Sports World: Vertonghen’s family safe after burglary

LONDON • Jan Vertonghen's family were held at knife-point during a terrifying burglary while the Tottenham defender was away with his Premier League football club.

British police said four men wearing balaclavas and armed with knives broke into the Belgium international's house while his wife and children were inside. The 32-year-old was in Germany for Spurs' Champions League last-16, second-leg defeat against Leipzig last Tuesday.

A police spokesman said that a number of items were stolen, but nobody was injured.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

PARIS • Germany's Maximilian Schachmann of the Bora-Hansgrohe team won the Paris-Nice cycling race on Saturday, holding on in a frantic climb to a summit finish where he fell to the ground exhausted.

The race was one of the rare sporting events to escape postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic, until the final stage to Nice set for yesterday was cancelled. France's next major cycling race is the one-day classic Paris-Roubaix set for April 12, but there is serious doubt if it will go ahead.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

PARIS • Former ice dancer Nathalie Pechalat was elected president of the French ice sports federation after her three rivals pulled out of the vote citing coronavirus fears on Saturday.

This was after Didier Gailhaguet resigned the post in the wake of sexual harassment and rape scandals that shook French ice skating. Several figure skaters alleged they were raped or sexually assaulted when they were minors by former coaches.

REUTERS