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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

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Defector

NYC: Come To Our WNBA Comedy Show On May 16

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Live Event

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Patrick Redford

SANREMO, ITALY - MARCH 22: (L-R) Mathieu Van Der Poel of Netherlands and Team Alpecin – Deceuninck and Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and Team UAE Team Emirates compete in the breakaway during the 116th Milano-Sanremo 2025 a 289km one day race from Pavia to Sanremo / #UCIWT / on March 22, 2025 in Sanremo, Italy. (Photo byFabio Ferrari - Pool/Getty Images)

116th Milano-Sanremo 2025

Cycling

Mathieu van der Poel And Tadej Pogacar Tear Up The Script

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 06: Gold medal winner Mathieu Van Der Poel of The Netherlands reacts after the 96th UCI Cycling World Championships Glasgow 2023, Men Elite Road Race a 271.1km one day race from Edinburgh to Glasgow / #UCIWT / on August 06, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

96th UCI Cycling World Championships Glasgow 2023 ‚Äì Men Elite Road Race

No Amount Of Pain Could Keep Mathieu van der Poel From His Masterpiece

Dutch Mathieu Van Der Poel pictured during the team presentation of the 'Alpecin-Deceuninck' cyclocross team, at the Deceuninck headquarters in Hooglede, Thursday 15 September 2022. BELGA PHOTO DAVID STOCKMAN (Photo by DAVID STOCKMAN / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP) (Photo by DAVID STOCKMAN/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

CYCLOCROSS ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK CYCLING TEAM

Cycling World Championships Marred By Alleged Ding-Dong-Ditch Assault

Dutch Mathieu Van der Poel falls during the men final race of the Mountainbike (VTT) event on the Izu track, on the fourth day of the 'Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games' in Tokyo, Japan on Monday 26 July 2021. The postponed 2020 Summer Olympics are taking place from 23 July to 8 August 2021. BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS (Photo by JASPER JACOBS/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS DAY 4 MOUNTAINBIKE MEN FINAL

Olympics

Mathieu Van der Poel Believed There Would Be A Ramp

Team B&B KTM's Cyril Lemoine of France is helped by medical staff members after crashing during the 1st stage of the 108th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 197 km between Brest and Landerneau, on June 26, 2021. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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Riders Are Furious Over A Gory Start To The Tour de France

Dutch Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Fenix celebrates on the podium after winning the 'Strade Bianche' one day cycling race (184km) from and to Siena, Italy, Saturday 06 March 2021. BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM (Photo by DIRK WAEM/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

ITALY CYCLING STRADE BIANCHE MEN ELITE

Mathieu van der Poel’s Attack At Strade Bianche Was Cycling At Its Best

mathieu van der poel