ROUND-UP - CYCLING: Italian-based Irishman Dermot Nally claimed his third victory of the season when he won the second stage of the prestigious under-23 contest, the Giro d'Abruzzo. The Maltinti Lampadari-team rider instigated a three-man breakaway 110 kms into the race and at the finish outsprinted Alexander Kuchinski (Belarus) and Italian Giuseppe Romano.
Isle of Man-rider Rob Holden overcame a charge by Denis Easton to hold onto the yellow jersey in the Tour of Ulster, winning the event by 32 seconds. The stage ended in a bunch sprint in Craigavon where Cidona Carrick's Eddie O'Donoghue triumphed.
ATHLETICS: Irish Olympic walker Robert Heffernan chopped some 46 seconds off his record for the 20 kms when clocking 80 minutes 25 seconds at a Grand Prix race in Naunburg to finish second. It puts the Corkman in seventh place on the world rankings. Gillian O'Sullivan won the women's race in 91:18 with Olive Loughnane achieving a personal best of 92:44.
Elsewhere, Karen Shinkins claimed a double victory at a meeting in Martinique on Sunday, first winning the 200 metres in a personal best of 23.60 and later took the 400 metres in 52.32.
Gareth Turnbull took the 800-metres title at the Halifax British Universities Athletics Championships in Bedford yesterday in a time of one minute 47.96 seconds. Conor Sweeney won the 1,500 metres in 3.44.31.
TENNIS: Ireland defeated Armenia in the Davis Cup tie in Yerevan yesterday. Peter Clarke polished off Haik Hakobyan 6-0 6-4 6-2 having held a 6-0 5-4 overnight lead. John Doran, who won his singles on Sunday, teamed up with Owen Casey to clinch the tie 7-5 6-3 6-4. Slovenia are Ireland's next opponents for a semi-final spot in the Euro African group.
Yvonne Doyle failed to qualify for the main draw of the ITA Challenger Scottish Open Championships in Edinburgh yesterday losing to Australia's Jaslyn Hewitt, sister of men's world number one Leyton, 6-0 6-3.
