Tadej Pogacar this week cemented his spot as the new star of the cycling world after a sensational <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/other-sport/2021/07/18/majestic-tadej-pogacar-retains-tour-de-france-title/" target="_blank">defence of his Tour de France title</a>. The 22-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider dominated proceedings throughout this year's race, winning three stages, reigning supreme in the mountains and leaving opponents in his wake in the Stage 5 time trial. “Incredible, I didn't [ever] dream about this — it's something beyond a dream,” he said in Paris after the final stage on Sunday. “Hard to tell which [win is] more special. Last year there was no pressure, and I wasn't ready to take the win — [I would have been] happy with second, and it ended with me winning. “This year already I had yellow from the first week — really different. But proud of both.” The Euro 2020 football tournament reached its climax last weekend with Italy taking the honours<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2021/07/11/italy-crowned-euro-2020-champions-after-shootout-win-over-england/" target="_blank"> after beating England on their own patch at Wembley Stadium after a penalty shoot-out</a>. While Italy <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2021/07/11/italy-crowned-euro-2020-champions-after-shootout-win-over-england/" target="_blank">basked in the glory of a sixth major international crown</a>, England were forced into a period of self-reflection after the match when three of their players who missed penalties in the shoot-out — Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho — were targeted with online racist abuse. A mural of Rashford in his home city of Manchester was also defaced with graffiti before being <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2021/07/13/tyrone-mings-accuses-priti-patel-of-stoking-the-fire-in-racism-row/" target="_blank">covered over in supportive messages</a> and then repainted by street artist Akse. In mixed martial arts, Conor McGregor's third fight against Dustin Poirier ended with the Irishman suffering a <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/2021/07/11/ufc-264-conor-mcgregor-breaks-ankle-in-trilogy-defeat-by-dustin-poirier/" target="_blank">horrific broken ankle at the end of the first round</a> in their UFC 264 bout in Las Vegas. McGregor later claimed he suffered the injury before the fight and <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/ufc/2021/07/12/ufc-264-conor-mcgregor-vows-to-return-better-than-ever-following-gruesome-leg-break/" target="_blank">would come back “better than ever”</a> after undergoing successful surgery on his broken leg.