongside Chris Hoy for
more than five years, Kenny
was chosen over his more
experienced colleague for
the sole sprint spot at
London 2012. And he proved
it was the right choice,
winning a second gold to
match the one he won with
Hoy (and Philip Hindes) in the
team sprint. Kenny’s focus is
now on trying to add to his
solitary world title from
2011, which he won despite
initially coming second to
France’s Gregory Bauge in
the final. The Frenchman
was later stripped of
his medal for missing
a drugs test.
a neW DaWnnext week’s trAck cycling world chAmpionships mArk the stArt of A new erA for British cycling. Sport introduces the riders tAsked with continuing the gold medAl trend in minsk
sprint
| 29
TE SOLDIERS ARE BACK
Y AND LIMITED EDITION 3D BLU-RAY STEELBOOK
WATCH IT NOW ON
“BONE-BREAKING, BULLET-BLASTING VIOLENCE”ARIETY
2D+3D
STEELBOOK
4X BOXSET
men’s sprintMatt Crampton
Kian Emadi
Jason Kenny
Phil Hindes
women’s sprint Becky James
Vicky Williamson
men’s enduranceSteven Burke
Ed Clancy
Jon Dibben
Owain Doull
Sam Harrison
Andy Tennant
Simon Yates
women’s enduranceElinor Barker
Dani King
Laura Trott
Kian emadiAge 20
Making his World
Championships debut in
Minsk, Emadi is one of the
new breed in the team
sprint alongside Kenny.
There’s no question over
Kenny’s faith in his
teammate’s ability: “It’s
impossible to ignore that
Kian is going quicker than
anyone at the minute, and he
has shown real speed. He’s
obviously been working
really hard while we were
at the Olympics, and he’s
getting the rewards for
that now.” Emadi will also
compete in the 1km time
trial in Minsk – an event that
has already won him a
British title and a World Cup
silver on his debut in
Colombia last October.
elinor BarKer Age 18
With Joanna Rowsell
skipping the World
Championships to focus on
her road racing, world junior
time trial champion Barker
is joining Laura Trott and
Dani King in their bid for
continued domination of the
women’s team pursuit. The
Welshwoman has already
filled in for Rowsell once,
at the Glasgow World Cup
last November, when the
trio rode to gold. Her
performance there elicited
high praise from Dave
Brailsford, British Cycling’s
performance director, who
described it as “one of
the best debuts I’ve seen
in the senior ranks“.
And Brailsford has seen
a fair few...
sam Harrison Age 20
The Welshman – a former
boyfriend of Laura Trott –
won a bronze medal on his
senior World Championships
debut in Apeldoorn, Holland
in 2011, when he was a
last-minute replacement for
the ill Ed Clancy in the team
pursuit. He filled in for
Clancy in the omnium, too,
finishing 12th overall, but
joins the Olympic champion
in the squad this time.
Harrison is one of a number
of young riders called up
– Jon Dibben, Owain Doull
and Simon Yates join the
more experienced Clancy,
Steven Burke and Andy
Tennant in Minsk, with
Brailsford searching for
the right combination to
lead the way in Rio.
wednesdaY • Men’s kilo time trial final
• Women’s individual
pursuit final
• Women’s team sprint final
• Men’s team pursuit final
tHursdaY • Women’s 500m time
trial final
• Men’s individual
pursuit final
• Women’s team
pursuit final
• Men’s scratch 15km final
• Men’s team sprint final
FridaY• Women’s scratch 10km
• Men’s points race 40km
• Men’s keirin final
saturdaY • Women’s sprint final
• Women’s points race 25km
• Men’s omnium final
sundaY• Women’s omnium final
• Men’s sprint final
• Women’s keirin final
• Men’s madison 50km final
it's on tV BBC Red Button,
WednesdAy 10Am
BBC tWo, WednesdAy 4pm
endurance tHe team in Full Finals scHedule
All
pic
ture
s G
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y Im
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es
| February 15 2013 | 31
Sir Robin Knox-JohnstonM
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The first person to make a solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe by boat, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston went on to co-found the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. We caught up with him before the event’s ninth edition to talk solitude, satellite phones and sailing >
A Knight's sAil
| February 15 2013 | 33
Sir Robin Knox-JohnstonA
FP
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ion
In 1968, you set off to sail around the world without
stopping. What possessed you to do that?
”It came about quite simply, really. I was sailing my
boat back from India, where I’d built it, when I read
that Francis Chichester had sailed around the world
with one stop. I just thought: ’Well, that’s it then
– there’s only one thing to be done.’ I wrote to 52
companies asking for sponsorship for the journey,
and they all wrote back saying no. So I said:
’Well, I’m going anyway.’”
So where did you get the money to do it, then?
”I got an overdraft from the bank. I just had to be
clever, so the bank didn’t know what I was spending
it on. By the time they found out, I’d sailed myself
into solvency.”
What was the toughest thing about a challenge
like that?
”The hardest thing was actually making the decision
to go. Once you’ve made that decision, an awful lot of
the problems actually disappear. The next thing is
finding the money to set off, and that is hard work.
In my case, I was unsuccessful asking for money from
potential sponsors, so my journey was more of a
gamble. My biggest problem, though, was that I had a
touch of jaundice, so I wasn’t able to be too energetic
for the first four or five weeks. I’d had jaundice
before, so I knew if I went to a doctor, they would have
sent me to hospital. I just decided that I wasn’t going
to say anything, but just sit around and take it easy.
That was quite hard at times, to begin with.”
And you were alone on the boat for 10 months.
What was the longest time you went with no contact
whatsoever?
”I had a link every Thursday on the radio, but I lost
the radio after two and a half months in a storm.
I spoke to a vessel off the coast of Melbourne,
and had a chat with a fisherman off New Zealand.
But, after that, I didn’t speak to anyone until I was
close to home. So it would have been about five or
five and a half months.”
How did you keep track of the other competitors
in the race?
”I didn’t – I had no idea what was going on. Without the
radio, I had no idea how anyone else was doing. By the
time I rounded Cape Horn, I was 20 days ahead of
the second-placed Bernard Moitessier, who later
withdrew, but I only found that out afterwards. I was
in France soon afterwards, and they were saying to
me: ’Moitessier was ahead of you when he pulled out
of the race!’ I rounded Cape Horn on January 17.
Moitessier did it on February 9. Only in France does
that put him ahead of me.”
How did it feel finishing the race?
”It was fantastic, but it was also a bit of a comedy
situation. I was going to finish at about 9am, so I
told people on the shore and I was asked to slow
down because the mayor and mayoress were going
to greet me – and the mayoress had her hair
appointment at 9am. They asked me to slow up, so
I did. But then the wind changed, so I didn’t end up
finishing until past 3pm [pictured above], by which
time the poor dear’s hairstyle was ruined anyway.”
Do you enjoy the solitary time on the boat?
”Yeah, I’m one of the few who does. I don’t mind it.
