Cycling: GIRO d'Italia rider Dario Frigo was sacked by his Fassa Bortolo team last night after illegal drugs were found during a police raid on his hotel room in San Remo, officials said.

Manager Giancarlo Ferretti said the team had received an official notice from the police late on Thursday that drugs had been found the previous evening. "Dario admitted this and so, under the rules of the team, he was immediately sacked."

The 28-year-old Italian was lying second overall in the Giro, 15 seconds behind compatriot Gilberto Simoni after leading the race for nine days. Italy's Mario Cipollini of the Saeco team won yesterday's 19th stage.

Equestrian: Ireland's show jumpers, winners of a record 10 Nations Cups in the Samsung series last season, were just pipped at the post for a repeat victory at the Pavarotti International in Modena yesterday, writes Grania Willis.

The Irish shared the lead at the break with the Netherlands and Germany when a double clear from Kevin Babington and Carling King put the pressure on the Germans. But a speedy clear from Ludger Beerbaum reversed the roles and, when Peter Charles and Traxdata Corrada hit the third, it was down to the clock to decide and it went in favour of the Germans by six seconds.

Hockey: An experimental Irish team lost 3-0 to Scotland in Belfast in a training game that marked the start of the buildup to September's World Cup Qualifier in France, reports Mary Hannigan.

Coach Riet Kuper gave a run-out to several of the senior panel's newcomers but a strong Scottish team, led by Sue Fraser, proved too strong for the hosts who meet the Scots again today and tomorrow.