ZOLDER, Belgium — On a drying Circuit Zolder, Thomas Ferrando grabbed his maiden ELITE 1 Division pole position while Giorgio Maggi scored his fourth back-to-back pole position in the ELITE 2 Division.

In the ELITE 1 Division, Thomas Ferrando took advantage of his slick General Tire tyres to top the chart in Superpole, turning the 4-km of Circuit Zolder in 1:45.720 in his very last lap. The CAAL Racing driver became the seventh different Pole Award winner of the 2019 season, further highlighting the extreme parity in the top division’s field.

“It’s amazing to win the pole position,” said the 2017 ELITE 2 Division champion. “It was exciting but also not easy to handle the car in those damp conditions and there were different strategies with different types of tires. The team did a really great job and gave me a great car to grab this Pole Award. I’m really happy and now I’m hoping for a good race this afternoon. If Gianmarco Ercoli can win an ELITE 1 Division race as a former ELITE 2 Division champion, I can do it, too! I will give my best to grab the win today.”

Brand Hatch race winner and RDV Competition driver Frederic Gabillon ended up second just 0.167 seconds shy of his fellow countryman. The Frenchman edged Marc Goossens, who’s back at the wheel of the No. 78 Braxx Racing Ford Mustang on the track where he won his first NASCAR race in 2017.

The No. 11 PK Carsport Chevrolet Camaro of Stienes Longin was heavily damaged in the ELITE 2 Division practice on Friday with NWES rookie Niels Albert at the wheel. The PK Carsport team managed to repair the car and put Longin in fourth place for the first of the two ELITE 1 Division Finals. Racing Engineering’s Romain Iannetta completed the top five.

Hezemans’ closest rival for the Euro NASCAR title, Nicolo Rocca, continued to struggle on the damp but drying Circuit Zolder. The Italian only finished eleventh at the wheel of his #24 PK Carsport Chevrolet Camaro. He edged Alon Day, who despite being quickest in Free Practice on Friday will start from twelfth on the grid in ELITE 1 Final 1. The Israeli’s goal is to tie Ander Vilarino’s record of 22 NWES wins, but he will have to carve his way up the ranks in the race.

Challenger Trophy leader Henri Tuomaala was the fastest among silver and bronze drivers in the ELITE 1 Division in 17th place. Alexander Graff, Ander Vilarino and Jacques Villeneuve all missed the cut to Superpole and will start respectively 15th, 19th and 20th.

Hendriks Motorsport’s Giorgio Maggi clocked a 1:42.910 lap around the 4-kilometer track in the woods of Limburg and grabbed his fourth consecutive pole position of the 2019 ELITE 2 Division championship. The points leader will have a significant advantage on title rival Lasse Soerensen, who only qualified sixth.

“It was a really tricky session because I had a big moment in turn 3,” said Maggi. “It was really hard to judge how fast I could go through that part of the track. It went well and the car felt good. I’m really happy to grab my fourth pole here at Circuit Zolder. The conditions were difficult, because some parts on track the track were faster than other parts and we really had to find out, how fast we can go from corner to corner.”

Nicolo Rocca was the last driver to score four back-to-back pole positions and he did it in the 2015 ELITE 1 Division championship.

Vittorio Ghirelli on his No. 24 PK Carsport Chevrolet Camaro ended up second 0.662 seconds behind the polesitter. NWES newcomer Hugo De Sadeleer confirmed the impressive pace he showed at Hockenheim by grabbing third place on his No. 88 Racing Engineering Ford Mustang.

Maggi’s teammate Martin Doubek ended up fourth ahead of Alex Caffi Motorsports’ Jesse Vartiainen, who closed the top five with another strong performance.

With the men's 2019-20 season kicking off, we asked our college hockey experts -- Chris Peters and John Buccigross -- to chime in on some of the bigger topics this year. Can the dominant Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs be stopped this season, and what other players and teams will we be watching this season? And be sure to check out Peters' full men's college hockey preview (ESPN+).

Can anyone catch Minnesota Duluth this season?

