Other Sports

[Smallville22]

Premier League - Balotelli seals Milan move

Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli has completed his move to AC Milan, amid riotous scenes.
The controversial striker completed the formalities of the reported £20 million move from the Premier League champions after arriving on Wednesday and being swamped by reporters, photographers and fans.
Balotelli briefly spoke to the Milan Channel after landing at the city's Malpensa Airport, saying: "I'd wanted to play for Milan for such a long time. Obviously I played for other teams and couldn't come. But when there was the chance, I ran."
He told the City website of his feelings after completing the move: "I said goodbye to everyone at the meal in London before the game at Queens Park Rangers. It was a very emotional for me.
"I spoke with Roberto before I went to speak to the players. We spoke for some time about lots of things. He was sad, and I was too. But it was a good conversation. I love Roberto, he has been very important for my career, and I will always thank him for having trust and faith in me.
"Being at City was an important part of my life and career. I needed to grow up like a player and as a person and it has been a very good experience for me. I thank them for all of their support of me. Maybe one day we will see each other again."
Photographs have been published of the player wearing a Rossoneri scarf as he was presented with a team shirt bearing his name and his squad number 45, the same number he wore at first club Inter Milan and at City.
Milan vice-president and chief executive Adriano Galliani, who accompanied Balotelli on the flight from England, said: "I certainly do not have to introduce Mario Balotelli. It is a dream come true and something that we all wanted, with the president Silvio Berlusconi at the forefront.
"With the arrival of Mario, we have strengthened our team a lot. We have worked so hard and Mario has been in our hearts for a long time and finally we have succeeded in signing him."
Balotelli had been linked with Milan since the transfer window opened at the start of the month with both Galliani and Berlusconi regularly speaking about the player.
He departs City having won the FA Cup in 2011 and the league in 2012, as well as courting controversy on a regular basis.

 

[Smallville22]

rally Dakar 2013 standings

Car
Pos. N° Name
1 302 Stéphane PETERHANSEL (FRA)
2 301 Giniel DE VILLIERS (ZAF)
3 307 Leonid NOVITSKIY (RUS)
Truck
Pos. N° Name
1 501 Eduard NIKOLAEV (RUS)
2 505 Ayrat MARDEEV (RUS)
3 510 Andrey KARGINOV (RUS)
Bike
Pos. N° Name
1 1 Cyril DESPRES (FRA)
2 11 Ruben FARIA (PRT)
3 7 Francisco LOPEZ (CHL)
Quad
Pos. N° Name
1 250 Marcos PATRONELLI (ARG)
2 254 Ignacio Nicolás CASALE (CHL)
3 253 Rafal SONIK (POL)

dissapointed by al-attiyah, he is skilled and could have been top 3

Al-Attiyah for me have the same level that Peterhansel, so next year we gonna see Al-Attiyah with a stronger car and that would be interesting.
PS: During the Dakar I created a thread for it.

 

[Smallville22]

