Twelve-time champion Rafael Nadal says the colder weather at a delayed French Open will provide the toughest conditions he has faced in Paris.

"The weather is so, so cold. That makes it difficult for everyone," said Nadal.

"The conditions are a little bit extreme to play an outdoor tournament."

The two-week tournament usually starts in late May and concludes in early June.

It was moved back because of the coronavirus pandemic and will begin in the French capital on Sunday.

"Conditions here are the most difficult conditions for me for many different reasons," Nadal, 34, said on Friday.

"Ball is completely different. Ball is super slow, heavy. It's very cold. Slow conditions. Of course, the preparation has been less than usual."

Romanian Simona Halep, who is the women's top seed and arrives in Paris having won the Italian Open this week, says she feels "good" and "confident" but has also acknowledged the challenges posed by the weather.

"When it's cold, it's a little bit heavier and a little bit different," said the 28-year-old.

"It's a big difference between Rome and here, that's for sure. I feel the cold. I feel like I'm struggling a little bit. But for everybody it's the same."

Nadal is always the favourite - Thiem

Nadal has only played one tournament since the professional tour restarted, winning two matches at the Italian Open before losing to Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the quarter-finals.

The 19-time Grand Slam champion, who is aiming to match Swiss rival Roger Federer's all-time tally of major wins, skipped the recent US Open in New York because of travel and safety concerns.

In his opener at Roland Garros, he will play Belarus' world number 83 Egor Gerasimov, who is making his French Open main-draw debut.

"I am here to fight and to play with the highest intensity possible, to practise with the right attitude, to give me a chance. That's the main goal for me," said Nadal.

Nadal is seeded second behind Serbia's Novak Djokovic and has been put in the same side of the draw of recently crowned US Open champion Dominic Thiem.

Nadal has beaten the 27-year-old Austrian in the past two finals at Roland Garros, but if they meet this year it will be in the semi-finals.

Thiem, who is seeded third, says Nadal is still the man to beat.

"I think he's always going to be the big-time favourite when he's playing, when he's healthy and fit," said Thiem.

"He won the tournament 12 times, which is just incredible. He's by far the best clay-court player ever."

Former Wales coach Rob Howley has spoken of a "very challenging" past 12 months since his ban for breaching betting rules.

Howley says he has emerged from a "dark tunnel" and is ready for his new role as Canada assistant coach.

"I'm just thankful I've been given this opportunity," said the 49-year-old.

"I feel that I want to prove myself all over again."

Howley was banned from rugby for 18 months - nine of them suspended - for bets placed between 14 November, 2015 and 7 September, 2019 .

"We're all vulnerable to making mistakes and I made many throughout my coaching career, particularly as highlighted in the Rugby World Cup," said the former British and Irish Lion.

"The past 12 months have been very challenging."

'No shame in showing vulnerability'

An independent disciplinary committee found that the death of Howley's sister, Karen, in 2011 had triggered his betting.

Over four years he made 363 bets, covering 1,163 matches, including some on Wales that included first try scorers.

The former Wales scrum-half says his family's tragedy and the subsequent investigation and ban had taught him not to bottle up his emotional vulnerability.

"It was traumatic but thankfully I have had the support of family, friends and wider rugby community," added Howley.

"I have learned it's important to talk about those feelings instead of suppressing them and through that experience as a family we're much stronger, I feel I am a better person.

"Thankfully, through the dark tunnel which I've experienced, I now feel I am ready to go and I am looking forward to the challenge.

Longer lockdown than most

After his return from Japan, Howley had to wait three months for the outcome of the Welsh Rugby Union disciplinary panel.

And in January 2020, he began talking with Wasps about a possible opportunity there in 2021, but it did not come to fruition because of lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic.

"How did I get through it? I think many people have spoken about having a structure to their day. I did a lot of household chores and tried to keep as busy as I could."

'I do believe in second chances'

Howley will work as assistant coach of Canada until the 2023 World Cup and also as a consultant with Major League Rugby (MLR) side Toronto Arrows.