Peters: The short answer is yes, just because men's college hockey is never predictable and the parity is at an all-time high. But when you look at the combination of returnees who were part of both championships, especially goalie Hunter Shepard who has been lights out, it's hard to see too many teams across the country stacking up. Add in the consistency and the high standard head coach Scott Sandelin has brought in, and the Bulldogs are still my favorite to win it all and become the first team since Michigan in the 1950s to win three straight titles.

Buccigross: I really think Penn State can give UMD a run. The Nittany Lions have a lot of depth at forward and should put up a lot of goals. And they are very well coached by Guy Gadowsky, who has shown he could make a good NHL coach.

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Which team do you think will surprise this season?

Buccigross: There is so much parity in #cawlidgehawkey that the days of major surprises are over. Air Force and Minnesota State should win their leagues and be able to make a run. Minnesota State, in particular, is much better and could be a real factor this season.

Peters: UConn is not a big-time power, but I think it has a chance to make some noise in Hockey East this season. The team has slowly been building with some intriguing recruiting classes heavy on European talent. Adding to a core that already includes talented forwards Ruslan Iskhakov (New York Islanders), Jachym Kondelik (Nashville Predators) and goalie Tomas Vomacka (Predators), the Huskies have a few blue-chip recruits in Vladislav Firstov (Minnesota Wild) and Matej Blumel (Edmonton Oilers).

I think this all hinges on Vomacka's ability to play big-time minutes in net and continue his success. The Huskies aren't likely to be a real power in college hockey, but they're going to start taking steps out of the shadows in Hockey East.

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Which players are you most excited to watch this season?

Peters: It's hard to narrow it down to one, but I'll have to go to one of the guys I enjoyed watching most last season in the build up to the NHL draft: Boston University freshman forward Trevor Zegras. The Terriers desperately need their young guys to play big roles, and I think Zegras has the hockey sense and the speed to challenge NCAA defenses. His creativity with the puck and ability to make plays you can't see coming is why the entertainment value is so high with him -- and also why the Anaheim Ducks picked him ninth overall last year.

College hockey is going to challenge him, so I'm most interested to see how he absorbs that challenge and whether or not he excels under pressure.

Buccigross: I am excited to see Alex Limoges and Evan Barratt from Penn State, Hugh McGing from Western Michigan and obviously Cole Caufield and Alex Turcotte from Wisconsin. Caufield could win the Hobey Baker Award. Western Michigan's Wade Allison could also have a monster season, if healthy.

And Spencer Knight of Boston College is definitely a goaltender to watch. Boston College could be back in the national picture this season, starting with Knight in net.

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How about a Frozen Four prediction?

Buccigross: I'd go with Minnesota Duluth, Penn State, Denver and Minnesota State. And I have the Nittany Lions taking it home with that great offense.

Peters: Let's go with Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, Wisconsin and Cornell. As for a champion, I'm calling for a three-peat out of the UMD Bulldogs. They're just too good and too experienced.

The road to the 2020 Men's Frozen Four in Detroit begins in earnest Saturday afternoon with Boston University traveling to Union to kick off the regular season (ESPN+). The field often feels wide open, but Minnesota Duluth enters the season as the two-time defending champion. Despite not having the high draft picks or the historic success of some other programs, the Bulldogs have pretty much owned the past decade. Can anyone catch them?

That chase should be a lot of fun to watch. The men's college hockey landscape is littered with big-time talent, exciting teams and excellent coaches. Some of the traditional powers are still looking to regain some of their shine, and other teams are taking steps toward national prominence. And with 202 NCAA alumni dotting NHL opening-night rosters -- including nine who appeared in the college ranks last season -- there are few better places to get a glimpse of the future of the highest level of the sport than men's Division I hockey.

Here's a look at the teams and players you should know heading into the season.

Teams to watch | Peters' top 10
2020 draft watch | Hobey hopefuls
Big questions for this season

TEAMS TO WATCH

Minnesota Duluth

Can the Bulldogs really three-peat? It has happened one time in the 61-year history of the NCAA men's hockey tournament, when Michigan won three straight titles between 1951 and 1953. In an age of parity and early departures for the NHL, and amid the general difficulty of maintaining such a high level of success, Minnesota-Duluth has been remarkably consistent. The team has appeared in each of the past three national championship games and has three titles under Scott Sandelin, dating back to the school's first in 2011.