Ligue 1 - PSG complete Beckham deal

Paris Saint-Germain have announced the signing of former England captain David Beckham on a five-month deal.
The 37-year-old midfielder was available on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with LA Galaxy in December and signed a deal with the Ligue 1 leaders after undergoing a medical in Paris on Thursday afternoon.
Beckham, who had been training with Arsenal recently to maintain his fitness, attracted offers from across the globe but was unveiled as the latest superstar to join PSG in a press conference attended by sporting director Leonardo and president Nasser al-Khelaifi at Parc des Princes.
"We've been talking about it [the deal] for quite a while," Beckham said. "I'm delighted it's happened.
"I'm lucky - I got more offers at 37 than I'd had in my career. I chose Paris because I can see what the club are trying to do. It's an exciting city, but now there is a club that is going to have a lot of success in the next 10, 15, 20 years.
"I'm very honoured that I'm part of this - honoured to be part of the future of PSG."
Beckham also announced that his entire salary for his five-month stay in the French capital will be going to a children's charity.
"One of the reasons I wanted to come to Paris was we decided on something quite unique," he said. "I won't receive a salary.
"I'm very passionate about children and charity and so are the club. I don't think something like this has been done before."
The fact PSG face Valencia in the last 16 of the Champions League and currently sit top of the Ligue 1 table on goal difference made a move to France an attractive sporting proposition and Beckham will also link up again with coach Carlo Ancelotti and Leonardo having worked with both men during loan spells with Milan in 2009 and 2010.
PSG have financial clout too - they are Qatari-owned and have been the highest-spending club in Europe in the past year, convincing Beckham to turn down 12 formal offers from around the globe including South America, North America, South Africa, Russia, China and the Middle East as well as Europe.
Beckham also said he rejected a possible return to the Premier League due to his history with Manchester United.
"I had offers from Premiership teams," he said. "I've always said that I would never want to play for another English club because I have a lot of history with Manchester United."
PSG president Al-Khelaifi said: "David refused a lot of clubs from around the world, so we're very happy to have him.
"We have a big project and are trying to reach our dream - to become one of the biggest clubs in Europe."
Beckham, who won 115 caps for England, had been available as a free agent after leaving Galaxy December. He won two MLS Cup finals in five-and-a-half years with the American club.
Eurosport's French editor Cedric Rouquette said of the deal: "It is probably for marketing issues. PSG is looking for the biggest impact possible on Earth to let everybody know that a huge team is coming.
"Beckham will be a 'noise amplifier', probably the best possible to touch a massive audience around the world, on each continent.
"The position where Beckham is able to play is probably the one where PSG have the least needs. On the right side of the midfield, they have Lucas Moura, Lavezzi and Menez. For central midfield, there is Verratti, Thiago Motta, Matuidi, Chantôme.
"Old players usually have difficulty making an impact in Ligue 1 and PSG are fighting for the title so Carlo won't have that many opportunities to let him play just to make appearances.
"But if there are any, then his wonderful right foot could be useful. No one except Zlatan in the PSG can offer anything like that precision of passing."
A move to Paris is just the latest twist in a prestigious career that started when he emerged from the Manchester United academy and won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League in 1999.
He later joined Real Madrid, winning La Liga in 2007, before announcing a shock move to Galaxy in 2007.

 

[288gto]

Al-Attiyah for me have the same level that Peterhansel, so next year we gonna see Al-Attiyah with a stronger car and that would be interesting.
PS: During the Dakar I created a thread for it.

right. he is the desert dog, but anyways best luck next season. the russians are the usual at trucks, lol.

 

[Smallville22]

World Football - Shanghai Shenhua dispute Drogba deal

Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba remains under contract with Shanghai Shenhua and his transfer this week to Turkish club Galatasaray is a violation of those terms, the Chinese side said on Wednesday.
Drogba agreed to an 18-month contract with the Istanbul side on Monday, in a deal which includes a 6 million euro transfer fee and a 4 million euro signing on fee.
However, Shanghai Shenhua said the agreement had violated the club's contact with Drogba and they were ready to raise the issue with world governing body FIFA.
"The club is deeply shocked," the Chinese Super League team said in a statement on its website.
"Drogba is still a Shanghai Shenhua Football Club member as the contract between the two parties is still within its period of validity," it added of the deal which saw Drogba sign a two-and-a-half-year contract last July.
"The Shanghai Shenhua Football Club is ready to gather evidence and submit the findings to FIFA in order to protect its interests."
The 34-year-old Ivorian, currently on African Cup of Nations duty in South Africa, opted to play in China after leaving Chelsea following their Champions League triumph last May.
Before signing for Galatasaray, Drogba had applied for permission to go out on loan during the Chinese off-season but FIFA refused his request.
Last week, fellow Shenhua striker Nicolas Anelka joined Italian giants Juventus on a short-term loan deal.

