Varadero, Cuba (CNN) — Decades navigating the roads in Cuba have left deep scars on Sergio Morales’ jet black 1947 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

The Harley’s frame is a battlefield of craters and gashes. The frozen odometer stopped counting at 45,000 kilometers. In Cuba, where little is in abundance save shortages, Morales uses a car wheel for his motorcycle’s back tire.

But when Morales kick-starts the Harley, its engine roars to full-throated life.

Morales is a “harlista,” what Cubans call the small band of men and women who have preserved the island’s motorcycle culture.

That hasn’t been an easy task in a country where a five-decades-old U.S. economic embargo makes getting new parts — much less bikes — near impossible.

“It’s work. You have to have spirit, desire,” Morales said. “There’s nowhere to buy spare parts here so over the years we have had to find alternative fixes or invent our own.”

And being a Harley fanatic courted controversy in the early years of the Cuban revolution when everything American, from jazz music to rock ‘n’ roll, was considered suspect. It also didn’t help that Harleys were the motorcycle of choice for police during the Batista dictatorship.

But now the iconic American bikes are enjoying something of a comeback.

Over the weekend, Morales was one of about 50 harlistas to participate in Cuba’s first ever nationwide Harley-Davidson rally in the beach resort town of Varadero.

“It’s an opportunity for us to celebrate not just the Harley but the Cuban Harley,” Morales said. “And in one of the prettiest places with the best beaches in the country.”

The sight of the motley crew of black leather-sporting motorcyclists pulling into a seaside town seemed like a scene straight out of the classic Marlon Brando film “The Wild One,” where a band of bikers terrorize a small community.

But in Varadero it was the bikers who were beset upon by admiring locals and tourists. One family of American tourists said they had changed their travel plans to come from Mexico to Cuba for a few days after learning about the event.

“We are here to give these guys a hand; it’s lot of work to keep their bikes running,” said event organizer Kristen MacQueen.

Cuban Harley aficionados are unique, MacQueen said, because their vintage bikes are not just for show.

“A lot of the people use them in their everyday life to get around,” MacQueen said. “For some people here, it’s their only form of transportation.”

The bikes lined up at the Varadero rally were a mix of Harleys from the decades leading up to Cuba’s 1959 revolution. Some Harleys were adorned with the face of revolutionary icon Che Guevara, others with American eagles.

In between demonstrating their agility in biking competitions, the harlistas checked out one another’s rides and explained to tourists how they keep them running.

Even with foreigners bringing in replacement parts from the outside, keeping the Harleys running is no small feat. Many of the bikes used parts cannibalized from Asian and old Soviet bikes and cars. Some Harlistas are legendary in the community for hand-making the parts they need.

But however challenging, none of the Cuban Harley fanatics says they plan to abandon their passion any time soon.

“You get to a point where the Harley becomes part of your family,” Cuban Harley owner Yuri Garcia said. “You become inseparable. If you sold it, you’d never find another bike like it.”

(CNN) — Their Indian owners once talked about pushing Blackburn Rovers into the elite tier of the English Premier League but just 18 months after their takeover, poultry giants Venky’s are contemplating relegation.

Monday’s 1-0 home defeat to Wigan Athletic condemned the former Premier League champions to the second tier amid angry scenes at their Ewood Park home.

The club’s Scottish manager Steve Kean, who has been subjected to abuse by supporters all season, had to be escorted from the pitch by police as a group of fans invaded the playing surface.

After the game Kean insisted he was the man to restore Blackburn’s status, telling the match broadcaster: “We’re absolutely devastated. The players are numb inside the dressing room.

“We felt as though we’d done a very good job tonight. It’s a massive setback but we’ll be back to fight another day.

“What we have to do is regroup. We have to add some established players and we have to look to keep as many of the players together as possible.”

Rovers’ relegation marked a stark contrast to the bright optimism that greeted their takeover back in November 2010 by Venky’s, the first Indian owners of a Premier League club.

Back then, they talked of finishing in the top four in the division, and linked themselves with high-profile players like Brazil’s World Cup-winning attacker Ronaldinho.

