Mourinho, Van Gaal chase more European glory

Jose Mourinho is looking to bring long-awaited European glory back to Inter Milan on Saturday, and Louis van Gaal is aiming to guide Bayern Munich to a fifth title in Europe's most prestigious club competition.

The coaches in the Champions League final have won 28 major titles combined, and this year Mourinho will put his reputation as one of the game's best coaches on the line against an experienced manager who has won league titles in four different countries.

Mourinho, who led Chelsea to its first English league title in 50 years, is out to lead one of European football's biggest clubs to its first European Cup triumph since 1965. He will do so amid strong speculation that he will then walk out on the Italian club and move to Real Madrid.

Mourinho has won six league titles in Portugal, England and Italy among his 13 major successes, and the 47-year-old self-proclaimed "Special One" is one of the most sought after coaches in the game.

"In Porto we won UEFA Cup, (league) championship and Portuguese Cup. The next year we won (European) Super Cup, championship and Champions League, so we did all three," Murinho said during the buildup to Saturday's final.

But despite two Premier League titles in a row, the Portuguese coach failed to achieve Champions League success with Chelsea and left the club, unhappy that Russian owner Roman Abramovich was making transfer decisions without his approval.

He eventually took over an Inter side which had dominated Serie A but failed in Europe. The owners wanted someone to end that long wait for another European Cup.

"This would be an incredible achievement because the level of the competition is so high and our road to the final was an incredible road," said Mourinho,whose team had to play defending champion Barcelona both in the group stage and the semifinals.

Inter also beat Chelsea home and away, and his former club went on to win both the Premier League and FA Cup.

"It was an incredibly difficult way to get to the final," Mourinho said.

Bayern also had a tough route to the final but capitalized on a little good fortune along the way.

On the brink of going out, Bayern came from behind to knock out Juventus in the group phase after a 4-1 win away from home. A disputed goal from Miroslav Klose gave Bayern a 2-1 first leg lead over Fiorentina, and the Gern side advanced on away goals in the first knockout round.

Bayern again appeared to be on the way out when it trailed Manchester United 3-0 in the second leg at Old Trafford. But the German club scored two to again go through on away goals.

Bayern went on to beat Lyon and reach its eighth final, then stretched its Bundesliga record number of titles to 22 and outplayed Werder Bremen 4-0 in the German Cup final. Back in November, however, Bayern was in eighth place in the Bundesliga, on the brink of being knocked out of the Champions League. Van Gaal sensed then that his time was short.

"If I don't produce, I will be fired," the 58-year-old Bayern coach said at the time.

The Dutchman won the Champions League with Ajax in 1995, so both he and Mourinho are out to join Ernst Happel (Feyenoord 1970 and Hamburg 1983) and Ottmar Hitzfeld (Borussia Dortmund 1997 and Bayern 2001) as winners with two different clubs.

Bayern's players have called on all fans of Bundesliga clubs to get behind the team on Saturday because a triumph would earn the nation four spots in next season's competition and Serie A would lose one.

Both teams are missing key players. Inter is without Brazil defensive midfielder Thiago Motta and Bayern won't have France winger Franck Ribery. Both were sent off in the semifinals.

Inter has won repeated Italian titles with barely any Italians on its starting lineup and a side packed with talented and hugely experienced players from Brazil and Argentina, and a creative Dutch midfielder in Wesley Sneijder.

Van Gaal's team has a strong Dutch influence, too, with Arjen Robben and Marc van Bommel playing alongside Germany internationals Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm.

English referee Howard Webb will take charge of his first Champions League final. Although a familiar face in the competition for the past few years, he has missed out on the final because Premier League clubs have made it to the previous five, making him ineligible.

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Bali supports national youth sports event

Denpasar, Bali - The Bali provincial administration will support if the national youth sports (PON) event is preceded by an exhibition in 2011 as a preparation of the second youth sports Olympiad in Nanjing, China in 2014.

The young athletes would definitely be more excited about doing exercises because there is a target, I Gusti Agung Susila said on Wednesday to respond the discourse of PON in 2013.

Bali has a lot of athletes through art students and sports events every year.

The children with a capability in their field, will be asked to obtain further guidance from professional coaches, he said.

If it is true, the ministry of youth and sports and the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) to establish the PON in 2011 as a positive effort to develop sports in our country.

Agung Susila said that PON as a fourth annual activity makes the provincial committee more eager to deal with athletes.(*)

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Williams ends Schiavone`s hopes in New York

New York - Former champion Venus Williams ended the run of French Open champion Francesca Schiavone at the U.S. Open when she beat the flamboyant Italian 7-6 6-4 in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old American, seeded third and champion at Flushing Meadows in 2000 and 2001, had a little too much power for the seventh seed, battling through in one hour 54 minutes to reach the last four for the eighth time.