I’m perfectly content in my own company, or I’ll sail
with crews just as happily. But I’m probably one of the
few who doesn’t mind sailing alone. You miss company
from time to time, but on the whole you’re out there
for a reason – so you just get on with it.”
How do you pass the time alone for that long?
”You don’t have time to be bored. Bear in mind there
were no satellites or GPS equipment, so you’re
spending at least two hours a day navigating. Then
you’ve got maintenance to do. And, apart from the
normal things like sail changes and so on, you’re just
checking the boat and making sure she’s alright. Then
there’s constantly checking the weather. All the boat
had was a barometer, so you’re watching the clouds
and the wind direction to try and establish what’s
going on. People think you can just sit back with a gin
and tonic in your hand, but sadly it isn’t like that.”
Do you prefer that to modern, technology-filled boats?
”The problem with sailing today is people expect to
hear from you, and that puts pressure on. When
I went around the world again in 2007, I’d snarl if
my satellite phone went off twice in a day. Tell me if
you’re going to call at a certain time, or else please
do not bother me. By the time I’d got below to answer
it, the person would be gone, and they’d have
interrupted me when I might be doing a sail change or
something. Then I’d start again and the phone would
go off again. To hell with it. I just couldn’t be bothered!”
So, what was the idea behind the Clipper Series?
”It started in 1995, when I was in Greenland climbing
and someone told me how much it cost to climb Mount
Everest. I thought: ’Whoah, that’s a lot of money.
What’s the sailing equivalent?’ Just as total amateurs
climb Everest, our idea was to get amateurs sailing
around the globe. We put an ad in the paper and got
8,000 replies, so we thought we’d better do it.”
Were you surprised by the level of interest?
”Yeah, I really was. An awful lot were just people
dreaming. But we had enough to fill eight boats, and
that was the beginning of the Clipper races.”
What advice do you give people ahead of the races?
”Train hard and sail easy. The easiest people to train
are the ones who have never sailed before, because
they don’t have any bad habits. But anyone can be a
great sailor as long as you train hard. You’re doing a
once-in-a-lifetime event, so why not learn as much as
possible about the boat so you get to enjoy the event
all the more? Learn to navigate, learn about the boat.
It’s about building up their confidence and their
awareness of what’s going on around them.”
This year sees the ninth staging of the Clipper race.
Will you be jealous when you watch the race start?
”It depends what I’m doing at the time. I love seeing
the start and all the excitement and nerves among the
crews. They’re really good sailors by the time they
come back, and that’s probably one of the things I get
most satisfaction from. It’s not just the sailing – you
notice the extra self-confidence and it really shows.”
Mark Coughlan @coffers83
For more information about the Clipper Round the World
Yacht Race, visit www.clipperroundtheworld.com
"i rounded cape horn on january 17. Moitessier did it on february 9. only in france does that put hiM ahead"
34 | February 15 2013 |
Advertising Feature
You pause. You think. You start life as
a naval recruit. And, before you know
it, your life has changed. You see
more opportunities than ever before.
You learn a lot about yourself.
You save lives in the Caribbean.
You defend British borders. You tour
Cyprus with the Navy Rugby Team.
You live a life without limits.
Not everyone joining the Royal Navy will have the experience described
above, of course, but therein lies the beauty of a career in the Armed
Forces – it means something different to everyone who joins, and
offers so many varied opportunities that no two careers, no two
Royal Navy lives, will ever be the same.
Indeed, no two days will ever be the same. Take a look at the case
study on this very page: one day, you could be onboard a Royal Navy
submarine, working closely with your friends and colleagues to help
protect our nation’s borders; the next, you could be padding up to
open the batting for the Royal Navy cricket team.
You need not be on a submarine, however – as the box elsewhere
on this page shows, the Royal Navy offers a vast range of job
opportunities across a whole spectrum of different areas. And if
cricket isn’t your thing, don’t worry – you would be encouraged to
pursue whatever sporting interests you have.
If this sounds like the kind of future you want for yourself – one
in which travel, sport and an environment of encouragement and
camaraderie all feature – then read on for examples of the different
types of career you can follow in the Royal Navy. Why wouldn’t you?
A different world
The Royal Navy, A Life Without Limits
www.royalnavy.mod.uk/navyjobs
Mine Warfare
Specialist
You’ll be doing important
work making the seas
safer for both Royal Navy
and civilian ships. You’ll be
trained to find mines using
mine-hunting sonar and,
having detected them, you
will launch and control your
ship’s remote-controlled
mine-disposal vehicle to
deal with them. The safety
of your ship could one day
depend on your skill, quick
thinking and powers of
concentration.
Chef
Join a team preparing
first-class food, making
sure the ship’s company
(as many as 900 people)
receives three nutritious
meals a day. During a port
visit, you could even find
yourself cooking for
royalty. As part of the crew
of a fighting ship, you’ll also
be trained in firefighting,
first aid and get involved in
operations ranging from
delivering humanitarian
relief to searching ships
for smuggled goods.
Weapons Engineer
Weapons engineers manage
the repair and maintenance
of a ship’s weapons and
sensors equipment.
Experience the thrill and
challenge of being part of
a team responsible for
bringing together the
fighting capability of the
ship. On shore, you could
lead and manage technical
projects, working with
industry partners to
develop new equipment
and roles in home support
to frontline operations.
CAREERS iN foCuS
| 35
For further
information
on Royal Navy
careers, call
08456 07 55 55
or search
'Navy Jobs'
online
this week, we speak to Matt –
an Engineering Technician
Weapon Engineering
Submariner on HMS Ambush†
What inspired you to join the Royal Navy?
“My dad. At university, I decided it wasn’t
for me – but he had been in the Army, and
thought my desire for an exciting career
would be suited to the Armed Forces. So I
visited my local careers office and decided
to join the Royal Navy as a Submariner.”
Tell us about your career so far...
“I’m a fully qualified ETWE (SM) onboard
HMS Ambush, one of the new Astute class
submarines. In the near future, I hope to
be selected for promotion to Leading
Engineering Technician, then complete my
leadership training at HMS Collingwood.
Being presented with my dolphins, which
signifies I’m a qualified Submariner, was
one of my proudest moments to date.”
How have you developed since joining?
“I think my leadership skills have developed
massively since joining, especially in the
Submarine Service. I’ve matured as a person,
and gained some lifelong friends, too. The
camaraderie we have onboard is something
you can’t replicate anywhere else.”
What skills have you learned that you can
take into everyday life?
“The professional environment required to
live and work on a submarine is something
I’ll definitely take with me. When you’re
working so closely with people, you always
have to be professional, not to mention
tolerant of their needs and feelings. There
isn’t a lot of space to hide on a submarine!”
What sports do you play?