But after modest spending and a turbulent season, which also saw their manager banned for drink driving, a late goal from Wigan’s Paraguayan defender Antolin Alcaraz sealed their fate.

Upon the final whistle, a group of fans took to the pitch as Kean was bundled off the field by security staff and a handful of police. Others in the stands chanted: “We want Venky’s out.”

Blackburn won their only Premier League title in 1995 but have failed to challenge since. They were relegated in 1999 but bounced back under former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness two years later.

As for Wigan, victory secured their Premier League status and confounded a legion of critics who had written them off as doomed after they lost eight matches in a row at the start of the season.

But a recent run of six wins in eight games, which has seen them beat Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle, has cemented their place in the top flight for another year.

Meanwhile in France, Montpellier reclaimed their position at the top of the Ligue 1 from big-spending Paris Saint-Germain after a 2-0 victory at Stade Rennes.

A strike from Senegal striker Souleymane Camara was added to by an own goal from Benoit Costil, as Montpellier moved three points clear of PSG with two games remaining.

Lille kept up their faint hopes of retaining their crown with a 3-0 win over Caen. Tulio De Melo’s double ensured they ended the evening five points behind Montpellier and two behind PSG.

Bordeaux, 2009 champions, won 4-2 at AJ Auxerre, helped by two goals from Yoan Gouffran while Sébastien Roudet’s goal secured a 1-0 win for Sochaux at home to AS Nancy Lorraine.

(CNN) — Two-time world champion Sebastian Vettel remains top of the 2012 standings after finishing sixth in the Spanish Grand Prix.

Red Bull’s Vettel is tied on points with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who finished second in Spain, but the German driver stays ahead on count back.

The Spanish GP was won by Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado, who was the fifth different winner in five races of a topsy-turvy season.

Maldonado’s win brought him 25 points pushing him up to ninth in the standings.

Britain’s Lewis Hamilton, who finished in eighth after a gutsy drive, is third in the standings, just eight points behind Vettel and Alonso.

2012 Drivers’ standings after fifth round in Spain:

1. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 61 points

2. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari 61

3. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren 53

4. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Lotus 49

5. Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 48

6. Jenson Button (GB) McLaren 45

7. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes 41

8. Romain Grosjean (Swi) Lotus 35

9. Pastor Maldonado (Ven) Williams 29

10. Sergio Perez (Mex) Sauber 22

Latest constructors’ standings:

1. Red Bull 109 points

2. McLaren 98

3. Lotus 84

4. Ferrari 63

5. Mercedes 43

6. Williams 43

(CNN) — Their Indian owners once talked about pushing Blackburn Rovers into the elite tier of the English Premier League but just 18 months after their takeover, poultry giants Venky’s are contemplating relegation.

Monday’s 1-0 home defeat to Wigan Athletic condemned the former Premier League champions to the second tier amid angry scenes at their Ewood Park home.

The club’s Scottish manager Steve Kean, who has been subjected to abuse by supporters all season, had to be escorted from the pitch by police as a group of fans invaded the playing surface.

After the game Kean insisted he was the man to restore Blackburn’s status, telling the match broadcaster: “We’re absolutely devastated. The players are numb inside the dressing room.

“We felt as though we’d done a very good job tonight. It’s a massive setback but we’ll be back to fight another day.

“What we have to do is regroup. We have to add some established players and we have to look to keep as many of the players together as possible.”

Rovers’ relegation marked a stark contrast to the bright optimism that greeted their takeover back in November 2010 by Venky’s, the first Indian owners of a Premier League club.

Back then, they talked of finishing in the top four in the division, and linked themselves with high-profile players like Brazil’s World Cup-winning attacker Ronaldinho.

But after modest spending and a turbulent season, which also saw their manager banned for drink driving, a late goal from Wigan’s Paraguayan defender Antolin Alcaraz sealed their fate.

Upon the final whistle, a group of fans took to the pitch as Kean was bundled off the field by security staff and a handful of police. Others in the stands chanted: “We want Venky’s out.”

Blackburn won their only Premier League title in 1995 but have failed to challenge since. They were relegated in 1999 but bounced back under former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness two years later.