Howley, who was part of the Wales coaching set-up between 2008 and 2019, said he has received "so many messages of support" from the rugby world.

"I'm so grateful of that support because it gives me confidence and more self-belief. I am looking forward to being back in the game," he said.

But Howley says there were moments he doubted whether he would get another job in rugby.

"I lived in hope," he said.

"I do believe in second chances. I know from my perspective as a coach, that players make mistakes, we all have selection and give players an opportunity.

"Rugby Canada have given me this grateful opportunity which I'm so much looking forward to."

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised, please visit the BBC's Action Line page here.

Joe Worsley laughs. "I've gone native," he tells BBC Sport.

When he talks tactics now, he occasionally struggles to recall the English jargon so used is he to their French equivalents.

Who better then to give the inside track on Racing 92 and Toulouse, who pair off with Saracens and Exeter respectively in this Saturday's Champions Cup semi-finals?

Racing rendez-vous for Saracens

Racing 92 have had some formidable former fly-halves. New Zealand points machine Dan Carter spent three years in Paris. Before him Ireland's Johnny Sexton and Argentina's Juan Martin Hernandez brought their distinctive, different styles to the shirt.

Now, it is the turn of Scotland's maverick playmaker Finn Russell. And he is doing it rather well.

"He doesn't look like much, but he does everything for them," trilled French sport newspaper L'Equipe earlier this month, describing Russell as the "most spectacular fly-half in the Top 14".

One of Worsley's first games on the touchlines at Castres was a 27-0 defeat by Racing back in January.

"Finn Russell was fantastic that day," he remembers. "He has been in prime form for the past couple of weeks.

"He has radically changed their threat in attack.

"Previously they had some exciting players who could break a tackle and make an offload on their own. Now they have someone who can bring all these players into the game much more.

"Wing Juan Imhoff is a very intelligent player, the way he reads Russell's intentions make him a big threat, while centre Virimi Vakatawa has really benefited from Russell putting him into holes.

"Russell's arrival has created an attack that can threaten out wide or near the ruck. If you mess up your numbers, lose a collision or leave a bit of space, he has the vision and options to punish it."

Russell's yawning miss-passes and deft chips into space have made for bumper highlight reels this season. But Racing have also learned to mix pragmatism with the pyrotechnics.

"They don't overplay," explains Worsley. "That is something they have improved. If it is not going well, they don't keep banging away, they will kick to space and let the other team mess up."

Worsley highlights number eight Antonie Claassen as one of the star performers in pack that mixes heavy-duty ball-carrying with a huge appetite for the breakdown donkey work.

He believes that Saracens may be able to play at a pace that is uncomfortable for the French side however, with Top 14 matches, especially as officials enforce new laws around the breakdown, generally slower than those in the Premiership.

"Racing wouldn't have played at the level that Saracens played against Leinster, they will have to get used to the intensity of having the ball in play for 35-40 minutes," he added.

"Saracens have lost a bit of physicality, with the likes of George Kruis and Will Skelton departing. So, while they still have a fantastic group of players, they are a little weaker.

"I am going to go for Racing to win. I think they are in a really good place at the moment with a rounded game and a fantastic group of players."

Toulouse to win?

The reigning French champions against the runaway Premiership leaders. It may be that the day's second Anglo-French semi-final is the true 'Le Crunch', club edition.

It certainly comes with two contrasting styles.

"Toulouse have players who have scored straight from nothing. The likes of Cheslin Kolbe and Antoine Dupont attack instinctively, reading the space so well," explains Worsley.

"Defensively that is nigh on impossible to prepare for.

"Exeter are a very different team, very structured. You know what is going to happen. You just have to try to somehow stop it."

For all the backline flair, Worsley believes the battle will be won up front as Exeter impose their close-quarters game on a jumbo-sized Toulouse pack that includes 20-stone prop Charlie Faumuina and 6ft 10in second row Rory Arnold.