“I’m the Royal Navy cricket captain, as well
as a full Combined Services cricketer,
which I have been for three seasons. I also
use the gym facilities provided by the
Royal Navy (free of charge) to keep myself
fit. I regularly play five-a-side football with
my colleagues, and play other sports like
squash. There is even a dry ski slope at HM
Naval Base Faslane, where I’m based, which
is available for everyone there to use.”
What do you like about the sports you play?
“Being involved in Royal Navy cricket, I have
played against some top-class players at
some of the best venues in the world. Every
year we play the T20 competition at Lord’s,
where every cricketer wants to play. We
also tour periodically, to places including
the Caribbean, Australia and South Africa.
This year, I’m hopefully touring India with the
Combined Services. The opportunities to
play sport in the Royal Navy are endless.”
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Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Mik
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7 DaysFEB 15-FEB 21
HIGHLIGHTS
» Football: FA Cup 5th Round » p38
» Football: Champions League Last 16 » p40
» Rugby Union: Saracens v Exeter » p44
» Tennis: Dubai Duty Free Championships » p46
» Golf: WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship » p48OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD
SUNDAY BASKETBALL | NBA ALL-STAR GAME | TOYOTA CENTER, HOUSTON | SKY SPORTS 2 & ESPN 1AM
36 | February 15 2013 |
The NBA All-Star weekend is difficult to top for
sheer entertainment. Events in Houston start on
Friday, with the All-Star Celebrity Game. This year it
will feature Usain Bolt, who has already promised to
“try and dunk a few times”, as well as music stars
Ne-Yo, Common and Trey Songz – all of whom we’re
huge fans of, obviously. Saturday’s programme
includes the Skills Contest and the Sprite Slam Dunk
competition, in which Utah Jazz forward Jeremy
Evans (pictured) will look to defend his 2012 title.
Sunday brings the main event, as the Eastern
Conference attempts to avoid a third successive
defeat to the Western Conference – although there
will be very little focus on defense, allowing the
players to showcase their offensive skills.
Injury permitting, the very best NBA talent will
be on display. That includes, for the East, Dwyane
Wade, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.
The West, meanwhile, have Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant
and last year’s MVP Kevin Durant in their ranks.
Expect a high-scoring game – last year finished
152-149, the second highest in All-Star history.
Star-spangled razzmatazz
38 | February 15 2013 |
7 Days
SATURDAY FOOTBALL | FA CUP FIFTH ROUND: OLDHAm v EvERTON | BOUNDARy PARk | ITv1 6Pm
Jose Baxter’s reward for helping Oldham dispatch Liverpool is a
match-up with his former club, Everton. Released last summer by the
team he joined at the age of six, the 21-year-old tipped as the next
Wayne Rooney has rebuilt his career at the Latics – and his quality
has been instrumental in their cup run so far. Oldham are, however,
currently managerless after the departure of Paul Dickov, a casualty
of their poor league form. Club chairman Simon Corney has admitted
that staying in League One is “more important than beating
Everton”, with the club 21st in the table at the time of writing. The
Toffees, meanwhile, were semi-finalists last year, and are having one
of their best seasons under David Moyes. They’ve efficiently seen
off Cheltenham and Bolton to get to this stage, and will have no
intention of joining their neighbours on Oldham’s list of scalps.
Baxter’s coup
SATURDAY - SUNDAY FOOTBALL | FA CUP: THE OTHER mATCHES THIS WEEkEND
SATURDAY FOOTBALL | FA CUP FIFTH ROUND: LUTON v mILLWALL
kENILWORTH ROAD | ESPN 12.45Pm
With Manchester City’s league challenge in
tatters, Roberto Mancini will hope an FA Cup run
will be enough to stay the gilded axe above his
head. Leeds have a great cup record against
top-flight opposition, though – they’ve beaten
Spurs, Everton and Southampton this season.
Mancini has vowed to make several changes
to his side in the wake of the 3-1 defeat to
Southampton – Carlos Tevez, Vincent Kompany,
Matija Nastasic and Kolo Toure could all return.
Leeds are adjusting to life without Luciano
Becchio, who left for Norwich in January. El Hadji
Diouf could be joined in attack by loan signing
Habib Habibou, famous for lobbing a stray duck
over the advertising hoardings in Belgium.
They’re the lowest ranked side left in the draw,
but non-league Luton’s ‘giantkilling’ of Norwich
in the fourth round rang a bit hollow, given that
the sides were in the same division as recently as
six years ago. That feeling was only compounded
when, instead of the lucrative tie their battling
performance deserved, the ball bag threw up
a home fixture with Millwall – to groans from
both Hatters fans and the local police. In 1985,
Kenilworth Road was the scene of rioting when
the teams met in the quarter finals, with 47
injured and 31 arrests. Expect a quieter affair
in the stands, if not on the pitch.
The last meeting between these sides produced
seven goals in the first 34 minutes of a thrilling 4-3
away win for United. The Royals have been resurgent
of late, although their good run ended with defeat
to Stoke last weekend – and they haven’t beaten
the Red Devils in 12 attempts since 1927.
The result is not quite a foregone conclusion,
though. Adam le Fondre will be a threat up front –
he’s scored seven goals in 2013 already, one more
than Robin van Persie.
SUNDAY FOOTBALL | FA CUP FIFTH ROUND: mAN CITy v LEEDS
ETIHAD STADIUm | ESPN 2Pm
MONDAY FOOTBALL | FA CUP FIFTH ROUND: mANCHESTER UNITED v READINg
OLD TRAFFORD | ESPN 8Pm
Elsewhere, Arsenal host
Championship strugglers
Blackburn (Saturday, 3pm), who
at the time of writing had won
three on the spin. Barnsley,
who are in the Championship
relegation zone despite an
unbeaten run of seven matches,
head to League 1 MK Dons, who
beat QPR in the fourth round
(Saturday, 3pm). Speaking of the
fourth round, Chelsea’s replay
with Brentford is on Sunday
afternoon (12pm), before Wigan
visit either Huddersfield or
Leicester (3.55pm) – those two
were commencing their replay
as Sport went to press.
Salvage crew
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40 | February 15 2013 |
7 Days
Pep Guardiola’s decorated feet ought to have no
problem filling the biggest of managerial shoes,
but even he might have a challenge when he takes
over Bayern Munich in the summer if their season
continues at its current pace. Last year’s beaten
Champions League finalists are 15 points clear in
the Bundesliga under outgoing manager Jupp
Heynckes, and have returned from their winter
break with some ferocity – winning four without
conceding in the league.
Home comforts
It’s a tough task, then, for Arsenal, whose Euro trip
has ended at this stage in each of the previous two
seasons. Their last exit was particularly disastrous,
going down 4-0 to AC Milan in the away leg. Despite
a spirited home comeback, when they went in at half
time three goals to the good, the tie ended 4-3.
Arsenal have lost to German opposition at the
Emirates this season – a 2-0 defeat to Schalke in the
group stage – but that was their first home defeat
against non-English opposition in 45 matches, so
they’ll still welcome playing the home leg first.