As for Wigan, victory secured their Premier League status and confounded a legion of critics who had written them off as doomed after they lost eight matches in a row at the start of the season.

But a recent run of six wins in eight games, which has seen them beat Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle, has cemented their place in the top flight for another year.

Meanwhile in France, Montpellier reclaimed their position at the top of the Ligue 1 from big-spending Paris Saint-Germain after a 2-0 victory at Stade Rennes.

A strike from Senegal striker Souleymane Camara was added to by an own goal from Benoit Costil, as Montpellier moved three points clear of PSG with two games remaining.

Lille kept up their faint hopes of retaining their crown with a 3-0 win over Caen. Tulio De Melo’s double ensured they ended the evening five points behind Montpellier and two behind PSG.

Bordeaux, 2009 champions, won 4-2 at AJ Auxerre, helped by two goals from Yoan Gouffran while Sébastien Roudet’s goal secured a 1-0 win for Sochaux at home to AS Nancy Lorraine.

(CNN) — When one of the Titanic’s four giant funnels collapsed, Dick Williams saw his father Charles killed in front of him.

Grief stricken but with his survival instinct still intact, the 21-year-old dived into the icy waters of the Atlantic to take his chances and swim for his life.

The cold was almost paralyzing and many poor souls perished almost immediately, but Williams was made of stern stuff and managed to pull himself into a collapsible lifeboat.

With others desperately clamoring to get on board, it was almost waist deep in water and the cold proved almost unbearable for the occupants.

Many died before they were helped, initially by another more stable lifeboat and then by the liner RMS Carpathia, a haven for so many Titanic survivors.

A little distance away, Karl Behr sat shivering, huddled in one of the last lifeboats to leave the stricken super liner — which had been heralded as “unsinkable” ahead of her maiden voyage from the British port of Southampton on April 10, 1912.

Next to him was Helen Newsom, a fellow passenger on their first-class journey who was later to be his wife.

In the same lifeboat was the Titanic’s owner, Bruce Ismay, who had embarked on the journey with his reputation never higher, but was later to be vilified for allegedly deserting his ship.

Amputation threat

It took nearly six long hours for the lifeboats and the 706 survivors to be reached, by which time Williams had lost all feeling in his legs, which had turned purple with frostbite and lack of circulation.

The ship doctor on the Carpathia warned him that they were so far gone that amputation was the likely outcome.

But Williams could not conceive this possibility and took about literally walking his legs back to life, relentlessly pacing the decks on the journey to New York — two hours at a time, despite the intense discomfort.

It was during this time that he met Behr for the first time.

Little is recorded of their exchanges, but from memoirs it is reported that at 26, the elder man was “very helpful” to Williams.

Aside from their shared survival of one of the greatest maritime tragedies in history, where over 1,500 passengers and crew perished, they had one other thing in common.

Both were to become members in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, having been on-court rivals and later Davis Cup teammates for the United States.

And both were to be central figures in two books which have been published around the 100th anniversary of the 1912 tragedy.

Rival books

Like so much associated with the Titanic in the many books and films on the subject, controversy and disagreement over what actually happened is never far from the surface.

First came “Starboard at Midnight,” written by Behr’s granddaughter Helen Behr Sandford and published last year.

Former U.S. Davis Cup team press officer Randy Walker commissioned Hollywood screenwriter Lindsay Gibbs to write a “factional” account for his New Chapter Press publishing firm — “Titanic: The Tennis Story,” which came out this month.

Sanford, who is published by Darwin Press, stuck more or less strictly to memoirs and historical records, although a small passage in her book is also fictional.

Walker, who has published books on great players such as Rod Laver, believes the tale to be the “greatest story in the history of tennis” but allowed the 45-year-old Gibbs some leeway in developing characters and themes.

He compares the treatment to that of the Oscar winning film “Chariots of Fire” about British track and field runners Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell where fact merged with fiction to dramatize the story.

However, Sandford is aghast at the portrayal of her grandfather and Williams.

The 62-year-old, who is known as Lynn, is deeply protective of the memory of her forebear.