 

[Smallville22]

Surfing - Parkinson claims world title after Pipe Masters win

Joel Parkinson claimed the first world title of his career after winning the Billabong Pipe Masters in Hawaii.
Parkinson secured the crown following Kelly Slater's semi-final defeat to Josh Kerr, before the Australian went on to beat compatriot Kerr in the final and end the season on a high.
The 31-year-old led the rankings heading into the event on the island's North Shore and once he and Slater made the quarters there, Parkinson needed to finish a place ahead of the American to win the 2012 title.
Victory for Parkinson, who has finished as overall runner-up on four occasions during his 11-year career on the tour, ensured he finally shed his 'nearly man' tag.
“I'm had some ups and downs, I've had some injuries ... I've been to hell and back and this makes it so much sweeter,'' Parkinson said.
Parkinson's route to glory took in a quarter-final victory over 2001 world champion C.J. Hobgood before he bested Hobgood's twin brother Damien in the semis.
In the final - a battle between two Australians - Parkinson, revelling in his new status as world champion, was too good for Kerr.
"I felt like a champ today when I woke up," Parkinson added. "I've not won an event this year, but this is where I wanted to stand at the end of the year. I can't describe what this feels like. It's everything you dream of."
The Pipe Masters was Parkinson's first event title of the season, although he has been deadly consistent throughout the campaign. His worst finish was a ninth place.
Slater paid tribute to the new champion.
"Everything kind of went Parko's way since the last few events," the 11-times world title winner said. "He's always in the title talk and is just an amazing surfer. He's the guy who makes it look easy - ultra smooth. He's just great."

FINAL RESULT:

1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.17

2 – Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.83

SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.30 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.63

SF 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.13 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 4.90

QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS:

QF 1: Damien Hobgood (USA) 9.83 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 9.17

QF 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.50 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 9.40

QF 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.00 def. Yadin Nicol (AUS) 12.17

QF 3: Kelly Slater (USA) 18.73 def. Shane Dorian (HAW) 18.20

ROUND 5 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Damien Hobgood (USA) 8.23 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 3.26

Heat 2: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 13.94 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 8.00

Heat 3: Yadin Nicol (AUS) 13.00 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.00

Heat 4: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.27 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 10.66

ROUND 4 RESULTS:

Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.57, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.10, Kelly Slater (USA) 8.10

Heat 4: Shane Dorian (HAW) 6.53, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 5.83, Yadin Nicol (AUS) 4.23

2012 ASP WCT Top 5:

1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 58,700 pts

2 – Kelly Slater (USA) 55,450 pts

3 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 47,000 pts

4 – John John Florence (HAW) 44,350 pts

5 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 42,350 pts

 

[Smallville22]

Surfing - Guimaraes on fire at Banzai Pipeline After four straight lay days, a building swell enabled organisers to give the green light to competitors.

Action at the Volcom Pipe Pro finally got under way at Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii with Sidney Guimaraes the standout performer.
After four straight lay days, a building swell enabled organisers to give the green light to competitors.
Local surfers Anthony Walsh and Koa Rothman both impressed with round of 96 heat totals of 12.70 and 12.10 respectively but it was Brazilian Guimaraes who took the honours for attaining the highest score of the day.
Guimaraes scored 12.83 to see off Rothman in the same heat at the ASP World Tour season's first five star-rated event.
Eight of the 16 round of 96 heats were completed on Thursday, with the remainder pencilled in for Friday.
The event on the North Shore of the island has a 12-day holding period, running to February 7.

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Selby ends Ding hopes in Berlin