At 37, New Zealander Jerome Kaino may have lost some of his power and pace that made him a key part of two World Cup winning sides, but he now makes his biggest impact culturally rather than physically.

"Kaino has come in and done a bit of what Jonny Wilkinson did for Toulon - giving them a level of professionalism and leadership that they didn't have before," said Worsley.

"He is an intelligent guy who has lived in incredible rugby environments and has lifted up the whole team."

Like Racing, Toulouse have achieved a better balance between playing sensible and chancing the sensational in recent seasons.

The development of fly-half Romain Ntamack, the 21-year-old son of Toulouse legend Emile, has helped.

"He is a real talent," said Worsley. "Initially I thought he made too many mistakes and his kicking wasn't good enough, but he has been getting a lot better.

"I worked with his dad for a couple of years at Bordeaux-Begles and they were always on the phone talking tactics."

Worsley believes it will be the French side that triumphs.

"I would side with the French again," he said. "But I am really interested to see if the English sides can play with the pace that might upset Racing and Toulouse."

SOCHI, Russia – Valtteri Bottas swept both free practice sessions Friday as part of a Mercedes one-two punch on the opening day of the Formula One Russian Grand Prix.

Bottas’ best lap around the 18-turn, 3.634-mile Sochi Autodrom, turned during FP2, was 1:33.519. He bested teammate Lewis Hamilton by just over a quarter second.

“There’s definitely more to come but overall, it was a positive first day of running,” said Bottas, who earned his first F-1 victory at Sochi in 2017. “Conditions were quite tricky out there and that’s why there were so many drivers making mistakes. There were a few interruptions, and that meant we were a bit limited with running, and I also had a big lock-up which destroyed a set of tires. Second practice was better, and we managed a lot of laps, but I still didn’t quite get all the sectors right. The first two sectors felt really good, but the car was a bit too nervous in sector three.

“I was doing some rally-style drifting at times, which probably isn’t the fastest way around, so there’s still a lot of time to find. But we’re in good shape and I’m sure we can make improvements ahead of tomorrow.”

An incident-laden day saw McLaren’s Carlos Sainz crash into the barriers during the first practice round, while Max Verstappen spun at turn 14 in FP2 and his Red Bull teammate, Alex Albon, slid wide at the same point as well.

Williams’ Nicholas Latifi was another driver who encountered trouble in Friday practice, spinning into the barriers at turn 10 before rebounding in the second session.

All the other chaos aside, Hamilton still ended up second-quick overall with a time of 1:33.786, as he chases his record-tying 91st F-1 victory on Sunday afternoon.

Hamilton was just 19th-best in opening practice after failing to post a representative time due to multiple tire lock-ups, but came back with a vengeance later in the day.

“The car has been performing really well here, but it wasn’t the smoothest day for me, so there’s work to do tonight both on the driving side and set-up wise,” noted Hamilton. “The day didn’t start very well, as first practice was pretty poor. I had a lock-up at turn two on the soft tire and then when I went onto the hard compound, I completely destroyed them, so FP1 was scrapped. The second session was a lot better, but I wasn’t able to put all the sectors together, so it’s still a work in progress. I was a bit down in sectors one and two, but sector three was nice.

“The grip levels today were pretty low and that made things tricky out here, with a lot of sliding around, but I’m sure it will grip up and things will be closer tomorrow.”

Third-best on the combined time sheets was Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo, who pieced together an impressive performance with a best lap of 1:34.577, though he was a second off the leading Mercedes of Bottas.

The McLaren duo of Sainz and Lando Norris followed in fourth and fifth, respectively, with Racing Point’s Sergio Perez ending up sixth as the top-six times for the day all came in FP2.

Verstappen was still seventh at 1:35.048 despite his spin, with the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel landing eighth and 10th in the order thanks to a rear-wing upgrade which has afforded the Prancing Horses some additional lap speed.

The second Renault of Esteban Ocon was sandwiched between the Ferraris in ninth.

STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. —  In his 11^th full-time season in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Justin Bonsignore and his No. 51 Phoenix Communications team have established themselves as perennial front runners.

Bonsignore has amassed 29 career victories and he has finished in the top three of the points standings for the last four year, including a championship run in 2018. But one track has been a nemesis for  Bonsignore — Stafford Speedway.  With 37 starts at the Connecticut half-mile track, he has yet to post a victory. He has four second place finishes at the track. It is a winless streak he hopes to end in Saturday’s NAPA Auto Parts 150.

“I saw something posted from Stafford that said I was 0 for 37 there and I didn’t know I had that many races at Stafford,” Bonsignore said.  “It’s always on the mind — of if and when we can break through. I think we were the closest we’ve ever been last season at Stafford, and we were really looking forward to having three shots at winning there this season. We were really excited with how we ran at Stafford last season to get back there this year and possibly get our first win. Especially the Sizzler, I would love to win that race but the NAPA 150 is also a prestigious race and we’re happy and thankful we’re able to get back to Stafford in 2020 even if it’s only for one race.  I’m really optimistic that we’ll have a shot at winning this race as long as we have the right strategy.”

In seven starts this season, Bonsignore has three victories, two second-place finishes, and two fifths.  Dating back to last season, Bonsignore has 13 consecutive top-five finishes. His performance has him ranked among the favorites heading into the NAPA 150.

In a normal season, this would be the Tour’s third visit to Stafford Speedway, but with the reshuffling of dates due to the pandemic, this will be the only NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour visit to Stafford this year. New tire compounds and a pit stop rule will definitely change pit strategies for the event.

“This race is going to be different for sure,” said Bonsignore.  “We have different rules this year for pit stops with the tires where we can only take two tires per caution period, so that’s kind of a big unknown for everybody and with not running at Stafford yet we don’t know how things will play out but we’ll all watch everything unfold live on Saturday.  We’re also running a different tire compound with a softer tire which I think might open up some different strategy options and it could jumble track position during the race.  I think it’s going to be a crazy race with strategy, and we’ll have to make sure we get that right on race day.”

Bonsignore and the Whelen Modified Tour field will be joined in feature action for the NAPA Auto Parts 150 by Stafford’s SK lights and limited late models along with the vintage all-stars.

LEXINGTON, Ohio – The Porsche Carrera Cup North America, a one-make series featuring the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, is scheduled to debut in 2021.

As with all national Carrera Cups worldwide, Porsche, through Porsche Motorsport North America, will manage the single-driver per-entry series. IMSA will act as official sanctioning body as well as manage scrutineering and steward on-track activity.

The series will open its season in March 2021 at Sebring Int’l Raceway. Brian Blocker of Porsche Motorsport North America has been named the Series Manager by Dr. Daniel Armbruster, CEO & president, Porsche Motorsport North America.

The inaugural season of the championship will host 16-rounds at eight venues in the eastern United States and Canada. Each 45-minute race will count toward a season-long driver and team championship in each of three classes: Pro, Pro-Am and Rookie.

All drivers can contend for Pro class victories but must utilize the newest Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car to do so. The Pro-Am class is eligible for Gentlemen drivers – a driver who does not make a primary profession of automobile racing. A driver in the Pro-Am category may use the newest machine or the previous generation. The Rookie class is only open to drivers who are 23-years-old or younger.

All drivers age 23 and under enjoy the additional benefit of inclusion in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Junior program. As a Junior, drivers receive valuable training tools for those wishing to make a career of professional motorsport. A driver will be selected from the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Junior program to represent the region in the annual Porsche Junior Shootout in Germany at the end of the year.

The Team Championship is eligible for full season entries running the current generation race car.

The Porsche Carrera Cup North America joins the 21 Porsche one-make championships competing in 31 countries on five continents. It becomes the 10th Carrera Cup worldwide. Each race will enjoy live streaming accessible through the IMSA app and Porsche Motorsport North America web page at www.PorscheCarreraCup.us. Additional broadcasting and production plans are being finalized and will be communicated in the coming weeks.

