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Contador promises different Tour de France Alberto Contador has promised a more exciting Tour de France this year after Bradley Wiggins's Team Sky dominated all the way to the Champs-Elysees in the 2012 edition. Double champion Contador of Spain, back in the race after a one-year hiatus...

'Black Wednesday' victims on day three of Wimbledon Wimbledon was hit by a record number of retirements and walkovers on Wednesday as injuries ****** seven players to quit the singles events on Day Three of the two-week tournament. In total, 10 players have already withdrawn this year...

UCI candidate Cookson reacts to McQuaid criticism International Cycling Union (UCI) presidential candidate Brian Cookson hit back at criticism of his election manifesto from incumbent Pat McQuaid, saying on Wednesday he had been encouraged by the support for his pledges. Cookson, president of...

Wozniacki and Ivanovic crash out Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic both crashed out of Wimbledon with defeats to unseeded opposition. Second seed Victoria Azarenka pulled out before her match against Flavia Pannetta, citing a knee injury picked up in her first-round match. Ninth seed...

Hesjedal spearheads strong Garmin assault Former Giro d’Italia champion Ryder Hesjedal will be part of the Garmin-Sharp team at the Tour de France with Ireland's Dan Martin and Britain's David Millar also in the line-up. The squad for the centennial edition of the Tour features Canada's 2012...

Azarenka pulls out of Wimbledon before second round Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka pulled out of her second round match against Italy's Flavia Panetta at Wimbledon on Wednesday after failing to recover from a knee injury she suffered two days ago. The world number two had a lengthy...

Team Sky add another News Corp name to sponsor list Rupert Murdoch's News Corp has agreed a new sponsorship deal with cycling's Team Sky, a further sign that big companies want to be associated with the sport as it recovers from a series of doping scandals. Team Sky will add the 21st Century...

Marathon man Isner bows out with knee injury Wimbledon marathon man John Isner was ****** to retire after two games of his second round match against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino with a knee injury on Wednesday. American Isner, who wrote his name into Wimbledon folklore when he played in the...

Sponsors rewarded for keeping faith in road racing Cycling sponsors can enjoy great value for money if they are willing to trust that the sport is finally leaving its dark doping days behind. Before the start of the 100th edition of the Tour de France on Saturday, cycling has been boosted by...

Police dogs Zac and Marlowe get sniffy at Wimbledon Marlowe learnt his trade sniffing out tennis balls so he feels right at home prowling around the Wimbledon courts. Zac is equally passionate about his job but the problem is people who keep trying to pet him when he is working. For both are...

Murray wary of Beijing conqueror Lu Andy Murray experienced the high of winning Olympic gold in London last year but his second round opponent at Wimbledon on Wednesday inflicted one of his most chastening defeats at the Beijing Games five years ago. Lu Yen-hsun, a Taiwanese chicken farmer's...

Tour rides wheels of change as it reaches 100th edition Maurice Garin, winner of the inaugural Tour de France in 1903, belonged to an era of adventurous pioneers and so-called amateurs in a world without television and little press coverage. In contrast, the 2012 champion Bradley Wiggins and...

Attitudes are changing post Armstrong scandal The spectre of Lance Armstrong's dirty legacy will haunt the 100th edition of the Tour de France even though cycling has already started its much-needed transformation. While riders have been distancing himself from the American and what he has...

Raonic ready to serve up some aggression Big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic delivered 19 aces on his way to the second round of Wimbledon on Tuesday and promised plenty more as he seeks to live up to his billing as one to watch. The 22-year-old, whose height of nearly two metres gives him an...

McQuaid hits back at Cookson's doping agenda International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid dismissed on Tuesday an agenda unveiled by his challenger for the post at this year's election, labelling it flawed and financially impractical. Brian Cookson, who has been British Cycling...

Routine wins for Serena, Li Na Serena Williams began the defence of her Wimbledon title with a comfortable 6-1 6-3 victory over Luxembourg's Mandy Minella on Tuesday to stretch her unbeaten run to 32 matches. The world number one, playing her first match since winning the French Open, scorched...

Del Potro offers hope for men's chasing pack Juan Martin del Potro provided some encouragement for the rest of the chasing pack in the men's game at Wimbledon on Tuesday. Apart from single triumphs by the Argentine and Britain's Andy Murray, the trio of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak...

