UCI boss wants to investigate Sky

CYCLING

UCI president David Lappartient said world cycling’s governing body should investigate whether Team Sky broke anti-doping rules after the “unacceptable” findings in a parliamentary report.

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) report said Team Sky “crossed an ethical line” by using drugs allowed under anti-doping rules for medical purposes to enhance performance.

“It’s sad to see that when Team Sky was launched, I remember they say, ‘We will be clean, we will win races and be clean, more white than white’. We can see in this report that it seems to be a little bit different,” he said.

Elsewhere, Mark Cavendish has suffered another first-stage crash and is out of the Tirreno-Adriatico having finished outside of the time limit.

The Team Dimension Data rider was taken to hospital after suffering facial cuts in the incident.

Meanwhile, Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche finished 34th and 62nd respectively as Wout Poels took yesterday’s time-trial stage of Paris-Nice. Martin stands 22nd overall with Roche in 53rd.

HOCKEY

IRELAND continued to toil in the Malaysian heat as they lost 4-1 to world No 1 side Australia at the Sultan Shah Izlan tournament yesterday.

Mark Ingram was beaten twice either half before Shane O’Donoghue powered home a penalty corner to take the bare look off the scoreboard three minutes from time. The result leaves Ireland facing a play-off to avoid last place.

BASKETBALL

UCD MARIAN narrowly top the Super League table after last night’s 75-69 victory over Griffith Swords Thunder.

The triumph is crucial for Marian, who are just three points ahead of Tralee and Killester, ahead of the final round of league games.