“For those aware of the Carrera Cup tradition worldwide, they will understand that this is a new and unique series to anything we have ever had in North America,” said Armbruster. “Carrera Cup is the ultimate regional step in the one-make championships globally. While we have always run our Cup Challenge program at the highest level possible, and closely on par with any Carrera Cup, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America provides us the opportunity to present an even greater product to our customer and to racing fans.

“We are very excited and very pleased to continue our partnership with IMSA, who has proven so vital to the growth of Porsche one-make racing. Through the addition of Michelin as our tire partner, we bring in a longtime associate of Porsche Motorsport and now completely align Porsche Carrera Cup North America with the other nine championships worldwide. We will have several more exciting additions to announce in the coming months. For now, we could not be more pleased with the future for Porsche Motorsport here on this continent and for what the Porsche Carrera Cup North America means to the global racing scene. We look forward to this next chapter starting at Sebring, 2021.”

The original Carrera Cup concept was founded in 1990 with the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland (Germany). One year later, France had its own one-make championship. By 1993, with the opportunity to race from within the Formula One paddock, Porsche Supercup was created. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup remains the highest single make series globally utilizing the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car.

A fourth Carrera Cup was added in 2001 when Japan began its own series. 2003 saw further growth of the concept with the addition of Great Britain, Australia and an overall Asia championship coming online. One year later, Carrera Cup Scandinavia was added into the mix while Brazil and Italy debuted the following two years. Since 2007, those nine regional Carrera Cups have been part of the global Porsche Motorsport Pyramid funneling the very best of their champions to Porsche Mobil Supercup and into professional sports car and GT racing.

Provisional 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Schedule

March 17-20 – Sebring Int’l Raceway – Sebring, Fla.
May 20-23 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – Bowmanville, Ontario
June 24-27 – Watkins Glen Int’l – Watkins Glen, N.Y.
July TBA – Honda Indy Toronto – Toronto, Ontario
Aug. 6-8 – Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Aug. 20-22 – Virginia Int’l Raceway – Alton, Va.
Sept. TBA – TBA – TBA
Oct. 6-9 – Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta – Braselton, Ga.

LAS VEGAS — Over the past several years, Martin Truex Jr. and his foundation have aided those battling childhood and ovarian cancer by auctioning off race-used, autographed steering wheels to raise awareness and funds.

This weekend at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, Truex will continue that mission in a different way.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions creating struggles for the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation to acquire the steering wheels necessary for the fundraising program, Truex worked with the NASCAR Foundation to devise an alternative plan to raise money.

As a result, they created The Nominate a Cancer Hero Program, which allowed fans the opportunity to nominate a cancer hero to “ride with” their favorite driver during the September race weekend at Las Vegas.

More than 40 drivers, representing all three NASCAR national series, are participating in the program and allowing their driver signature above the left-side window to be replaced with a cancer hero’s name. Several drivers have auctioned off their driver-signature locations to help raise funds toward the fight against childhood and ovarian cancers.

“Really this is a big weekend for our foundation. This year was tough in many ways,” Truex told reporters in advance of the South Point 400 race weekend. “From a fundraising standpoint, we ran into roadblocks with everything that we historically have tried to do. Typically for this month, we would be having our steering wheel campaign, which we have had for the past few seasons and this year, we ran into trouble trying to get steering wheels. They’re made in Italy and with the pandemic, that was an issue.

“But a really a great job was done by everybody at the foundation with trying to come up with a new idea, and thanks to the NASCAR Foundation for working with us to make it happen, as well as all the teams and drivers that have participated. I’m really excited about the names on the cars,” Truex continued. “I think there are so many cancer heroes out there that are just really excited about this program so far and getting to see the names on the cars going around. It’s been a big deal with fundraising for our foundation so far. Really just hats off to everyone involved.

“I’m really fired up to see this go down at Las Vegas this weekend.”

