SPORTS DIGEST: CYCLING: Irish professional Nicolas Roche yesterday triumphed on the 166-kilometre opening stage of the Tour du Limousin yesterday, soloing to an excellent victory and the first yellow jersey of the race, writes Shane Stokes.
Roche went clear after approximately 50 kilometres, joining up with Geoffroy Lequatre (Agritubel) and Hannes Blank (Differdange Apiflo) in the day's big move. They built a lead of over five minutes but strong chasing by the peloton made it look like they would be caught.
Roche attacked hard inside the final 10 kilometres, however, and hit the finish line three seconds ahead of the main bunch, which was led home by Steve Chainel (Auber 93) ahead of José Joaquin Rojas Gil (Caisse d'Epargne) and Sebastian Hinault (Crédit Agricole).
"I am delighted with this . . . it is the best win of my career," he said afterwards. "I got away early on with Geoffroy Lequatre, one of my best friends, and a German rider. At 10 kilometres to go we had only 35 seconds on the bunch. I attacked then on a four-kilometre climb and had 15 seconds left at the summit.
"I rode the final six kilometres with a lead of about 12 seconds and hit the line three seconds clear. I'm really happy."
Thanks to time bonuses, Roche will start today's 183-kilometre second stage 11 seconds clear of Chainel and Lequatre. It starts and finishes in Bellac. The 2.1-ranked race runs until Friday.
McKenna to remain captain
GOLF: Mary McKenna is to continue as captain of the Britain and Ireland women's amateur team through to the 2010 Curtis Cup. She will again be supported by Tegwen Matthews as team manager.
The next Curtis Cup is at Essex Country Club in Manchester, Massachusetts, USA, on June 11th-13th in 2010.
Asif to appeal test result
CRICKET: Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Asif's B sample has tested positive for a banned substance, his lawyer Shahid Karim said yesterday. However, Asif, who failed a drugs test in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament in May, will appeal against the findings, Karim said.
"We are definitely going to appeal because the test results of the same samples are different," Karim added.
He said the B sample test conducted in Switzerland on Monday had 5.4 milligrams of nandrolone traces in the urine sample while the first test had shown 6.2. Asif was confident of winning his appeal.
"I am not disheartened. The different results show something is wrong somewhere. We will be filing an appeal with the drugs inquiry tribunal of the Indian Premier League and we will fight this case to the end," he said.
"I used some medicines which were prescribed to me for my elbow injury before going to the IPL. But I have not used any banned substances or drugs ever."
Del Potro to take a rest
TENNIS: An exhausted Juan Martin Del Potro (19) bowed to common sense and pulled out of the ATP event in New Haven, the final tournament before next week's US Open.
The Argentine followed up tournament wins in Stuttgart and Kitzbuhel with back-to-back titles in Los Angeles and Washington to move up to 17th in the world rankings, but decided not to jeopardise his US Open chances by playing in New Haven.