New faces
Munich are a slightly different prospect this year –
fans used to seeing Arjen Robben’s ovoid head
sprinting down the touchline to feed Mario Gomez
might have to turn their attention to the bench – the
Dutch winger has made just 10 appearances this
season, with Thomas Müller favoured on the right.
His combination with new signing Mario Mandzukic
(who has ousted his namesake Gomez) has been
the cornerstone of Bayern’s attack this season –
the Croat impressed at Euro 2012, and has 16 goals
in 24 games since joining from Wolfsburg.
Trouble at the back
The Gunners’ traditionally leaky defence spent the
start of the season doing a passable impression of
the impregnable unit they formed in the early 1990s,
with three clean sheets in their opening three games
and a general sense of cohesion that’s been sorely
lacking of late. Arsenal’s new left-back Nacho
Monreal is cup-tied, and with Kieran Gibbs injured
they will probably shift Thomas Vermaelen left,
leaving Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker in
the centre of defence. Mertesacker has played
Bayern 16 times during his career and won just twice,
which doesn’t bode well.
Bright signs
Still, there are reasons to be cheerful if you’re a
Gooner. Theo Walcott has been in the form of his life
since securing a new contract, and Olivier Giroud is
starting to show the finishing finesse that compelled
Arsene Wenger to sign him from Montpellier in the
summer. Gervinho is back from the Africa Cup of
Nations, where he was one of Ivory Coast’s best
players (but we’ll leave it to Arsenal fans to decide
whether that’s a reason to be cheerful or a reason
to bang your head repeatedly against a brick wall).
The result on Tuesday night will depend on which
Arsenal side turns up – the controlled and lethal
creative attack that put five past West Ham, or the
shaky, shambling defence that struggled to contain
Bradford and Brighton. For neutrals, the best
outcome might just be if both Arsenals make an
appearance, as they did in the ludicrous 7-5 win over
Reading, or that aggregate loss to Milan last season.
Bayern look to set the bar high
TUESDAY FOOTBALL | ChAmpiOns LeAgue LAsT 16 FirsT Leg: ArsenAL v BAyern muniCh | emirATes sTAdium | iTV1 7.45pm
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
WEDNESDAY FOOTBALL | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16 FIRST LEG:
AC MILAN v BARCELONA | SAN SIRO | Sky SPORTS 2 7.45PM
| 41
Malaga’s first crack at the Champions League
might be their last, with the club in financial
turmoil after their wealthy benefactor pulled the
plug. They certainly aren’t wasting it, though –
their reward for topping a tough group ahead
of Milan is a very winnable tie against Porto.
The Portuguese side are tough to beat in their own
stadium, but have won just two of their past nine at
home against Spanish teams. Malaga’s threat will
come from Roque Santa Cruz and Javier Saviola
(still only 31, incredibly), while Porto will look to
smash open the Spanish defence with Colombian
striker Jackson Martinez. Hulk’s gone to Russia.
Milan probably reacted to the draw for the last 16
with a weary sigh – not again. These giants of
the European game met four times in last year’s
competition. They played out a thrilling 2-2 draw
followed by a narrow Barcelona win in the group
stages, and then in the quarter finals Barcelona
prevailed 3-1 over two legs. Milan didn’t win any
of their group home games this time and we
can’t see Kevin-Prince Boateng, for one, being
disciplined enough for his side to do a Celtic
against the Catalans either. There’s no doubt it
will be a game of high quality, but probably one
with a disappointing end for the Rossoneri.
TUESDAY FOOTBALL | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16 FIRST LEG: PORTO v MALAGA
ESTádIO dO dRAGãO | Sky SPORTS 2 7.45PM
Schalke’s challenge looks a lot harder now than
it did at the beginning of the year, with Turkish
champions Galatasaray having since added
Champions League winners Wesley Sneijder and
Didier Drogba to a legion of ex-pats that already
includes the likes of Felipe Melo and Emmanuel
Eboué. The Ivorian striker has ditched Shanghai
because he wants to “win the Champions League”
with Galatasaray, apparently – although they will
have a tough time getting past Schalke, even
with their new stars.
The Germans made it undefeated through the
group stages. They will miss Spurs recruit Lewis
Holtby, but the Dutch pair of Ibrahim Afellay and
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar offer threat enough. They
should more than match Galatasaray’s own Dutch
talent; Wesley Sneijder is finding his way back to
match fitness after months frozen out at Inter. And,
if his Africa Cup of Nations performances are any
indicator, Drogba is in a similiar state. If the Turks
continue to flex their financial muscle, they could
well become the force Drogba predicts. But this
year’s knockout stage has come a little too soon.
THURSDAY (FEBRUARY 21) FOOTBALL | EUROPA LEAGUE | ITV & ESPN
WEDNESDAY FOOTBALL | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16 FIRST LEG: GALATASARAy v
SCHALkE 04 | TURk TELECOM ARENA | Sky SPORTS 4 7.45PM
We went to press before the first
legs kicked off this week, so
please delete as appropriate to
guide your Thursday viewing/
ignoring. Chelsea and Liverpool
will be looking to make up for/
build on their disappointing/
promising performances in
eastern Europe, as they welcome
Sparta Prague (8.05pm) and
Zenit St Petersburg respectively
(8.05pm). Meanwhile, Emmanuel
Adebayor should return/has
already returned to the first XI for
Tottenham as they try to overturn
a deficit/protect their lead away
at Lyon (6pm). Newcastle are
away at Metalist Kharkiv (6pm).
Old Turks
Milan’s Catalan déjà vu
Iberian action
Ale
xa
nd
er
Ha
ss
en
ste
in/
Bo
ng
art
s/G
ett
y I
ma
ge
s, D
en
is D
oy
le/G
ett
y I
ma
ge
s, G
ius
ep
pe
Ca
ca
ce
/AF
P/G
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yIm
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The fans’ tournament
Advertising Feature
| February 15 2013 | 43
Capital One, Official Credit Card Of The Football League.
For further details, see facebook.com/CapitalOneUK
It’s hard to find anyone who will argue that this has been anything other than an amazing season for the Capital One Cup, with thrilling matches and great moments
in every round. But let’s take a moment to recognise the people behind this great competition - the fans.
The fans who have followed the competition
from the beginning. The fans who followed their
clubs all over the country. The fans who missed
anniversaries, burned the dinner, or forgot to
take the bins out, because they were too busy
cheering on their team. The fans who used up
their holiday to travel. The fans who stayed until
the last minute. Or the fans that never missed
a game on TV.
How can anyone forget the sheer delight
of Bradford City’s fans as they realised the
Wembley dream had become a reality? Or that of
the Swansea supporters as they stormed past
Chelsea to the Final? Both wonderful stories,
made all the better by the reaction of the crowd.
Now we’re getting close to the Final, we want
to take a moment to recognise this commitment.