Proceeds from the program will support Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Children’s Emergency Department in Huntersville, N.C., as well as integrative therapies for women and children undergoing cancer treatments and child life services across our racing communities.

“The number of projects we are working on right now and the amount of money we are raising and putting into action is incredible,” Truex added during an interview with NASCAR.com. “I think we’ve seen it time and time again, you know? It doesn’t matter if somebody is up against something or somebody is going through a bad time or trying to raise money to help other people, I feel like as an industry we always get together and help each other any way we can.

“We’ve seen it in the past and as a person who helps run the Foundation, I’m just really thankful for everybody that participates. Not surprised at all, but very thankful as always.”

“We are honored Martin and his foundation have allowed us to participate in this incredible program,” noted Nichole Krieger, executive director of the NASCAR Foundation. “This partnership is a powerful example of how the NASCAR industry can come together to significantly impact the lives of children in need.”

Truex will chase his third Las Vegas victory in the last four years Sunday behind the wheel of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing.

He’s the defending winner of the Las Vegas playoff race and has five top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 17 starts at the 1.5-mile Sin City track.

Truex is a one-time winner this season in NASCAR Cup Series action and is seeded sixth in the standings among the 12 remaining championship contenders.

Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is slated for a 6 p.m. ET start, with live coverage on NBCSN, the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

LOUISVILLE, Ohio – Jeffrey Earnhardt will have a new, green look this weekend as the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads westward to Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

JD Motorsports with Gary Keller has welcomed ForeverLawn to the No. 0 Chevy team for the start of a multi-race deal starting in Las Vegas, Nev. ForeverLawn is a leading synthetic turf producer.

“We are honored to partner with JD Motorsports and Jeffrey Earnhardt as a primary sponsor in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season,” said Donna Kent, ForeverLawn Marketing Director. “As a premium brand, ForeverLawn leads the synthetic grass industry with integrity, quality, and innovation. Our partnership with the JD Motorsports team is an exciting way to share our company’s values and products with the racing community, and support a hard-working team that puts their heart into every race.”

ForeverLawn will be the primary sponsor on Earnhardt’s No. 0 Chevrolet for three races this season: Las Vegas on Sept. 26, Kansas on Oct. 17, and Martinsville on Oct. 31.

“I am really excited to help welcome ForeverLawn to NASCAR and our No. 0 Camaro this weekend in Vegas,” said Earnhardt.
Right from the start of this deal, I could see the big potential in their company. With there being talks of introducing turf at more racetracks that we go to; it just makes sense to partner with the industry leader. My whole team and I look forward to representing them well throughout the partnership.”

Steven Stamkos will not play in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, coach Jon Cooper said, but the Tampa Bay Lightning captain has not been ruled out for the rest of the series.

Cooper made the announcement Friday morning, saying that Stamkos is "unfit to play" in Game 4. The Lightning have a 2-1 series lead against the Dallas Stars with Games 4 and 5 being held on back-to-back days, Friday and Saturday.

Stamkos had not played all summer before making his 2020 postseason debut in Game 3 on Wednesday. Stamkos scored on the first shot he took as the Lightning rolled to a 5-2 win. He became the first player in 80 years to score while playing his first postseason game of the year in the Stanley Cup Final.

However the 30-year-old Stamkos took only five shifts, totaling less than three minutes of playing time, and did not play in the second or third period. He said he was held out because he encountered "an issue." Stamkos remained on the bench with his teammates for the rest of Game 3 and took a few twirls on the ice during TV timeouts.

"There's been a lot of behind-the-scenes things that I'll be glad to share with you guys after the season," Stamkos said after the game. "We're focused on winning right now, and tonight was a step in the right direction."

Stamkos had not played in a game since Feb. 25 and underwent surgery to repair a core muscle injury on March 2. His expected recovery timeline was six to eight weeks, but he has had several setbacks. Cooper said when he inserted Stamkos into the Game 3 lineup that he didn't expect the captain to have any on-ice limitations.