“The ‘other’ book is truly appalling,” she told CNN. “Dick Williams and Karl Behr were wonderful, dignified men, who would never have exhibited the characteristics that are displayed.

“If Karl and Dick were here right now they would be incensed and absolutely miserable at how they took their lives and created something out of fiction.”

Gibbs stands by her writings: “I’m proud of what I did, which was based around a lot of research by Randy Walker.”

“Lindsay Gibbs is a very good writer,” conceded Sanford. “But the saddest part is she didn’t honor the truth at all.”

With both books competing for sales, there is no sign the row will settle down, but what is not disputed is how the lives of the two men became intertwined in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Remarkable recovery

Williams made a remarkable recovery and less than three months later he faced the more experienced Behr in a tennis tournament on the lawns of Longwood Cricket Club in Boston.

Williams raced into a two-set lead, but the wily Behr prevailed in five sets. Legend has it that their shared experience on the Titanic was never mentioned by the two fellow Ivy Leaguers.

Williams was on the rise and won the 1914 U.S. National Championship (now known as the U.S. Open), beating Behr in the quarterfinals. Both were in the 1914 U.S. Davis Cup team, with Behr as a reserve.

Further success followed for Williams in the 1916 U.S. Nationals before serving in the United States army in World War One, being decorated for valor.

Resuming his career after the hostilities, Williams enjoyed major success in doubles competition in the Davis Cup and grand slams.

His crowning glory came aged 33 at the 1924 Paris Olympics, where he partnered Hazel Wightman to the gold medal in the mixed doubles — the last time the event was part of the Games.

The pair remain the reigning Olympic champions as mixed doubles will be reintroduced at London 2012, with the likes of Roger Federer and Victoria Azarenka coveting the gold.

Williams became a successful banker in Philadelphia and died aged 77 in 1968.

Behr’s story was more complex and the events of April 14, 1912 left an indelible mark on his psyche as he suffered from “survivor’s guilt.”

As both his granddaughter and Gibbs touch on in their accounts, the circumstances under which he ended in a lifeboat with women and children has come under scrutiny, particularly as the reviled Ismay was also an occupant.

Honor at stake

Sanford said that her grandfather was in the “right place at the right time” as the first-class passengers were shown to the lifeboats, at first more as precaution because it was widely believed that the Titanic was “unsinkable.”

Walker concurs. “According to our research, Karl was very honorable,” he said.

As boat No. 5 was lowered, Ismay was imploring passengers into the craft and was asked by a lady passenger “if the men could join us.” He replied in the affirmative and Behr climbed aboard.

In Gibbs’ book, a smitten Behr proposes to Newsom while in the lifeboat — poetic license, indeed.

Sanford recounts that they actually waited eight months to announce their engagement. “They feared a backlash from being Titanic survivors,” she said.

Behr’s sense of duty intensified as World War One started in Europe and he became a leading campaigner for American involvement working alongside former president Theodore Roosevelt.

As Sanford recounts, Behr organized the Citizen Preparedness Parade in New York in 1916, with over 135,000 people taking part, which galvanized similar pro-war parades across the country.

When American finally entered the war in 1917, Behr was refused permission to enlist, perhaps because of his German background. Exhausted and demoralized, his health collapsed and he entered a sanitarium, but he was allowed to serve just as the war ended.

By then his tennis career was over and he spent the rest of his life in business, being on the board of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and other firms.

He died in 1949, aged 64. His wife Helen later remarried and died in Princeton, New Jersey in 1965.

As a small child, Sanford recalled asking her grandmother about the events of the fateful night.

“She just said, ‘I can’t answer you, but I can say the worst part of the experience was on the Carpathia.’ “

It was never mentioned again, but Sanford became determined to recount the events and spent many years researching before putting pen to paper.

She recently joined members of the Williams family at a special event organized by the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Its headquarters in Newport, Rhode Island has a special exhibition to honor both remarkable men and their remarkable story.

(CNN) — The life of a tennis professional is tough, but the rewards are plentiful — and not just in a financial sense.