"She played a great match," Williams said in a courtside interview. "It`s not easy to play in these conditions, it`s hard to know what decisions to make, but she played excellent."

Schiavone, who became the first Italian woman to win a grand-slam singles title when she won the French Open in June, recovered from 4-2 down to force a tiebreak in the first set.

Breezy conditions made life difficult for both players and Schiavone came from 4-0 down in the tiebreak to make it 4-4 before Williams, wearing a sparkling pink dress, closed it out 7-5.

The American then stormed to a 4-1 lead in the second set only for the resilient Schiavone to break back and get on serve again at 4-3.

The Italian enjoyed plenty of success by feeding short slices to Williams, who made 33 unforced errors.

Williams broke again to lead 5-3 but once more, the Italian broke back, only for Williams to break yet again to clinch victory.

In the semi-finals, the American faces either defending champion Kim Clijsters or Australian fifth seed Sam Stosur. (Uu.A008/A016/P003)

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President calls for national football`s reawakening

Jakarta - President Susilo Bambang Yudhyono called on all parties responsible for national football development to immediately take action to revive the favorite sport and not to let people wait too long to see achievement.

In his speech to mark the 26th anniversary of the National Sports Day at the Indoor Tennis Stadium in Senayan here on Tuesday he said the national football congress was held in March 2010 and people were now awaiting its concrete results.

"We have to be able to revive football in our country. We have carried out the National Football Congress in Malang. So what are we waiting for," he said.

The congress has issued seven recommendations including for the National Football Association (PSSI) to immediately conduct reform and restructuring and increase communications, coordination and synchronization with all its stakeholders particularly the National Sports Committee (KONI).

"Do not let the people wait too long as it could make them become disappointed with the national football development in our country," he said.

On the occasion Presiden Yudhoyono expressed appreciation to the military (TNI) and the police that have a special program to promote football within their forces.

He pledged he would attend the opening of the football game among the three TNI forces as well as the police force on September 23.

He said he would also attend the final round of the game. "Tomorrow I will come to see the opening match of the competition between the army, the airforce, the navy and the police and teams from the community. I will also attend the final round," he said.(*)

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Max Biaggi takes World Superbike title

After 13 years from his last title in MotoGP, Max Biaggi won another championship title in completely different world - World Superbike championship. It took four year in World Superbikes for Max Biaggi to find right conditions and win the title, once again with Aprilia, manufacturer with whom he also made his greatest achievements in MotoGP championship.

Consistency was the key to success of Max Biaggi, as he won 9 of total 24 races in 2010, with addition of two second and two third places. Combined with lack of consistency of his competitors, this brought World Superbike championship title to Max Biaggi with two races remaining (one round), even with his worst result of the season - 11th place in race 1 and 5th place in race 2 in Imola.

Last round of the World Superbike championship will take place in Magny Cours circuit in France and will be the chance for Max Biaggi to seal Manufacturers title for Aprilia, which would be complete success for Italian team.

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Yamaha YZ450F (2010)

Technical Specifications
2010 Yamaha YZ450F
Engine
Engine type
Bore x Stroke
Displacement
Valves
Compression ratio
Max Power
Max Torque
Fuel system
Transmission
Final drive
Clutch
Ignition type
Starting system
Lubrication
Exhaust system
Spark plug
Battery
Gear ratios
Liquid cooled, single cylinder, four-stroke, DOHC
97.0 x 60.8mm
449.7cc
4 valves per cylinder
12.5:1


Keihin 44mm throttle body F.I.
Constant-mesh 5-speed
Chain
Multiplate wet clutch
Transistor Controlled Ignition
Kick starter
Wet sump



1st:
2nd:
3rd:
4th:
5th:
Dimensions
Frame type
Rake/trail
Overall length
Overall width
Overall height
Wheelbase
Seat height
Ground clearance
Weight
Fuel capacity
Color
Suspension (front)
Suspension (rear)
Tyre (front)
Tyre (rear)
Brake (front)
Brake (rear)


2,193 mm (86.3 inches)
825mm (32.5 inches)
1,311 mm (51.6 inches)
1,492 mm (58.7 inches)
999 mm (39.3 inches)
383 mm (15.1 inches)
111.3 kg
6.0 litres
Yamaha Blue, Purplish White
KYB® Speed-Sensitive System, inverted fork: fully adjustable
KYB® Fully adjustable single shock; 12.4-in travel
80/100-21 Dunlop MX52-FA
120/80-19 Dunlop MX52
Single hydraulic disc brake, 250mm with twin piston calipers
Single hydraulic disc brake, 245mm with single piston caliper

Image: http://thekneeslider.com/2010-yamaha-yz450f-turns-cylinder-around-air-travels-straight-through/
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San Remo to be World Challenge

The 52nd edition of Rallye Sanremo actually started on August 24th when entry opened. This first important phase that will lead to start the engines and wave the starting flag, will close on September 13th. The organizers of AC Sanremo started working long ago already, because the organization of an event that with the time became an icon in international rallying, requires the maximum effort and accuracy in all details.