Jalabert gives up TV job following doping allegations Former Tour of Spain champion Laurent Jalabert has temporarily given up his consultancy job with French television and radio on the Tour de France following a report that he used ****** substance erythropoietin in 1998. "Laurent Jalabert...

Madison may hold keys to life after Serena It is tempting to classify American women's tennis in recent years as Serena Williams... full stop. Such has been the 31-year-old's dominance that watching how her compatriots, even ****** Venus these days, fare at Grand Slams has been rendered...

Tour de France - Factbox: Doping affairs A look at major doping scandals involving the Tour de France since the Festina affair in 1998. 1998 Festina medical team member Willy Voet was arrested at the French border before the start of the Tour after customs officers seized ****** substances...

Classy Robson upsets Kirilenko, Watson loses Laura Robson opened her Wimbledon campaign with a convincing 6-3 6-4 win over Maria Kirilenko, but Heather Watson crashed out at the first hurdle. Robson took the lead in devastating fashion, breaking the Russian at the first attempt with a...

Where the Tour de France could be won or lost Where the Tour de France, which starts from Porto Vecchio, Corsica, on Saturday, could be won or lost. Corsica, a tricky start (stages one-three) The first three stages are held on the island of Corsica, 'between sea and mountain'. Riders are...

Djokovic, Ferrer into second round Top seed Novak Djokovic proved rock solid as he cruised past Germany's Florian Mayer 6-3 7-5 6-4 to reach the second round of Wimbledon on Tuesday. The top seed and 2011 champion has unparalleled reserves of grit and mind-boggling physical capabilities, but...

Darcis enjoys time in spotlight after Rafa shock Steve Darcis probably thought he would be taking a flight back to Belgium on Tuesday morning but instead the world number 135 was basking in the Wimbledon spotlight after his stunning defeat of Rafa Nadal the previous evening. Precious little...

Froome v Contador could make 100th Tour a classic Chris Froome is overwhelming favourite for the Tour de France but the return of former winner Alberto Contador after a one-year hiatus could trigger a classic duel to mark the 100th edition of the great cycling race. It will also be the first...

Li Na eases through, Watson goes out Britain's Heather Watson went out at the first hurdle at Wimbledon in a 6-3 7-5 defeat to Madison Keys. The 21-year-old has not fully recovered from glandular fever, but despite putting in a respectable effort the American teen was too good for her on the...

Nadal puts the gentleman in gentlemen's singles For Rafael Nadal dignity in defeat is a deeply held belief and, along with his arch rivals, the Spaniard has put the gentleman back into the gentlemen's singles at Wimbledon. Compare that with the catfight that broke out between Serena Williams...

Order of play: Tuesday June 25 Defending champion Serena Williams takes on Mandy Minella first on Centre Court before 2011 champion Novak Djokovic meets Florian Mayer on day two at Wimbledon. Laura Robson and Heather Watson begin their campaigns with hopes high they can bring some much-needed...

Federer eases past Hanescu into second round Roger Federer began the defence of his Wimbledon title by breezing to a straight sets victory over Romanian Victor Hanescu on the opening Centre Court match of the championships on Monday. The third-seeded Swiss barely broke sweat in demolishing his...

Jalabert 'surprised' by doping allegations Former Vuelta champion Laurent Jalabert expressed surprise on Monday at a French newspaper report which said he used the ****** **** erythropoietin in 1998. "It's a surprise. Obviously I rode in the 1990s," Jalabert told French radio RTL, a station he...

Sharapova eases through, Azarenka survives injury scare to progress Third seed Maria Sharapova beat Kristina Mladenovic 7-6(5) 6-3 to move into the second round at Wimbledon on Monday but had to work hard to end the resistance of her French opponent. Sharapova, champion in 2004 and losing...

Europcar favour youth for Tour Three Tour de France debutants will start alongside team leaders Pierre Rolland and Thomas Voeckler in the 100th edition of the race, which starts this Saturday in Porto-Vecchio, Corsica. Team Europcar manager Jean-Rene Bernaudeau has handed maiden Tour...

Stephens too good for Hampton Rising American Sloane Stephens has taken quite a liking to Wimbledon's grasscourts - and a local curry house. After reaching the third round at the All England Club last year the 20-year-old began her second Wimbledon campaign with a display that was too hot for...