The long trawl around the globe on both the men’s and women’s tours has often been a breeding ground for blossoming courtships, as lovestruck couples decide it is game, set and match while gazing at the figure on the opposite baseline.

With Valentine’s Day upon us, CNN World Sport charts the 15 top romances involving the stars of tennis in the gallery above. If you disagree, or think we’ve missed any out, let us know in the comments section below the story.

Who could forget the enduring romance of Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, both multiple grand slam winners, whose love was reputedly cemented at the 1999 French Open champions’ ball and is still going strong after 10 years of marriage?

One of the game’s greatest ever players, Roger Federer, met his wife Mirka when the pair represented Switzerland at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

But it is not all happily ever after. Chris Evert, an 18-time grand slam champion, has served love games to two fellow professionals — Jimmy Connors and John Lloyd — only for cupid to return a double fault.

Several high-profile recent relationships have proved the kinship between tennis and other sports too, especially golf.

Golf star Rory McIlroy, who won the 2011 U.S. Open, is currently dating former tennis world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. The partnered pair refer to themselves as “Wozilroy.”

Another golfer, Australia’s Adam Scott, has recently rekindled his romance with glamorous Serbian tennis star Ana Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion.

Tennis has long been linked with showbiz, and high-profile names in the game have often mingled with stars of stage and screen.

British pop crooner Cliff Richard’s relationship with 1976 French Open winner Sue Barker made waves in the early 1980s, while Agassi’s brief marriage to American actress Brooke Shields also attracted a deluge of headlines.

(CNN) — When one of the Titanic’s four giant funnels collapsed, Dick Williams saw his father Charles killed in front of him.

Grief stricken but with his survival instinct still intact, the 21-year-old dived into the icy waters of the Atlantic to take his chances and swim for his life.

The cold was almost paralyzing and many poor souls perished almost immediately, but Williams was made of stern stuff and managed to pull himself into a collapsible lifeboat.

With others desperately clamoring to get on board, it was almost waist deep in water and the cold proved almost unbearable for the occupants.

Many died before they were helped, initially by another more stable lifeboat and then by the liner RMS Carpathia, a haven for so many Titanic survivors.

A little distance away, Karl Behr sat shivering, huddled in one of the last lifeboats to leave the stricken super liner — which had been heralded as “unsinkable” ahead of her maiden voyage from the British port of Southampton on April 10, 1912.

Next to him was Helen Newsom, a fellow passenger on their first-class journey who was later to be his wife.

In the same lifeboat was the Titanic’s owner, Bruce Ismay, who had embarked on the journey with his reputation never higher, but was later to be vilified for allegedly deserting his ship.

Amputation threat

It took nearly six long hours for the lifeboats and the 706 survivors to be reached, by which time Williams had lost all feeling in his legs, which had turned purple with frostbite and lack of circulation.

The ship doctor on the Carpathia warned him that they were so far gone that amputation was the likely outcome.

But Williams could not conceive this possibility and took about literally walking his legs back to life, relentlessly pacing the decks on the journey to New York — two hours at a time, despite the intense discomfort.

It was during this time that he met Behr for the first time.

Little is recorded of their exchanges, but from memoirs it is reported that at 26, the elder man was “very helpful” to Williams.

Aside from their shared survival of one of the greatest maritime tragedies in history, where over 1,500 passengers and crew perished, they had one other thing in common.

Both were to become members in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, having been on-court rivals and later Davis Cup teammates for the United States.

And both were to be central figures in two books which have been published around the 100th anniversary of the 1912 tragedy.

Rival books

Like so much associated with the Titanic in the many books and films on the subject, controversy and disagreement over what actually happened is never far from the surface.

First came “Starboard at Midnight,” written by Behr’s granddaughter Helen Behr Sandford and published last year.

Former U.S. Davis Cup team press officer Randy Walker commissioned Hollywood screenwriter Lindsay Gibbs to write a “factional” account for his New Chapter Press publishing firm — “Titanic: The Tennis Story,” which came out this month.

Sanford, who is published by Darwin Press, stuck more or less strictly to memoirs and historical records, although a small passage in her book is also fictional.