The event will be highly competitive but with attention to safety, two aspects that always characterized Rallye Sanremo, that this year will take place from September 21st to 25th, and is valid both for the Italian Rally Championship and the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. Two different championships that proceed in parallel as usual during this event on the Ligurian west coast: on one side the Italian rallying aces ready to challenge among them to win and show off on the international “stage” and on the other side the international drivers that will arrive once again in Liguria to fight for win and challenge the “home” drivers.

Eleven special stages for 220.030 timed kilometers and a total route of 465.630 km. These are the main characteristics of a race that will confirm, also in 2010, its beauty and that will offer great motorsport’s moments, like the ones that right here inspired the entire world rallying.

“The 2010 edition will be quite classic again – said Sergio Maiga, President of the Organizing Committee – A first leg closing with the usual grand final of the “Night Ring” and a second leg less tough but not less demanding. The route will be quite tight and not very different from the last few years. Also this year edition will maintain the characteristics of few but long special stages, that I consider as for “tough men”, very demanding both on drivers and cars. We hope to have a good entry list of drivers and teams, considering what happened in both the Championships we are about to represent and also for the appreciation showed by several people in the past”.

As usual Rallye Sanremo will have quite an important media support, especially on television thanks to Eurosport world broadcast and RAI Sport that will broadcast live SS9 during the second day of the event, at 01.00 pm. RAI offered this service throughout the whole Italian rallying season.

THE PROGRAM OF THE RACE: In the second half of September Sanremo, a town for vacations, a town of songs (the Saremo Italian Music Festival), a town with an astonishing natural beauty placed in a unique territory, but above all a town of “rally”, will be once again the world stage for the best Italian and international drivers and teams.

The recce of the route will take place on September 21st and 22nd with specified timings and under the strict control of the Marshals. After this first “competitive prelude”, that will be for sure quite important for the final result, competitors will undergo administrative checks and scrutineering, starting in the evening on Wednesday 22nd (from 06.00 pm to 11.00 pm), at the Old railway station in Sanremo. The same day ad 04.00 pm the Rally Village, located as usual inside the Service Park along the sea front, will open. The location will allow anyone to be part of the colorful and exciting rallying world.

Administrative checks and scrutineering will continue the next day, Thursday September 23rd. from 09.00 am to 04.00 pm. The Shakedown, the racing cars’ test, will take place from 12.30 pm to 05.00 pm, at San Romolo.

The race will start at 01.00 pm on Friday September 24th. It’ll be a tough though exciting day that will close in Sanremo after midnight. The challenge will take place on roads that form part of rallying history: Coldirodi, Apricale and Monte Bignone. These special stages will be run first one at the time and then all together in the fearsome “Ring” of 44 km. After six special stages competitors would have covered 108,610 timed kilometers out of a total of 220.

Saturday September 25th, the final day, there will be other five special stages. The short stage of Bajardo, less than two kilometers long, will be broadcasted live by RAI Sport, enough to let viewers appreciate the peculiarity of road races. The special stages of Monte Ceppo and Passo Teglia are almost 30 km long each one, so is not going to be really a “quiet” day. The second day will comprehend other 111,420 timed kilometers. The final arrival is provided at 03.37 pm.

SEVEN YAERS LATER WRC CARS ARE BACK IN SANREMO
Who said “Sanremo is always Sanremo”? It’s true anyway… Sanremo is always ready to surprise, mainly in motorsport, the so called “town of flowers” is always ready to give its best. Seven years after their last evolutions on the tarmac roads of the Ligurian west coast, World Rally Cars are back where they were protagonists of legendary challenges. As a matter of fact “Legend” is the name of the race created on purpose for the queens of the world rally series that will be in town again, thanks to the brilliant intuition of Sergio Maiga and the members of his staff: “The idea – explains Maiga – is to give to as many drivers as possible the opportunity to pour out their passion in the same event together with the big drivers of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and the Italian Rally Championship, including drivers who, due to different reasons, do not have the possibility to compete in a highly demanding race as historically is Rallye Sanremo”.

“Sanremo Legend”, will be a “race in the race”, reserved not only to historic cars but to all cars, including expired approval cars. These cars will challenge on a shorter route, 8 special stages for a total of 120 timed kilometers. Sure a shorter route but though exciting running it.

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