Mark Selby fended off Ding Junhui to book his place in the German Masters last quarter-finals with a 5-3 win in the battle of the British Masters winners.
World number one Selby will face Barry Hawkins on Friday night for a place in the last four with Ali Carter meeting Michael Holt after his 5-2 victory over Anthony Hamilton at Berlin's Tempodrom.
Shaun Murphy gets the chance to avenge his recent loss to Neil Robertson in the Masters semi-finals when he faces the Australian player after a 5-4 win over fellow former world champion Graeme Dott.
Ding won the opening frame against Selby with a break of 78, but was forced to endure some frustrating times in the next two frames as Selby pocketed both on the final black.
Selby, fresh from his 10-8 win over Neil Robertson that sealed his third Masters success in London, would miss a tricky red to a middle bag holding a 59-1 lead in the second frame, but it was not fatal despite watching Ding close with 35 to force a re-spotted black.
Selby would cut the black from distance before a 33 clearance in the third frame saw him pinch it by six points with Ding missing a red on 55 with the rest that would have sealed the frame.
Selby did not waste too much time in moving 3-1 ahead with a 91 knock before Ding encountered further hardship when he broke down on 60 in failing to sink another red with the rest.
Selby returned to the table to run in 39 and claim his third frame out of five on the final black.
Ding - a double UK champion - showed he was far from dead by punishing Selby for missing a red to a middle hole in the sixth frame as an 87 kept his hopes alive.
His prognosis looked better when a 96 enabled him to close to 4-3 behind, but missing a red to a middle pocket in the penultimate frame ultimately ended his aspirations as Selby concluded his business by clearing to the pink with 48.
Marco Fu meets Matthew Stevens in the quarter-finals after he completed a gritty 5-3 win over Peter Lines with a knock of 80 in the closing frame of the match.

Last 16 results:

Barry Hawkins (Eng) 5-1 Mark Allen (NI)

Neil Robertson (Aus) 5-1 Andrew Higginson (Eng)

Michael Holt (Eng) 5-3 Kurt Maflin (Nor)

Matthew Stevens (Wal) 5-4 Mark King (Eng)

Graeme Dott (Sco) 4-5 Shaun Murphy (Eng)

Peter Lines (Eng) 3-5 Marco Fu (HK)

Ding Junhui (Chn) 3-5 Mark Selby (Eng)

Anthony Hamilton (Eng) 2-5 Ali Carter (Eng)

Quarter-finals

7pm on Friday

All Carter (Eng) v Michael Holt (Eng)

Neil Robertson (Aus) v Shaun Murphy (Eng)

Marco Fu (HK) v Matthew Stevens (Wal)

Barry Hawkins (Eng) v Mark Selby (Eng)

 

[Smallville22]

Mexico Rally - Atkinson gets Citroen for Mexico

Chris Atkinson will rejoin the Citroen fold for round three of the 2013 World Rally Championship in Mexico next month.
The Australian had a one-off run with the Citroen Junior team in Ireland at the start of 2009 after losing his Subaru seat at the end of the previous year when the works team withdrew.
Atkinson subsequently dropped out of the WRC, focusing mainly on Proton's Asia-Pacific programme, before returning for a single appearance with Monster Ford in Mexico last year and later completing the season in a Motorsport Italia Mini.
He will now take over Khalid Al Qassimi's Abu Dhabi-branded Citroen for Mexico.
Al Qassimi is commencing his WRC return in Sweden next weekend but has other commitments that clash with round three.
Citroen team boss Yves Matton said: "As Khalid is unable to take part in Rally Mexico, he wanted us to entrust the DS3 WRC of the Abu Dhabi Citroen Total WRT to Chris Atkinson and [co-driver] Stephane Prevot for this rally.
"Chris competed in the 2012 edition and we know he has the potential to do Abu Dhabi Racing proud."
Citroen will also field an additional DS3 WRC in Mexico for last year's Production WRC champion Benito Guerra, who will make his top-class debut on his home event.

 

[Smallville22]

ERC - Ireland's Breen into early lead in Latvia

Craig Breen of Ireland raced into a 6.4-second lead of the ERC Rally Liepaja-Ventspils in Latvia after day one.
The Peugeot 207 S2000 driver impressed in the opening three stages, winning all three.
Jari Ketomaa led the chase in a Ford Fiesta, while fellow Peugeot driver Francois Delecour stood third after gaining ground on the final stage.
Remarkably Delecour, 50, managed to make the ground despite his door coming open during the third stage.
“It was just impossible to close the door,” Delecour said afterwards. “Every right turn it was coming open, sometimes in sixth gear. I drove most of the stage like this.”
Breen, meanwhile, could scarcely believe his performance on day one.
“I can’t believe it," the rising Irish star said on the eve of his 23rd birthday. "Somebody’s looking after me today, I really do think that.”
The three-day event continues with stages four to nine, and concludes on Sunday.

