SPORTS DIGEST:CYCLING: Russia's Denis Menchov survived a fall on a rain-hit final stage to win the Giro d'Italia in dramatic fashion in Rome yesterday.
The Rabobank rider looked certain for victory in the world's second biggest stage race with a 20-second lead before yesterday's 14.4km time-trial, which was better suited to him than nearest rival Italian Danilo Di Luca.
But the home fans were given hope of a shock win when it started to rain while both riders were out, making the going hazardous on Rome's slippery cobblestones.
Menchov (31) tumbled on a straight stretch in the last kilometre, but kept his cool and crossed the finish line near the Coliseum with the 10th best time, faster than LPR's 2007 winner Di Luca. Menchov took the Giro with a 41-second margin of victory to add the title to his honours list after winning the Tour of Spain in 2007 and 2005.
The stage was won by Cervelo's Lithuanian Ignatas Konovalovas, who set a time of 18:42.
Hermes through to meet Italian side in final
HOCKEY: Hermes are through to the final of the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy in Switzerland after topping their pool yesterday with a 1-1 draw against Ritm Grodno, writes Mary Hannigan.
That result put them level on points with the Belarus side and Glasgow Western, but the Dublin club had a superior goal difference.
Nine of those goals came against hosts Rotweiss Wettingen on Saturday, former Irish captains Linda Caufield (four) and Jenny Burke (two) scoring six between them. Deirdre Duke, one of five under-18 players in the squad, got yesterday’s goal to set up today’s meeting with HC Mori Villafranca of Italy. Glasgow play Siauliai Gintra in the second final.
EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy (at Wettingen) – Pool B – Saturday: Hermes HC 9 (L Caulfield 4, J Burke 2, C Quinlan, C Watkins, A McCarthy) HC Rotweiss Wettingen 0; HC Ritm Grodno 2, Glasgow Western 2. Yesterday: Hermes 1 (D Duke) Grodno 1; Glasgow 6 Wettingen 1.
Moate's Ward claims world title
BOXING: Former IABA president Breandan Ó Conaire believes Joe Ward will be one of the ones to watch in the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Ward, from the Moate club in Westmeath, became the third Irish boxer in the last eight months – following in the footsteps of Katie Taylor and Ray Moylette – to claim a world title.
The Irish champion won gold at the AIBA World Junior Championships on Saturday after a three-round tour de force against Armenian light middleweight Hayk Khachatryan in Yerevan, Armenia.
The scheduled three rounder was stopped six seconds before the final bell after Ward, who was 16-1 up, obliged Khachatryan, courtesy of a thudding right, to take a second standing count. The win was the Co Westmeath teenager’s third inside the distance victory – he halted opponents from Kazakhstan and Russia in his previous fights – in four bouts at the Sports Complex.
“If he continues building on these skills and temperament he can be a definite possibility for London 2012,” Ó Conaire said.
String of Irish wins at Dorney Lake
ROWING: Irish crews recorded a string of wins at London Metropolitan Regatta at Dorney Lake over the weekend, in many cases strengthening their case for seeding at Henley Royal Regatta in a month's time, writes Liam Gorman.
NUIG won the senior eight yesterday and the senior coxed four on Saturday, while UCD won a two-boat elite eight final yesterday against London/Henley.
The Old Collegians/London composite crew, which is powered by Con Collis and Seán Jacob in the two and three seats, won the elite quadruple scull on both days.
Neptune’s senior women’s pair and the Galway/Skibbereen senior coxless four also came away with victories.
Meanwhile the first World Cup regatta of the new Olympic campaign, at Banyoles in Spain over the weekend, confirmed the thinness of the Ireland elite system. Single sculler Seán Casey finished sixth in the B Final yesterday (12th overall) and the pair of Martin Walsh and Cormac Folan placed 15th on Saturday and will not go on to the final World Cup in Lucerne.
Casey’s chances of glory evaporated in Saturday’s semi-final. In one of the shocks of the regatta, Olympic silver medallist Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic pulled up in the second half of the race – apparently due to weed stuck at the bottom of his boat – and trailed in sixth and last.
In what was already the weaker of the two semis, easy-winner Tim Maeyens of Belgium moved into the A Final with Stanislau Shcharbachenia of Belarus and Ioannis Christou of Greece. Casey, however, was never a real contender for the top-three place which was necessary for qualification.
Synek was back with a bang yesterday in the B Final, winning well. Casey was again off the pace, but by reaching this level he won the chance to compete at Lucerne, where his performance will be assessed with an eye to the World Championships in Poland in August.
Lightweight boats will be assessed this month, but McElroy said it was by no means certain that any Ireland crews would be sent to the Worlds.
Stoner ends Rossi's run
MOTOR CYCLING: Casey Stoner won a thrilling Italian Grand Prix yesterday to bring to an end Valentino Rossi's run of seven straight victories at Mugello.
The Ducati Marlboro rider also took the lead in the FIM MotoGP World Championship points standings after crossing the finish line ahead of pole position man Jorge Lorenzo, who had to change machines after crashing on the out lap, and his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Rossi.
