Claim of full doping regime: Documents uncovered by Spanish authorities in the investigation into the Operacion Puerto drugs affair reveal former Team CSC leader Tyler Hamilton actively used EPO, growth hormones, testosterone and insulin on 114 of 200 days during the 2003 season, according to the Danish newspaper Politiken.
The report claimed the programme of doping described in the diary was so extensive that an entire team of helpers must have been involved.
Hamilton finished fourth in the Tour de France in 2003 when riding for the Danish team, and took gold at the Olympic Games in Athens a year later.
He tested positive for blood doping in 2004 and received a two-year ban.
O'Loughlin laps the field
The former Irish road-race champion David O'Loughlin of Navigators Insurance put in a dominating performance to lap the rest of the field three times in the all Ireland cycling criterium championships held in Westport, Co Mayo, on Saturday, writes Shane Stokes.
The Mayo rider took over three minutes out of the rest of the field, with Padraig Marrey (Western Lakes CC) and Neill Delahaye (Usher Irish Road Club) taking silver and bronze.
Brian Keane (All Systems DWCC) was fourth, one place ahead of last year's champion, Eugene Moriarty (MyHome.ie/Cycleways).
Ding joins a select group
Ding Junhui joined the select group of players to have won three ranking titles before their 20th birthdays by beating Ronnie O'Sullivan to lift the Northern Ireland Trophy in Belfast last night.
The Chinese sensation emulated the fates of O'Sullivan and John Higgins and helped himself to a £30,000 first prize with a 9-6 win at the Waterfront Hall.
It follows victories during 2005 when he beat Stephen Hendry to become China Open champion and last December when he beat Steve Davis at the UK Championship.
It was a match befitting of a final. And though the former world champion and world number one levelled the scores at 6-6, Ding was not to be denied. In the final three frames he conceded only 35 points.
Kürten wins one, slips in other
Jessica Kürten had mixed fortunes at the Dutch five-star fixture in Valkenswaard over the weekend, winning Saturday's Grand Prix qualifier but then faulting in the first round of yesterday's Grand Prix proper for a ninth-place finish, writes Grania Willis
The world number two brought out her World Cup final runner-up Castle Forbes Libertina for Saturday's win, claiming victory by .66 of a second over Dutchman Eric van der Vleuten. Kürten then switched to Quibell for yesterday's feature, but a first-round four left her playing catch-up in the second round. The Irish pair duly produced a zero the second time, but it wasn't enough.
Rain may have scuppered Irish
The Scottish rain that fell for two days on Aberdeen may well have scuppered Ireland's chances of making it through Group B of the ICC InterContinental Cup, writes James Fitzgerald.
Having taken the six points for securing a first-innings lead, Scotland now lead the group with 26 points from Ireland's 20 with just one match remaining for each.
Both teams must travel to the United Arab Emirates early next year, and defending champions Ireland will be hoping Scotland slip up.
On Thursday, Scotland batted first and made 265 on a difficult wicket, a total that proved beyond Ireland to the tune of 91 runs.
All Blacks win, Tuqiri banned
The Australia winger Lote Tuqiri has been suspended until November after being found guilty of a dangerous tackle on the New Zealand captain Richie McCaw in Saturday's Tri-Nations Test in Wellington.
Tuqiri appeared before a three-man judicial committee in Auckland yesterday after being cited by the match commissioner for the 44th-minute tackle in the game won 34-27 by New Zealand.
He will miss Australia's final clash with South Africa in September, three games for New South Wales and a warm-up match on Australia's end-of-year tour of Europe. The All Blacks' victory at Eden Park ensured they won the title before travelling to South Africa.