Walker, who has published books on great players such as Rod Laver, believes the tale to be the “greatest story in the history of tennis” but allowed the 45-year-old Gibbs some leeway in developing characters and themes.

He compares the treatment to that of the Oscar winning film “Chariots of Fire” about British track and field runners Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell where fact merged with fiction to dramatize the story.

However, Sandford is aghast at the portrayal of her grandfather and Williams.

The 62-year-old, who is known as Lynn, is deeply protective of the memory of her forebear.

“The ‘other’ book is truly appalling,” she told CNN. “Dick Williams and Karl Behr were wonderful, dignified men, who would never have exhibited the characteristics that are displayed.

“If Karl and Dick were here right now they would be incensed and absolutely miserable at how they took their lives and created something out of fiction.”

Gibbs stands by her writings: “I’m proud of what I did, which was based around a lot of research by Randy Walker.”

“Lindsay Gibbs is a very good writer,” conceded Sanford. “But the saddest part is she didn’t honor the truth at all.”

With both books competing for sales, there is no sign the row will settle down, but what is not disputed is how the lives of the two men became intertwined in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Remarkable recovery

Williams made a remarkable recovery and less than three months later he faced the more experienced Behr in a tennis tournament on the lawns of Longwood Cricket Club in Boston.

Williams raced into a two-set lead, but the wily Behr prevailed in five sets. Legend has it that their shared experience on the Titanic was never mentioned by the two fellow Ivy Leaguers.

Williams was on the rise and won the 1914 U.S. National Championship (now known as the U.S. Open), beating Behr in the quarterfinals. Both were in the 1914 U.S. Davis Cup team, with Behr as a reserve.

Further success followed for Williams in the 1916 U.S. Nationals before serving in the United States army in World War One, being decorated for valor.

Resuming his career after the hostilities, Williams enjoyed major success in doubles competition in the Davis Cup and grand slams.

His crowning glory came aged 33 at the 1924 Paris Olympics, where he partnered Hazel Wightman to the gold medal in the mixed doubles — the last time the event was part of the Games.

The pair remain the reigning Olympic champions as mixed doubles will be reintroduced at London 2012, with the likes of Roger Federer and Victoria Azarenka coveting the gold.

Williams became a successful banker in Philadelphia and died aged 77 in 1968.

Behr’s story was more complex and the events of April 14, 1912 left an indelible mark on his psyche as he suffered from “survivor’s guilt.”

As both his granddaughter and Gibbs touch on in their accounts, the circumstances under which he ended in a lifeboat with women and children has come under scrutiny, particularly as the reviled Ismay was also an occupant.

Honor at stake

Sanford said that her grandfather was in the “right place at the right time” as the first-class passengers were shown to the lifeboats, at first more as precaution because it was widely believed that the Titanic was “unsinkable.”

Walker concurs. “According to our research, Karl was very honorable,” he said.

As boat No. 5 was lowered, Ismay was imploring passengers into the craft and was asked by a lady passenger “if the men could join us.” He replied in the affirmative and Behr climbed aboard.

In Gibbs’ book, a smitten Behr proposes to Newsom while in the lifeboat — poetic license, indeed.

Sanford recounts that they actually waited eight months to announce their engagement. “They feared a backlash from being Titanic survivors,” she said.

Behr’s sense of duty intensified as World War One started in Europe and he became a leading campaigner for American involvement working alongside former president Theodore Roosevelt.

As Sanford recounts, Behr organized the Citizen Preparedness Parade in New York in 1916, with over 135,000 people taking part, which galvanized similar pro-war parades across the country.

When American finally entered the war in 1917, Behr was refused permission to enlist, perhaps because of his German background. Exhausted and demoralized, his health collapsed and he entered a sanitarium, but he was allowed to serve just as the war ended.

By then his tennis career was over and he spent the rest of his life in business, being on the board of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and other firms.

He died in 1949, aged 64. His wife Helen later remarried and died in Princeton, New Jersey in 1965.

As a small child, Sanford recalled asking her grandmother about the events of the fateful night.

