WORLD OF SPORT

SPAIN’S Alejandro Valverde responded to losing the lead in the Volta a Catalunya due to a team penalty by winning the third stage yesterday. He moved into fourth position overall, behind new leader Tejay van Garderen of the US. Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas is in third and Chris Froome, who was dropped in the final section of the stage, sits in fifth place. EIGHT-TIME British wrestling champion Chinu Sandhu has been given a four-year ban by UK Anti-Doping after testing positive for a steroid. Sandhu, who won a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, tested positive for stanozolol in an out-of-competition test last September. STEPHEN HENDRY has vowed to give it his best shot as he attempts to qualify for next month’s World Championship. The seven-time world snooker champion is playing in this week’s World Seniors’ Championship, which offers a route into the qualifying stage of the Crucible tournament. He said: ‘I’m just a few steps away. It’s a good opportunity.’