A round-up of today's other sports news in brief ...
Elsom ruled out of Canberra test
RUGBY: Australia loose forward Rocky Elsom has been ruled out of Saturday’s Test against Italy in Canberra because of a knee injury. Elsom, who has not played Test rugby for a year after leaving Australia to play for Leinster, rejoined the Wallabies squad on Sunday despite the long-term injury.
He was unable to train yesterday and underwent further assessment on the knee, which officials said was worse than initially thought and had ruled him out of Saturday’s match.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is to name his side today.
Strong finish has Roche sixth in Dijon
CYCLING: Adding yet another strong top-10 to his 2009 results, Nicolas Roche finished an excellent sixth on yesterday’s second stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré in France, writes Shane Stokes.
The 24-year-old galloped into Dijon in the same time as the bunch sprint victor Angelo Furlan (Lampre-NGC). Marcus Zberg (BMC Racing Team) and 2005 world champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step) were second and third.
Irish road race champion Daniel Martin (Garmin Slipstream) also finished as part of the main bunch on the 228-kilometre, longest stage, as did overnight race leader Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto).
The Australian ended the day eight seconds ahead of 2007 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador (Astana). Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) stayed third, 23 seconds back.
Irish duo Roche and Martin are 38th and 88th overall, and will aim to move up the classification in the mountainous second half of the eight-day race.
The ProTour event continues today with a 182-kilometre race from Tournus to Saint Étienne.
“This is definitely the biggest win of my season. It’s not every day that you go head to head with Boonen over the last 200 metres and beat him,” said Furlan.
Legally Brunette the fastest on handicap
SAILING: Legally Brunette, skippered by Maurice O’Connell of the Royal St George YC, has won the overall handicap prize in the fastest conclusion of the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race, writes David O’Brien.
The first six finishers all beat the 2005 mark and a record time of 24 hours 43 minutes 45 seconds was set by line honours winner Michael Cotter’s 90- footer, Whisper. The massive, 40-tonne yacht reached a speed of 22.7 knots during the 320-mile voyage.
O’Connell’s crew on the X41 yacht included triple Olympian David Burrows, and transat sailor Cian McCarthy as navigator, who established a handicap lead by the Tuskar Rock.
Throughout the trip the 37-boat fleet met strong winds that allowed for fast reaching. Legally Brunette and second overall Antix Dubh, both hit speeds of 18-knots along the south coast.
Five boats in the fleet retired, and although this was the smallest retirement for many years it was also the biggest fleet in the roughest conditions. Poolbeg entry Betty Boop was rescued by lifeboat on Sunday having drifted offshore with a broken rudder. Her five-man crew were towed safely back to Dunmore East by the Milford Haven all weather lifeboat.
The winner of the Cruiser class was Spindrift, sailed by David Kelly of Wicklow. The winner of the Two-Handed Class was Blackjack, with Peter Coad and Darren Nicholson, Wicklow HSC.
McGuinness coasts to victory in record time
MOTOR CYCLING: John McGuinness took his 15th Isle of Man Tourist Trophy victory at a canter in the Dainese Superbike race yesterday, but the Morecambe rider insisted he did it the hard way on the 37.73-mile circuit.
The 37-year-old’s win, by 18.55 seconds from HM Plant Honda team-mate Steve Plater, moved him up to second in the all-time winners’ list ahead of Mike Hailwood.
McGuinness wasted no time in taking the lead on the first lap and recorded the fastest ever lap time on the mountain circuit on lap two with 130.442mph.
Plater clawed some time back on the fourth lap, but McGuinness moved into top gear on the fifth, eventually taking the win from his team-mate, with Guy Martin in third.
But the TT veteran was adamant it was not as easy as it looked.
“Conditions weren’t that easy early on because we were struggling for a bit of grip out there,” said McGuinness.
“It was a bit dusty, which made it difficult, but I can’t complain because it all seemed to go well.
“I had to go hard from the start and I was able to make a bit of a break which was great.
“I got to about plus four and then plus six seconds and I just wanted to try and maintain that.
“But then the team told me that Steve (Plater) was coming strong so I had to work hard but I managed to get a bit more of a lead on the fifth lap and so I could take it a bit easier on the last lap.”
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi was on hand to watch McGuinness make history and the Italian was left amazed by his experience of the 102-year-old event.
“The pit stop was amazing,” said Rossi.
“But more so than that was the speed the riders were going around on the course – they were incredible.”
Sharapova in impressive form
TENNIS: Former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova started her grasscourt season in convincing fashion with a 6-4 6-2 first-round win over Canada’s Stephanie Dubois in the Edgbaston Classic in Birmingham yesterday.
The 22-year-old Russian, who only returned to action last month after a shoulder injury, fired down eight aces in the 73-minute match. In the second round Sharapova will play American Alexa Glatch.