“She just said, ‘I can’t answer you, but I can say the worst part of the experience was on the Carpathia.’ “

It was never mentioned again, but Sanford became determined to recount the events and spent many years researching before putting pen to paper.

She recently joined members of the Williams family at a special event organized by the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Its headquarters in Newport, Rhode Island has a special exhibition to honor both remarkable men and their remarkable story.

(CNN) — It’s no wonder the illustrious Silver Arrow has a special place in the Mercedes team’s hearts. The car with the distinctive silver livery has delivered some of its greatest victories — from successive world championships in the 1950s to the China Grand Prix earlier this month.

Now a new generation of Mercedes stars will be paying homage to the racy little number — and its most famous driver — ahead of the DTM season opener this weekend.

Almost 57 years after F1 legend Juan Manual Fangio won the Italian Grand Prix in the Silver Arrow, driver Nico Rosberg will again be getting behind the wheel of the classic car.

Rosberg’s career-first F1 win at this month’s China Grand Prix is Mercedes’ first victory since Fangio in Italy in 1955.

And to mark the occasion, 26-year-old Rosberg will be taking the classic Mercedes W196 for a spin on Saturday before the DTM touring car series season opener at Hockenheim.

“I am absolutely delighted to be returning to Hockenheim as a Grand Prix winner,” he said on the Mercedes F1 website.

“Last year, I was able to drive a classic Silver Arrow on the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife, so now I’m really looking forward to climbing into the cockpit of Juan Manuel Fangio’s phenomenal W196 streamliner from Monza in 1955 and driving a few laps at Hockenheim.

“It means a lot to me that we have written a new chapter in the wonderful history of Mercedes in motorsport — and that there is plenty more still to come.”

(CNN) — Just a week after losing to Bubba Watson in a playoff at the U.S. Masters, Louis Oosthuizen bounced back with a three-shot victory in the Malaysian Open Sunday.

Oosthuizen, who had a 30-hour journey to Kuala Lumpur after his near miss at Augusta, closed with a four-under-par 68 to hold off the challenge of Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher.

His 17-under total of 271 gave him his fifth European Tour win and for Oosthuizen acted as the perfect tonic after his Masters heartbreak.

“It was a long journey to get here and I have to be honest and say that I didn’t expect to play this well because of the tiredness,” he told the official European Tour website.

“Having a good week this week was important and playing well. I didn’t want to come here and play bad but to win means a lot because I have been playing well for the last few weeks now and to win gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.”

Oosthuizen had to play 26 holes on the final day because of earlier delays and held a one-shot lead over Gallacher going into the last 18 holes.

Gallacher, looking for his second European Tour win, was in touch until the back nine where his South African opponent birdied the 13th and 16th to pull clear.

Last year’s Masters champion Charl Schwartzel of South African was sixth, six shots back, while defending champion Matteo Manassero and former world number one Martin Kaymer tied for seventh at the $2.5 million tournament co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours.

Oosthuizen, who carded a stunning double eagle in his final round of the first major of the season, lost out to Watson after the American’s superb recovery shot on the second extra hole, but he has moved to second in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai after his recent fine displays.

London, England (CNN) — It has been the official home of the British monarchy since 1837. But for two nights, Buckingham Palace is being transformed into the canvas for a world record attempt of the biggest ever collaboration of artists into a single art installation.

A majestic mosaic of Queen Elizabeth II projected on to the palace façade is composed of over 200,000 self portraits of children from across the United Kingdom.

As well as self portraits from children, some of Britain’s most well-known faces have submitted artwork for the project including award winning Grammy singer and songwriter Adele and Rolling Stones rocker Ronnie Wood.

The images will be projected on Buckingham Palace until 21 April.

It aims to provide a platform to celebrate the nation’s younger generations in the lead up to this year’s Diamond Jubilee and Olympic Games.

(CNN) — Pamela Anderson’s career to date may have been more Playboy than pit lane, but the former Baywatch star has decided to dip her feet into motorsport by launching her own racing team.

The 44-year-old actress and ex-cover girl is fronting the Downforce1 team, which will compete in the 2012 European Le Mans and International GT Open series.

