Today's other stories in brief
England's Strauss gives Flintoff a timely reminder
CRICKET: England captain Andrew Strauss has reminded Andrew Flintoff that his career will suffer if he chooses to party at the wrong time.
However, Strauss insists poor time-keeping, rather than alcohol, was to blame for the all-rounder missing Saturday’s morning team bus to an outing in Belgium.
Flintoff failed to make the start of the organised trip to the trenches near Ypres, instead getting a taxi to catch up with the rest of the squad.
The 31-year-old has since been disciplined by the ECB – and it is not the first time his off-field antics have come under the spotlight.
Flintoff lost the vice-captaincy of England’s one-day team after the infamous pedalo incident in St Lucia during the 2007 World Cup.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan (34) has confirmed his retirement from cricket. Vaughan played 82 Tests, 51 as skipper, and scored over 5,700 runs at an average of 41, including 18 centuries. His greatest achievement was the 2005 Ashes win over Australia
Ireland will need to improve
GOLF:Ireland will need to move up several gears at Conwy in North Wales today if they are to keep alive their dream of winning three European Amateur team titles in a row.
Under new captain Kevin Flanagan they had a disappointing first stroke-play round and found themselves floundering last night well outside the top eight places with an aggregate of 372.
They are in joint 13th spot some 14 strokes behind the eighth-placed sides Denmark and Germany. None of Ireland’s six players broke the par of 72 – and their two form players, Niall Kearney and Alan Dunbar, frittered away far too many strokes.
Royal Dublin’s Kearney ended with a four-over-par 76 comprising level halves of 38. Dunbar, winner of the prestigious St Andrews Links Trophy, flopped to a disastrous 79 to have his card discounted.
Ireland seek good result in Aachen
EQUESTRIAN: The Americans will be all out to build on their lead in the FEI Meydan Nations' Cup series at Aachen tomorrow evening when Ireland need a good result to get out of demotion zone from the top rank of international team show jumping.
With four rounds remaining, Ireland lies on a score of 7.5 points with just the Italians below on four. At the opposite end of the table, the USA has amassed 29 points in the first four legs of the series followed by France and Switzerland on 21 with Germany next best on 18.5.
The Irish team comprises Germany-based Denis Lynch (Lantinus), captain David O’Brien (Kiltoom), Cian O’Connor (Rancorrado) and Cheshire-based Corkman Billy Twomey (Je t’Aime Flamenco). O’Connor has already picked up some prize money at the five-star German show by finishing fourth in yesterday’s opening speed class with Baloufina, going clear in 69.19. The winner in a time of 65.45 was Sweden’s Peder Fredricson and Maloubet de Pleville.
Over the next few days, young Irish show jumpers are in action at the European championships in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands.
The junior squad comprises Nicholas Butler, Shane Connell, Conor Drain, Holly Gordon and Robert Harrison while the young rider squad is made up of David Blake, Alex Duffy, Aidan Killeen, Kelly O’Connor and David Simpson.
Sutherland wins but July bout in doubt
BOXING:Undefeated Irish super middleweight Darren Sutherland may not fight in Sunderland on July 10th after picking up a cut on his right cheek en route to last night's inside-the-distance win over Gennadiy Rasalev at York Hall in London. The Dubliner, who has yet to be taken the distance, stretched his run to four wins after the scheduled six rounder was stopped 1:16 into the fourth because of a cut near the Ukrainian's left eye.
Sutherland, a bronze medal winner at the Beijing Olympics, had won the first three rounds last night – although he was nailed by a sweet left hook from Rasalev in the second – but a nick on his right cheek could KO his Sunderland plans.
His manager, Frank Maloney, said after the bout his man might not be on the Tyne and Wear card on Friday week but added they will wait a few days to make a final decision.
The win maintain Sutherland’s 100 per cent KO rate in the pro ranks.
AFLD to target certain riders
CYCLING:The French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) will target certain riders for testing in this year's Tour de France.
The agency also plans to introduce a new test on the Tour, which has been marred by doping scandals in recent years.
Asked if the French agency had a list of targeted riders, AFLD president Pierre Bordry said: “Our director of testing knows very well (who we will target).”
He declined to name them or say how many riders were involved. “We are not going to warn people a fortnight before but (International Cycling Union president) Pat McQuaid said there were around 50 of them,” he said.
Those riders have been targeted because they are either top contenders or because their biological passports have raised suspicions, McQuaid told reporters this month.
Since last year, the UCI and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have been collecting blood samples from all professionals.
TriAthlone event attracts 2,500
ATHLETICS: The growth of triathlon in Ireland will continue later this month with the fourth staging of the Waterways Ireland TriAthlone. The event, set for July 18th, has attracted over 2,500 entrants across the various race levels, and will also act as a sort of test run for next year's European Sprint Triathlon championships at the same venue, reports Ian O'Riordan.
That will be the first time Ireland has staged a continental championship event, but Athlone has already become one of the most popular triathlons in Ireland. This year’s event has been expanded to include the TriFest music festival, including The Blizzards and Mundy.
Ireland’s first Olympic triathlete, Emma Davis, is set to return to Athlone following her second place finish last year to fellow Olympian, Czech Olga Zemenova.
Aileen Morrison and Gavin Noble, who both finished in the top 25 in the recent World Championship Series in Washington, will also be taking part.