Athletics - Weir runs 19.79 to win 200m at Jamaican trial Olympic bronze medallist Warren Weir ran a scorching 19.79 seconds to win the 200 metres on the final day of the Jamaican trials in the joint 14th fastest time ever on Sunday. On a day that Tyson Gay clocked 19.74 to win the American...

Athletics - Gay sets up double Bolt showdown after year's best 200m Tyson Gay rocketed to the year's fastest 200 metres, clocking 19.74 seconds at the U.S. trials on Sunday to set up a double sprint clash with Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt at August's world championships. The big victory...

Congrats Lucy OHara ! :hatsoff:

Athletics - Nelson finally takes victory lap for 2004 gold American shot putter Adam Nelson took a victory lap for his 2004 Olympic gold medal on Sunday nine years after the Athens Games. The 37-year-old Nelson, now retired, was elevated to the gold medal in May after original winner Yuriy...

Big men's shocks at Wimbledon Wimbledon has witnessed some seismic shocks down the years but few could top twice champion Rafa Nadal's elimination at the hands of Steve Darcis, a Belgian ranked 135th in the world, in the first round on Monday. Here are six other matches that shook up...

Athletics - Russia make it a hat-trick of European team titles Russia won the European team championships for the third year running on Sunday thanks to a flurry of points in the final three events. They finished the two-day competition in Gateshead, north east England, on 354.5 points, with...

Nadal suffers shock first-round loss to Darcis Former Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal has suffered a shock first-round exit to unfancied Belgian Steve Darcis at the All England Club. A year after losing to Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round, Nadal was outplayed by 135th-ranked Darcis on...

Athletics - Hitchon smashes British record as GB&NI finish third at European Cup Sophie Hitchon insists she's about to be calmness personified after throwing a new British record and securing the world A qualification standard as GB&NI finished third overall at the European Team Championships...

Murray safely through to round two Andy Murray is safely through to round two at Wimbledon after a 6-4 6-3 6-2 win against Benjamin Becker. The number two seed was far from his best in the win over Germany's Becker but progressing with minimum fuss from the early rounds is key to a winning...

Athletics - Bad lighting causes Parchment injury in Jamaica Hansle Parchment was ****** out of the Jamaican national championships after he twisted his ankle due to inadequate lighting. Parchment, who has run the world's leading time this year of 13.05 seconds, trod on a hurdle in the warm-up...

Sharapova eases through, Azarenka survives injury scare to progress Third seed Maria Sharapova beat Kristina Mladenovic 7-6(5) 6-3 to move into the second round at Wimbledon on Monday but had to work hard to end the resistance of her French opponent. Sharapova, champion in 2004 and losing...

Athletics - Rollins equals fourth-fastest hurdles time Brianna Rollins equalled the fourth fastest 100 metres hurdles run as she clocked 12.26 seconds at the US championships. Finally catching an allowable wind, the 21-year-old U.S. collegiate record holder sent a strong message to Australian...

Baltacha, Edmund suffer first-round defeats Elena Baltacha insisted she had plans to quit tennis after she crashed out of Wimbledon in the first round after a 6-4 6-1 defeat to Italy’s Flavia Pennetta. The former British number one missed eight months between the London 2012 Olympics - where...

Athletics - Gay easily advances in 200m in bid for sprint double Tyson Gay, back on the track hours after his world leading 9.75 seconds in the 100 metres, comfortably advanced through the opening round of the 200 metres at the US world championships trials in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday. "I...

Golden oldie Haas banking on lucky 13 For a man whose career has been littered with bad injuries and bad luck being seeded 13th at Wimbledon at the ripe old age of 35 might have been the final straw. Germany's Tommy Haas sees it differently. "It's very special, 13 is my lucky number. It's the...

Athletics - Farah leaves it late as GB sit third in Gateshead Double Olympic champion Mo Farah and captain Perri Shakes Drayton were the star performers as hosts Great Britain sit third overnight at the European Team Athletics Championships in Gateshead. Hurdles specialist Shakes Drayton...

Federer eases past Hanescu into second round Roger Federer began the defence of his Wimbledon title by breezing to a straight sets victory over Romanian Victor Hanescu on the opening Centre Court match of the championships on Monday. The third-seeded Swiss barely broke sweat in demolishing his...