Capital One wants to put these fans centre
stage, saluting their efforts and thanking them
for everything they’ve done – whether their
team has made the Final or not. They’ve been
part of the Capital One Cup, they’re part of the
fabric of football, and we’re going to say thank
you by making them part of the Final.
Along the way, they have been brilliant
supporters of the competition – even if their
team didn’t make it to the Final. Let’s face it,
you didn’t have to be a supporter of either
Arsenal or Reading to have loved every
second of their monumental encounter
earlier in the competition.
The Capital One Cup has created a real buzz
this season, and been a topic of conversation
for those watercooler moments – not just in this
country, but all over the world. The supporters
have made it a competition to cherish: a credit
to the game.
As we approach the Final of the Capital One Cup, we look at the incredible contribution of the most important people – the supporters
ournament
It’s not just about the winning: Aston Villa fans show how much the competition meant to them
44 | February 15 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
7 Days
SATURDAY Rugby union | aviva pRemieRship: saRacens v exeteR | allianz paRk | sky spoRts 1 3pm
History is set to be made
tomorrow afternoon, as perennial
innovators Saracens take another
step into the unknown with a first
ever Premiership match on an
artificial surface. After the Six
Nations pitches fell apart last
week, and with the wet and cold
weather returning in force, it
could just be the perfect time
to showcase what the plastic
4G pitch can do.
Shiny new surfaces aside,
however, tomorrow’s clash is set to
be a titanic battle on the field (is it
still called a field?), with both sides
desperate to bounce back from
respective defeats to the league’s
bottom two sides. For Exeter,
whose winless run in the league
now stretches back to early
December, it was all the more
painful losing up in Sale, given
the fact they led 16-5 early in the
second half. A visit to Saracens is
hardly the ideal tonic, but Exeter
are the league’s second-highest
try scorers, and Gareth Steenson
insists they aren’t far off
rediscovering their winning ways.
“We are creating the chances,
and we are getting into the right
areas of the pitch, and it has got to
click at some point,” the fly half
insisted after last week’s second-
half capitulation. And, with the
likes of Sireli Naqelevuki and
powerful winger Watisoni Votu
– who scored on his debut last
week – in the back line, the Chiefs
could relish the opportunity to
take to Sarries’ new surface.
The home side, meanwhile, were
pretty dismal in defeat to London
Irish last week, with mistakes
littering their game and handing
the initiative to the Exiles.
In Owen Farrell’s absence,
Charlie Hodgson’s boot has been
keeping Sarries ticking over – the
Londoners have both scored and
conceded the least number of tries
in the league – but the new pitch
might allow them to showcase the
more expansive game that has
seen them flying in Europe.
Last week’s defeat was Sarries’
third of the league season. They
bounced back with good wins over
Harlequins and Gloucester after
the previous two. It would take a
brave man to bet against a similar
return to form here.
Gavin Rees is one of the most
underappreciated boxers in Britain.
The doughty 32-year-old lightweight
has lost just once in 39 fights and has
held British, European and (briefly)
world titles. And yet this weekend his
chances of victory are between slim
and none – and not many people have
spotted slim in Atlantic City. That’s
because he’s facing an unbeaten
American touted as the successor to
Floyd Mayweather Junior: the flash,
brash Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner.
The ‘new Mayweather’ tag has been
stuck on Broner for more than just his
hand speed and shoulder roll defence.
The 23-year-old is a cocky showman
whose trademark is having his hair
brushed by a lackey during the ring
announcements and in his post-fight
interviews, which usually involve the
kind of boastful patter that would
make Narcissus blush.
He doesn’t quite have Mayweather’s
effortless fluidity, but Broner has
a stronger, more solid look than
Mayweather did at the same age and
boasts good power (21 knockouts in 25
fights, all wins). Rees is game
and tenacious, but isn’t too
hard to hit. The Problem
presents problems that
are well beyond the
Welshman’s capabilities.
Mayweather Junior, Junior
Fake plastic SarriesSATURDAY boxing | adRien bRoneR v gavin Rees | boaRdwalk hall,
atlantic city | sky spoRts 2 2am
Sc
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46 | February 15 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
7 Days
SATURDAY > WINTER SPORTS | BOBSLEIGH & SKELETON WORLD CUP | SOCHI, RUSSIA | BRITISH EUROSPORT 2 11PM (DELAYED COVERAGE)
Brit
sliders
rule Newly crowned skeleton world
champion Shelley Rudman brings
her World Cup season to a close
on the 2014 Winter Olympics track
in Sochi this weekend. The 2006
Olympic silver-medallist became
the first British woman ever to win
a sliding world title when she beat
her rivals by more than half a
second in St Moritz a fortnight
ago – a win that marks her out as
a real medal contender when the
Olympics go to Russia 12 months
from now.
This weekend gives Rudman
(right) and her colleagues in
the bobsleigh a first
glimpse of the track on
which they’ll go for
gold next February.
It’s also the final World
Cup race of the regular
season, but with Rudman
having finished on the podium just
once in the past eight rounds
– when she won gold in
Winterberg – there’s little chance
of her finishing among the medals.
Rudman is currently seventh in
the FIBT World Cup standings,
with fellow Brit Lizzy Yarnold up in
fourth, behind Canada’s Sarah
Reid and the German pair of
Marion Thees and Anja Huber.
If the 2012 world junior champion
can finish her season among the
medals, Britain’s female sliders
will be among the most feared in
Sochi next winter.
The women begin
proceedings in Dubai
next week before the
men’s tournament arrives
on February 25, with
world number one
Victoria Azarenka leading
the charge. Despite a
dodgy pedicure forcing
her to withdraw from a
warm-up tournament
in Brisbane, Azarenka
defended her Australian
Open title in Melbourne
last month, coming from
a set down to defeat
China’s Li Na in the final.
One person
she managed to
avoid en route in
Melbourne was
Serena Williams – the
American suffered a
shock defeat in the
quarter finals to her
younger compatriot,
Sloane Stephens.
Azarenka may not be so
lucky in Dubai, though.
And when the two do
meet, it’s usually Williams
who prevails, the world
number two having won 11
of their 12 meetings so far.
Li Na will also be
competing for the hefty
prize fund in Dubai,
along with 2011 winner
Caroline Wozniacki.
The former world
number one
dropped out of
the top 10 after
her fourth-round exit in
Melbourne. She is back in,
but only just – and only by
dint of Marion Bartoli
failing to repeat her run
to the final of the Open
GDF Suez in Paris earlier
this month.
MONDAY > TENNIS | DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS | DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CENTRE | BRITISH EUROSPORT 10AM
Azarenka on the charge
SUNDAY CRICKET | ICC WOMEN’S WORLD CUP FINAL | BRABOURNE STADIUM, MUMBAI
SKY SPORTS 1 8.55AM
At the time of writing, we don’t
know if England have made it
through to Sunday’s World Cup
final to defend the trophy they
won in 2009. But it will be a huge
disappointment if they’ve not.