Anderson, more famous for sporting a red bathing suit as C.J. Parker in the hit ’90s TV show than racing overalls, launched the venture earlier this month with the aim of competing in the 2013 open-wheel NASCAR series in the U.S.

“I’m so proud of the Downforce 1 team,” she said. “These gentleman have achieved the impossible and built up a team in just four months.

“I cannot wait to see my cars on the race track, it’s hard to believe until I see it.”

But Anderson’s dream has been temporarily derailed. The team’s sole driver Markus Fux, who also doubles up as Downforce1′s marketing coordinator, announced they will miss this weekend’s International GT race in France.

“Due to technical issues and circumstances beyond the control of the team, the management of Downforce1 have reluctantly decided, in the interest of the team and its sponsors, not to attend the first race at Paul Ricard,” read the statement.

“The team now intends to begin its 2012 race program at the GT Open Series round at Portimao on the 28th April. The team apologizes to its many fans and supporters.”

(CNN) — London 2012 organizers could argue that one of the many attractions of holding the Olympics in the British capital is the number of great restaurants on offer for visitors harboring a hunger for tasty morsels.

But gastronomy does not always entail gluttony. Eating the right food is vital to your health — especially for the thousands of athletes who will be heading to the Olympic Park for the July 27-August 12 sporting showpiece.

Team CNN’s Zain Verjee traveled to Michelin-starred Danesfield House, on the outskirts of the city, with former British 400 meters runner Katharine Merry to help prepare a nutritious three-course meal that the Sydney 2000 Olympics bronze medalist described as: “Nice and light. Like a pre-competition meal you would have the night before.”

The first course delivered a simple blend of fruit tastes from England, strawberries being the berry of choice in July. But crucially it also delivered a hit of protein from the natural yoghurt and milk and a burst of energy via the natural fructose and xylitol.

Nutritionist James Collins, an adviser for Team Great Britain during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, agreed that fruit smoothies were the perfect snack for training athletes.

“As a sprinter you need to make sure the protein intake is high enough to support muscle recovery. Things like meats and other dairy products are great for this,” the director of London company Performance Nutrition told CNN.

“Berries and other fruits are full of antioxidants. They help athletes get rid of free-radicals, helping the muscles to be less sore the next day.

“Smoothies with milk or yoghurt are also a good source of calcium. A lot of athletes have high-impact workout sessions so they need a high calcium intake to make sure their bones are strong.”

Merry, who retired in 2005 after injuries stopped her following up her medal achievement, now works as a television pundit.

“Smoothies are a good start to the day,” the 37-year-old said.

“They can be very filling. Just an extra oomph of protein powder mixed into a smoothie like this really does kickstart your day.”

Next up was a light lunch of fresh mackerel with cucumber relish and palm hearts. The raw fish and accompanying oysters were packed full of protein, essential for energy and muscle repair. Cut into bite-size pieces, the fish was both light and sustaining for Olympic athletes in training.

“I used to eat a lot of sushi because the rawer the meat is in terms of fish, the higher the nutritional value. The more you cook it, the more you’ll lose out of it,” Merry said.

“Meat is the essential part of an athlete’s diet, and power-based sports as well need the protein to build muscle maintenance.”

Collins said that eating fish helps assist muscle repair.

“Fish such as herring or mackerel have a high Omega 3 content, which helps the blood have more anti-inflammatory properties. It can really help them recover so you’re not as sore the next day,” he said.

Last on the menu was a dessert of poached black figs with apple sorbet and goat’s curd. The figs offered a sweet treat that was both low in calories and high in fiber.

Merry said that anyone can follow an athlete’s diet, which is similar to what everyone needs for a healthy life.

“Athletes must be looking out for high carbohydrates for energy to help you get through your training session and the race. They also need a good intake of protein to ensure muscle growth and maintenance,” she said.

“Basically, an athlete’s diet is the same as everyone else’s — as in eat sensibly, five fruit a day — but in larger quantities.”

To cook like an award-winning chef and eat like an athlete, follow these recipes from Danesfield House’s head chef Adam Simmonds:

Strawberry Smoothie (ingredients in fact box)