UMD had some significant losses from last season's squad, but it still has its two-time national champion goaltender Hunter Shepard. Additionally, much of the team's D corps opted to return to school this year, led by St. Louis Blues prospect Scott Perunovich and Winnipeg Jets draft pick Dylan Samberg, who each could have gone pro after last season. Three of the team's top five scorers from last season, Perunovich, Justin Richards and Minnesota Wild draft pick Nick Swaney, are also still on the roster.

Most importantly, Sandelin returns behind the bench after NHL teams were showing interest all summer. If any other team wants to win the title this season, it's going to have to get through the Bulldogs first.

Denver

A trip to the Frozen Four almost appeared ahead of schedule for the inexperienced Pioneers and rookie head coach David Carle in 2018-19. The freshman-laden squad got major impact from its first-year players, including goalie Filip Larsson, who opted to sign with the Detroit Red Wings after the season. But Denver is bringing back the core of the freshman class, including second-leading scorer and Calgary Flames draftee Emilio Pettersen.

Hardik Pandya underwent a back surgery on Friday in the United Kingdom*, and announced the news initially through an Instagram post on Saturday, calling it a "successful" one.

Later on Saturday, the BCCI provided rough details of the surgery through a media statement, saying the surgery was carried out after Hardik "complained" of back issues in the final T20I against South Africa in Bengaluru on September 22. The BCCI also said the surgery was carried out keeping in mind "long-term" benefits.

"The BCCI Medical Team consulted a panel of spine specialists in England and they recommended surgery for a long-term solution of this issue," the statement said. "On Friday, a successful surgery was conducted. Hardik will soon commence his rehabilitation process."

Hardik has been hampered by lower back issues since the Test series in England in 2018. The problem surfaced during the Asia Cup in September 2018. After that, he missed the home Test series against West Indies, the T20I series in Australia, and wasn't initially part of the Test squad on that tour.

Hardik had a successful IPL earlier this summer, but was rested once again for the West Indies tour immediately after the World Cup. It is believed the team management was happy for him to rest and focus on his strength training before he returned for the T20I series against South Africa in September.

The break, Hardik had told IANS "has helped me a lot and my fitness has gone to the next level". After that, though, Hardik wasn't considered for the ongoing Test series after the back injury resurfaced during the T20Is against South Africa. The seriousness of the injury can be ascertained by the fact that Yogesh Parmar, one of physios who is part of the BCCI medical staff, accompanied Hardik to ensure the injury is managed properly going forward.

Hardik's injury follows that of strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who the BCCI said had a stress fracture in the lower back. Bumrah, too, is expected to be in the UK soon to consult specialists before determining the next step.

Bumrah will be accompanied by Ashish Kaushik, the head physio at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. It is understood that the BCCI wanted Hardik and Bumrah to be accompanied by the physios since they weren't entirely happy with the players managing the rehab on their own.

* 10.20 GMT: The story has been updated to reflect the details of Hardik Pandya's surgery

The Portland Trail Blazers aren't planning to follow the NBA trend of load management this season, with guard CJ McCollum saying the team can't afford to take nights off in pursuit of the postseason.

"The race in the Western Conference is extremely tight. I don't know if we can afford to Kawhi it, so to speak," McCollum said, according to an Oregonian story published Friday. "You'll Kawhi your way out of the playoffs."

McCollum was referring to new LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who was limited to 60 regular-season games for his only season with the defending champion Toronto Raptors.

Leonard has said his health and playing time will be managed differently this season, as he is not coming off a quad injury that kept him out most of the 2017-18 season.

But limiting a star's number of games or minutes has been an ongoing topic throughout the NBA. A number of teams have addressed how they'll use their top players once the regular season begins at the end of the month.

Even so, All-Star guard Damian Lillard echoed his teammate in regard to the Trail Blazers' mindset.

"We're not some big superteam," Lillard said. "So I don't think we have the luxury to sit out, especially with how competitive the West is going to be."