Their possible appearance
on Sunday rested not only on
them beating New Zealand on
Wednesday, but also on Australia
– who are definitely in Sunday’s
showpiece – defeating the West
Indies earlier on the same day.
Final time L
ars
Ba
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/B
on
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Completely free everyFriday.
iPad edition on Newsstand now
The UK’s top sport magazine The biggest interviews The best previews
48 | February 15 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
7 Days
WEDNESDAY > GOLF | WGC-ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP | DOVE MOUNTAIN, ARIZONA | SKY SPORTS 1 5PM
Matchplay can be a fickle mistress, especially over
18 holes, so think carefully before betting too much
on next week’s WGC-Accenture tournament. In
many respects, it’s something of a lottery – and the
golfer with the best score may well not prevail.
Tiger Woods first realised the vagaries of
matchplay as a 13-year-old. Playing in the Southern
California Junior Matchplay, he lost to one James
Mohon, despite recording a better strokeplay score.
“I shot 69 that day – got to the 18th hole and lost,”
Woods recalls. “I didn’t quite understand that. I just
came home and told Dad: ‘I don’t understand, I shot
a better score than he did, but he won the match.
That doesn’t seem right.’ He explained it to me. That
was the first time I had ever experienced anything
like that before. We went out the next couple of days
and played matchplay.”
Since then, Woods has got the hang of matchplay,
maybe to a greater extent than anyone in history.
He won three US Amateur Championships in
succession, has been successful in the WGC three
times (in 2008, he dished out a record beating of
8&7 to Stewart Cink) and has lost just one Ryder Cup
singles match. He may be world number two, but he
will be the most feared opponent when the world’s
top 64 (or is that 65? see right) tee it up at Dove
Mountain on Wednesday.
Despite its unpredictable nature, this matchplay
event mostly sees the cream rise to the top, eventually.
Along with Woods’ three wins, there have been
successes for noted matchplay experts Geoff Ogilvy
(twice), Ian Poulter and Luke Donald, while only
Jeff Maggert and Kevin Sutherland have been real
surprise winners in the tournament’s 14-year history.
As for James Mohon, one of the few players to ever
get the better of Tiger Woods in matchplay, he now
sells real estate. He estimates he would struggle to
break 80 around a golf course these days.
Stu
art
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/Ge
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, Sc
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/Ge
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Survival of
the fittest Luck of the IrishShane Lowry might want to think about
investing in a lottery ticket. The Irishman
finds himself lining up in this week’s
WGC-Accenture Match Play – guaranteed
to take home at least $45,000 – thanks
to two pieces of great fortune.
First, the event is open to the 64
top-ranked players in the world, and
Lowry is 65th; but Phil Mickelson’s kids
are on school holiday, so Lefty is taking
the week off, leaving an extra spot open.
Second, Freddie Jacobson was set to
take that 65th position, until he dropped
a place, by 0.0002 ranking points, when
Patrick Reed birdied the last hole at
Pebble Beach last week, to tie the Swede
for seventh place in the AT&T Pro-Am.
All of which means Lowry can pack his
clubs and head for Arizona. Waiting for
him in the first round will be world number
one Rory McIlroy. How’s your luck?
Bring this ad into any one of our three clubs - Royal Smithfield, Soho Golf & Country, or Kensington National - and you
and a maximum of three playing partners won’t just get to play in the most advanced golf simulator on the planet
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50 | February 15 2013 |
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| 51
Protein is for anyone who wants to get into great
shape. It’s not just professional athletes and
bodybuilders who can benefit from protein’s body-
boosting power. And now Maximuscle’s Protein
Project – with your help – is going to prove it.
From more than 10,000 entrants, we have chosen three
average guys to take part in The Protein Project: a
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when combined with a healthy diet, the right belief and
the right exercise, can do for them. And now you can
join them.
Log on to www.maximuscle.com/ProteinProject
for regular updates and follow our three average
guys on Twitter to see the difference protein makes
to them. They are: David Reilly, a self-employed
electrician; Oli Ward, an apprentice engineer; and
James Goddard, who works in finance. They have 12
weeks to show – live in front of the nation – that with
just protein and exercise, they can make themselves
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It’s time to see the difference protein can make
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52 | February 15 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Nike Mercurial Vapor IX
The boot giants are back with another
nifty new pair, and a colour scheme that
will have traditionalists in tears isn’t the
only thing they offer. The ‘forefront grip
zone’ (the toes, to you and me) is inspired
by track spikes and promises explosive
power, while energy is transferred to the
studs, thus reducing the pressure on
your feet. Those little pockmarks you
see? They reduce air resistance and
enhance your first touch.
£160 | nike.com
Adidas AdiZero F50
Designed for the quicker players
out there, Adidas’ new line of
F50s boasts a single-layer
synthetic to reduce the weight of
the boot and give you a better
feel for the ball. The Sprintweb
design promises increased
stability and touch at speed,
while Adidas’ miCoach
technology allows you to
record your every movement.
£160 | adidas.com/football
Adidas Predator LZ
The good old Predators have
been revamped yet again, with
Traxion 2.0 studs for maximum
grip and acceleration, and five
zones of Predator technology
ensuring pinpoint passing
accuracy – depending on the
practice you’ve put in and what
sort of day you’re having, of
course. But if any boots will
help, it’s these beauties.
£160 | adidas.com/football
Puma King
The classic king of the boot
world is back with a revamped
look to fit the current market.
Optimised fit around the heel
ensures maximum comfort as
well as protection against stray
kicks, while a mix of traction and
conical studs increases grip and
manoeuvrability on even the
muddiest of mudbaths. At your
level, that makes you king.
£125 | prodirectsoccer.com
EXtrA tIMEMaking the most of your time and money
P60
Bruce Willis is
back (again) as
John McClane.
Yippee-ki-yay,
mother russia
Booty haul
Kit
Under Armour Spine
Blur Carbon III
Bringing their usual lorryloads
of technology to the boot
world, Under Armour’s latest
incarnation features carbon
wings to eliminate foot roll,
a heel grip to reduce slippage,
revolutionary 4D foam for
optimum comfort, and electric
windows as standard. That last
one may not be completely true.
£150 | prodirectsoccer.com
Whatever your sport,
you’ll have had training
sessions or matches in
which it hasn’t quite
come together. For
some reason, you find
yourself lacking energy when you’re
usually going strong, or taking longer to
recover. The answer, as all professional
athletes know, might be in your food.
The pillars of nutrition could well be the
solution to that problem, explains elite
sports nutritionist Matt Lovell. And, in
conjunction with Kinetica’s range of
sports nutrition products, you can train
harder, last longer and recover quicker
to get the most out of your training.
Stay hydratedand replace minerals lost in sWeat
“You get dehydrated long before you
feel thirsty, so make sure you drink
plenty of water during the day,” says
Lovell. To replace the minerals and salts
lost through sweat, you might need
more than just water, though – try out
Kinetica’s range of Hydrating Energy
gels. They provide a rapidly absorbed
tri-carb blend with exciting, natural
flavours to improve and replenish
energy levels. In addition, high-quality
natural sea salt maintains hydration.
