Amaury Sport Organisation announced that the Deutschland Tour will make its comeback in Aug. '18. The initial race will include a minimum of four stages. ASO, organizers of the Tour de France and other grand tours, agreed to bring back and organize at least 10 Deutschland Tour events. ASO Tour Dir Christian Prudhomme: "We couldn't imagine a future of the sport without Germany" (German Cycling Federation).
ONE WAY OR ANOTHER: As the Australian Football League "considers the likely options and floats possibilities about finals fixturing," it is now "unequivocal" on one issue: Greater Western Sydney Giants will get a home final "regardless of whether they play the Sydney Swans." Whether "home" is Spotless Stadium or neighboring ANZ Stadium "remains a point of conjecture." The Giants "are eager to play any home final at Spotless" to maximize "their home ground advantage, particularly against the Swans," even if a Giants-Swans final "would almost certainly draw more than Spotless Stadium's 24,000 capacity." Giants CEO David Matthews said, "If we are to make the finals and we were drawn to host the Swans, our preference would be a Spotless Stadium home final" (Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH, 7/21).
INT'L CROWN LEAVING THE STATES: Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in South Korea, "lying just west of the nation's capital," will host the LPGA's int'l match play competition in '18. The third edition of the biennial Int'l Crown will be the first to be played outside the U.S. The club, located in Incheon, also hosted the 2015 Presidents Cup (YONHAP, 7/21).
SAFETY FIRST: The Serbian Basketball Federation decided that its U18 national team will not play the European Championship in Samsun, Turkey, due to "the political situation in the country." In response to a "failed coup," the Turkish president said that a state of emergency "will last for three months." The competition is scheduled for July 30-Aug. 7 (SPORTANDO, 7/21).