Lillard, who played in 80 regular-season games in 2018-19, acknowledged feeling fatigued last season as the Trail Blazers reached the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2000.

"We hadn't been that far and my body was tired," Lillard said. "I was fatigued to the point where it was a real challenge. How I manage myself leading up to that point is going to mean everything."

Coach Terry Stotts said he will do more to help his players recover on off-days rather than holding them out of games.

"I don't necessarily want to have a herd mentality," Stotts said. "You do what's in the best interest of your team and the player. And you don't want to overuse them, but you also have to appreciate the fact that if a guy is able to play 35 minutes a game and play 82 games, that's fine too."

Shell-shocked Spurs sample the cool seaside air at Brighton on Saturday but it'll be far from an enjoyable trip given that they're feeling the heat from all sides.

The game has taken on enormous significance for a club who have failed to register a Premier League away win since January. The 7-2 mauling from Bayern Munich on Tuesday night will have left gaping wounds. I'm told the players sat in stunned silence in the dressing room after the match for an hour until, eventually, Jan Vertonghen agreed to front up and try to explain to TV interviewers how his team could collapse so dramatically.

Brighton, a more adventurous side under new manager Graham Potter, will look to exploit Tottenham's current fragility. Has it been long enough for the Spurs players and manager to regroup? You can be sure there have been crisis meetings behind the scenes and another defeat escalates things into a full-blown crisis. But in any case, there's a feeling that things are not quite right at the club and that the dam might be about to burst.

A good team has not suddenly become a bad one. Perhaps a certain staleness has set in or a feeling that without bigger investment, Mauricio Pochettino has taken the club as far as he can.

To be fair, Pochettino has performed wonders on a limited budget to make Tottenham top four regulars, qualifying for Europe's most prestigious competition every season. That is an achievement in itself. Ask Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, all of whom have had to "slum it" on Thursday nights in the Europa League in recent times. But Pochettino's team suffered a stunning 13 Premier League defeats last season as well as the current streak without an away victory.

The manager recently spoke of some players having "different agendas," taken as a reference to Christian Eriksen's foiled desire to move to Real Madrid. The Danish playmaker said it was not about money but a search for the silverware that, for all their talent, Spurs cannot seem to win.

You have to wonder if that frustrated feeling has spread to some other long-serving members of the squad. Emotionally, they have given so much and may be finding it hard to go to the well again. Even Pochettino himself admitted last week that he still felt sick and devastated by losing that Champions League Final against Liverpool. All of this stress may be just taking the edge off performances, especially in that vital area of commitment and desire to win back possession.

The squad surely needed freshening up more than just the addition of the very useful Tanguy Ndombele in midfield. Danny Rose, Toby Alderweireld and Eriksen might all have gone in the summer, but all three stayed. They have all been good servants but every club needs a few new faces to keep everyone on their toes. That simply hasn't happened on the Tottenham High Road and while the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min continue to exude menace, there are questions to answer elsewhere.

- Inside Tottenham's collapse: Players question tactics
- Ogden: Pochettino might not pull Spurs out of this tailspin
- Pochettino: Spurs must stay together after 7-2 rout

Was it right to sell Kieran Trippier to Atletico for a knock-down fee?

What has happened to Dele Alli? He's not having the impact he should and misses too many games.

Hugo Lloris' howler against Southampton was a reminder that his errors come a little more frequently than they once did.

Can Harry Winks stay fit to become a dominant midfield force for club and country?

What's going on with the erstwhile defensive rock Vertonghen, who was axed from the team at the start of the season?

And will Daniel Levy loosen the purse strings for the squad enhancement that's surely now needed?

When a team lets in seven goals at home, it's time for a long look in the mirror for all concerned, but don't be surprised to see Spurs bounce back with a win or two. These are very proud and good footballers with a fine manager. They could be a bit exhausted as a group that's been through so much together without the rewards they probably deserved, and Bayern's goal bonanza might spark the beginning of the end of this Spurs era. The smart money now says that something has to give.

Brighton is normally a fun place to visit. Tottenham need to make sure they don't hit the rocks again on the Sussex coast.