Be preparedWith carbohydrates before you train
If you want to perform at maximum
level in competition, it’s vital that your
muscles are loaded with carbohydrates
which are “the primary fuel for high
intensity exercise”, says Lovell.
Kinetica’s products are made of what
matters – their concentrated Fuel Gel
includes a blend of three carbohydrates
(glucose, fructose, maltodextrin) for
optimal energy release. Additional
key nutrients help enhance mental
alertness, delay physical fatigue and
increase athletic endurance. They can
also be helpful if you like to exercise
outdoors and are planning to be out for
a long time, according to Lovell. He says
you should try to eat every three hours,
so you may need to take four or five
meals or snacks with you.
recover quicklyWith a mix of carbs and protein
If you play regular sport and you’re
expected to perform week in, week out,
| 53
Advertising Feature
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post-exercise recovery is paramount.
Lovell says “CHO-rich foods with a high
glycemic index will aid recovery after
exercise”, adding that after exercise
is also a “vital time to top up your body
with protein” to repair and protect your
muscle tissue. Kinetica’s Ready-to-Drink
high-protein shakes and their 100%
Recovery carbohydrate/protein formula
give you all the building blocks your
muscle tissue needs to strengthen
and recover ready for your next
training session.
quality in, quality outnatural products cut doWn toxicity
Eating right is important not only for
making sure your body gets the right
fuel, but also to ensure you are not
consuming anything that could slow
you down. Kinetica products are
flavoured with natural ingredients
to prevent deficiency and toxicity,
which Lovell says can “severely
interfere with your ability to perform”.
Kinetica’s range is fully drug-tested
and expert-driven – and the company
has more than 35 years’ experience
manufacturing high-quality whey
proteins.
Kinetica’s line of complete sports
nutrition products, coupled with the
mindset to improve performance and
naturally consume a balanced diet,
can help enhance recovery times
and improve performance.
54 | February 15 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
iO Play2
If you’re still rolling around with
a cassette player in your motor,
this might be the upgrade
you’ve been looking for. The iO
Play2 can link two devices to
your car’s sound system via
Bluetooth for music and call
streaming. It also has an LCD
screen and a separate control
module. Let the battle for
control over music commence.
£160 plus installation | my-io.com
TomTom Via 130
KITT comes a step closer with the Speak
& Go function on TomTom’s latest satnav.
Control the device with just the sound of
your voice and input addresses without
having to press the 4.3-inch touchscreen,
because the unit recognises more than
1,000 commands. Sadly, though, “take
the wheel!” isn’t one of them. Yet...
From £130 | tomtom.com
Griffin iTrip DualConnect
Less high-tech, but considerably
cheaper than the iO Play 2, the
iTrip beams music to your car
radio using FM waves. Searching
for free airwaves on which to
broadcast can now be done via
a bespoke app, which means it’s
easier than ever to listen to your
music on any car radio. And, if
you’re lucky, your tunes might
be beamed into other vehicles.
£40 | store.apple.com/uk
Supertooth Crystal In-car
Speakerphone
This clips to your sun-visor for
an installation-free way to make
calls from your car – while
continuing to pay attention to
the road, or safely parked in a
lay-by, of course. It connects to
your smartphone via Bluetooth,
and big buttons make it much
easier than fiddling with the
unlock screen while turning.
£50 | Vodafone stores
Parrot Asteroid Mini
Like a tiny smartphone for your
car, the Asteroid Mini comes
with its own app marketplace,
so you can download whichever
additional features you see fit.
The 3.2-inch screen is an
unobtrusive way to access
maps, music or anything else
you might find useful while
driving – and the wireless
remote is a handy addition.
£250 | parrot.com/uk
CAr kIT TO MAke q jeAlOuS
eT Gadgets Because there’s no point having a laser-guided missile system in your Aston Martin if you can’t work out which lane you’re meant to be in
56 | February 15 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Anthony Logistics For MenGlycerin Hand and Body LotionGet your skin working like it’s supposed to, says
our man Anthony. He’s mixed together sea kelp to
strengthen skin, shea butter to soften, aloe vera and
glycerin to moisturise, chamomile to smooth and
a nourishing bunch of vitamins: namely, A, B5, C
and E. He’s even been kind enough to include
directions on the bottle: “Apply anywhere you
have skin.” Easy, innit?
£24 for 355ml | mankind.co.uk
Jack Black Intense Therapy
This is not the best hand cream
in the world – this is a tribute.
And a pretty damn good one,
at that, given that this is not the
work of the comic actor-come-
musician, but of the range that
seeks to “embody the comfort
and approachability of a good
friend”. Contains eucalyptus,
macadamia nut oil and vitamins
A and E to heal dry, rough skin
and cuticles. Smells good, too.
£14.50 for 88ml | boots.com
Ole Henriksen Hands Forward
This deeply nourishing hand
cream is supercharged with
soothing shea butter and
blackcurrant oil, and comes
with a broad spectrum SPF
15 sunscreen to help protect
from UV damage. It contains
sugar maple extract, too, which
stimulates cell renewal. It’s still
one for your mitts, however, and
not last Tuesday’s pancakes.
But you knew that, right?
£18 for 50ml | beautybay.com
Eucerin Intensive
One for extremely dry, rough
hands, say Eucerin. Fragrance
and colourant-free, it absorbs
quickly and intensely replenishes
the skin’s natural moisturisers:
urea and lactate. But don’t take
our word for it – Eucerin have
a research centre in Hamburg
that’s home to 650 scientists
carrying out dermatological
research. That’s nearly nine
white coats per millilitre .
£9 for 75ml | boots.com
Selexir Peace Balm
A rich balm for extremely dry,
irritated and sensitive skin – this
one’s toward the premium end
of the scale, but packs a lot in for
your money: aloe vera, beeswax,
honey, mango seed butter, zinc,
blackcurrant seed oil and black
cumin seed oil are among its 21
natural ingredients. Pick it up,
and re-e-wind the damage done
to your palms. And when the
crowd say ‘Bo’, Selexir.
£99 for 75ml | selexir.com
MAnLy HAndS
ET Grooming Sport’s mother is concerned for our dry hands in this cold weather.
Take heed, dear reader, for mum knows best
Carte BlanchA
lana Blanchard is a pro surfer from Kauai,
Hawaii. Well, she was always going to be,
after her grandfather wrote Surf Safari –
an account of what Blanchard refers to as the
“wild adventure” when he took her father and her
uncle on a journey down the Pacific Coast from
California through 1960s Latin America to Panama
when they were kids.
The trio survived war, guerilla uprisings
and meetings with armed soldiers while surfing
undiscovered surf breaks where villagers stood on
beaches, amazed as the tourists “rode waves that
terrorised residents”. After two years, they settled
in Kauai, where Alana – for the sake of a headline
– was given the freedom to do exactly what she
wanted. Thus did she grow up, surfing and bikini-
modelling her way in the world.
So, to use the local dialect, mahalo, grandpa
Blanchard. It was all for a good cause.
58 | February 15 2013 |
Ap
ix S
yn
dic
ati
on
Extra time Alana Blanchard
| 59
60 | February 15 2013 |
Skyfall
Last year saw 007 pop the Queen
on to his chopper, but even that
wasn’t his 2012 highlight. Skyfall
is the James Bond film that broke
the mould, shining a light on his
mysterious past while retaining
franchise staples such as Javier
Bardem’s deliciously deformed
villain. The Blu-ray extras include
Sam Mendes wittering over the
good bits on audio commentary.
Out Monday
A Good Day to Die Hard
John McClane’s ‘ordinary guy in
an extraordinary situation’ shtick
ended a while ago: our favourite
wisecracking cop is a standard
action film superman these days.
This theme continues in this fifth
Die Hard, in which McClane heads
to Russia to help his wayward
son, Jack, escape a murder rap.
Expect spectacular set pieces,
but little of the original’s wry wit.
Out now
Lichtenstein Tate ModernWe’re not sure when the term ‘blockbuster’ came
into common use for the year’s major art exhibitions.
We always thought of blockbuster as a description for
the summer’s action movies or perhaps a chain of
rental stores whose profits have probably been a bit
dented by the invention of the old internet. However,
for the Lichtenstein retrospective opening at the
Tate Modern next week, the term blockbuster is well
applied. The American pop artist’s large, colourful,
eye-catching canvases have long lent themselves
to making immediate, striking impressions (and
probably caused him to be seriously underrated by
some critics). In the often po-faced art world, his big
comic strip-inspired artworks also present strong
undercurrents of humour, with their melodramatic
dialogue and hints at soap opera plots. Joining the
Tate’s own Whaam! (pictured above, top) are more
than a hundred further paintings and sculptures. This
includes Look Mickey, featuring Disney duo Donald
and Mickey (you don’t get that with van Gogh), plus
Drowning Girl, with its sweeping waves and teary-
eyed heroine. Even at £14 a ticket, this exhibition is
destined to be jam-packed, but also to put a cheesy
grin on the face of pretty much anyone who visits it.
Opens February 21
Push the
Sky Away
Nick Cave &
The Bad Seeds
Loping back into
view like the big,
creepy old monster he is, Nick
Cave’s 15th album with his Bad
Seeds is a sublime, unsettling
treat. Similar in style to their
1997 masterpiece The Boatman’s
Call, its lush, minimalist melodic
loops provide a perfect
backdrop to Cave’s baritone.
Opener We No Who U R is,
despite the Prince-style txt spk,
the band at their old-fashioned
best: a rich, warm, unsettling
lullaby. The album doesn’t miss
a beat from there and marks a
shift from the louder, thrashing
rock of their Grinderman side
project. Still, when you have
songs this classy, you don’t
really need to shout about them.
Out Monday
PoP iDoL
ET Entertainment Roy Lichtenstein adds a dot of colour to a drab winter, while
South Park’s creators fill your ears with musical profanity
Exhibition Music
Blu-ray Film
The Book of Mormon
Prince of Wales Theatre
South Park duo Trey Parker
and Matt Stone’s adventures in
global blasphemy continue as
their hit musical-comedy satire
arrives in London’s West End.
The Book of Mormon sees two
naive young missionaries sent to
a remote Ugandan village, only
to come up against a one-eyed
warlord with an obscene name.
Opens February 25
Guilt Jonathan Kellerman
Kellerman’s Alex Delaware is a
refreshing alternative to your
usual, hard-bitten private dick.
The forensic psychologist is an
empathetic, caring type, so it’s
not easy for him handling a grim
case that begins when a couple
find an old strongbox containing
a tiny human skeleton in their
new home. Still, maybe it’s just
Richard III turning up again.
Out now
BookTheatre
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Advertising Feature
A lot of Bond villains can be like
cartoon, pantomime villains. Was that
something that you were conscious
of, that you decided to embrace or
to try to understand a bit more?
“It’s not something that you do logically.
It’s like you read the material or the
script, and then I saw there were some
options there. Then I went to Sam
[Mendes], and Sam gave me his input,
and everything he said to me was very,
very fun to hear – very creative.
We started to search for the look of
the character online and I felt this was
going to be great. This is going to be
fun and this is going to be creative –
this is the word that always matters
to me, because if you’re in a creative
ambience then you can see something
of yourself.”
Did you enjoy the script?
“I loved it. When I first read it I thought
it was a very interesting movie. A very
good, powerful movie. And yes, it was a
James Bond movie on top of that – but
I didn’t see just a James Bond movie.
I saw a great movie with James Bond
in it.”
How did you find the right balance
between the evil and human?
“Everything was written there. What
Sam Mendes did was to approach the
same scene with different options.
Like, let’s do that version, now let’s do
the opposite. Everything was open to
different interpretations. So, that flirty
moment between Bond and Silva...
or is it just word play? You just see
everybody kinda lean forward, ’cause
it was shocking. Because it’s not
expected. But Sam, the producers and
the screenwriter were really brave on
that – to create, the word he said to me
the first time – ‘uncomfortableness’.
You want to put this person in a place
where he’s not James Bond any more.
He’s like: ’What the hell?’ So, he doesn’t
know how to proceed. And that’s the
power of Silva.”
Do you enjoy watching yourself
in your element?
“I don’t. I don’t ever watch myself.
Some actors don’t really watch
themselves, and I understand.
I only need to watch it once.”
Were you at all nervous though? Have
you played a killing machine before?
“I didn’t necessarily find Silva evil. I just
thought he had a lot to deal with
[laughs]. Yeah, I’ve been working now
for 25 years, and in these 25 years
I’ve probably done three of what I call
really mean people. One was a Spanish
movie, the other one is No Country for
Silva tongued
devilJavier Bardem talkS aBout Skyfall director Sam mendeS, having the freedom to Shock audienceS and the power of hiS Bond villain: raoul Silva
Old Men. This is the third one, so there
are not so many. From the moment
I read the Skyfall script, I felt it didn’t
really have anything to do with that,
because this is more about a damaged
human being.”
How much input did you have into
how Silva looked?
“I can’t give you percentage, but it was
about the actor and director [working
together]. He felt something and I felt
something back, and both of us decide.
I mean, some of it was in the script,
some of it was imagination – it was
part of the process. That’s a good
thing. For me, what is wrong is when
vanity won’t allow you to let go.”
Are you ready for the unconditional
love of the fans?
“Unconditional love, unconditional
attention of the fans of Bond – because
it’s the first time and forever. Well,
yeah [laughs]. And we have put a lot of
ourselves in it, in the sense of putting
in a lot of care and love.”
own Skyfall on Blu-ray & dvd from monday