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Robertson holds off Murphy to reach Berlin semis

Neil Robertson came through a scrappy Germans Masters quarter-final against Shaun Murphy to set up a semi against Ali Carter.
Robertson beat fellow former world champion Murphy 5-4 while Carter came from two frames down to beat Michael Holt 5-2.
The other semi-final on Saturday will be the in-form Barry Hawkins versus Marco Fu as they won 5-1 against world number one Mark Selby and 5-3 against Matthew Stevens respectively.

Results

Marco Fu 5-3 Matthew Stevens

Allister Carter 5-2 Michael Holt

Neil Robertson 5-4 Shaun Murphy

Barry Hawkins 5-1 Mark Selby

 

[Smallville22]

Golf - Mickelson remains four ahead in frosty Phoenix

Phil Mickelson still held a commanding four-shot lead when the frost-delayed first round of the Phoenix Open was completed in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The American left-hander fired a sizzling 11-under-par 60 in ideal scoring conditions at the TPC Scottsdale on Thursday, lipping out with a birdie putt on his final hole in his bid for a magical 59.
Thirty-three players were still out on the course when play was suspended for the day and, of those, American Roberto Castro made the biggest move when the round finally ended on Friday morning.
Little-known Castro birdied two of his last four holes, the 15th and 17th, to card a 65, finishing five strokes off the pace along with 10 others.
Mickelson's closest challengers were fellow Americans Brandt Snedeker, Ryan Palmer, Jeff Maggert and Ted Potter Jr and Irishman Padraig Harrington, who all completed the opening round on Thursday.
Mickelson, a twice champion here, was scheduled to start his second round at 10.16 a.m. local (1716 GMT) and huge galleries were again expected to monitor his progress over the Scottsdale layout.
The 42-year-old is a fan favourite wherever he plays, but especially here given that he studied at the nearby Arizona State University.
"It was a fun day, and I'm excited to shoot 60," Mickelson said of his opening round which tied the course record he already held jointly with Grant Waite and Mark Calcavecchia.
"But to see that last putt lip out the way it did and not go in, it's crushing because you don't get that chance very often to shoot 59."
The last time Mickelson shot a 60 at Scottsdale, in 2005, he went on to win the title.

 

[Smallville22]

Golf - Sterne stays one clear in Dubai, Westwood loses ground

South Africa's Richard Sterne maintained his one-shot advantage at the halfway stage of the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday with a birdie on the 18th as world number eight Lee Westwood slipped six shots back.
Five-times European Tour winner Sterne, who carded a two-under-par 70 for a halfway total of 132 (12-under), found the going a great deal tougher in the swirling winds than when he opened with 10 birdies in a flawless round on Thursday.
Former world number one Westwood was also one of those to struggle in the testing conditions later in the day, the Englishman left to rue a double-bogey at the 17th in his 71.
Young Dane Thorbjorn Olesen (66) equalled the low round of the day to sit level with England's Tommy Fleetwood (68) and Scot Stephen Gallacher (70), one behind Sterne.
Scotland's Chris Doak (69) led three players on 10-under while former world number two Sergio Garcia, who suffered with a shoulder injury during Friday's round and thought about pulling out, was among three players on nine-under.
World number 165 Sterne said acclimatising to the different conditions had been his toughest test.
"The course was a lot tougher with the wind and the greens definitely firmed out a bit. I think it's going to be quite tricky coming to the weekend," Sterne said.
"There's a lot of guys bunched up and you're going to have to play pretty well to be there on Sunday," added Sterne, whose last win was in December 2008 when he claimed back-to-back titles.
Olesen, who claimed his first tour win last year and will make his U.S. Masters debut in April, has played 36 holes in Dubai without a bogey and said his confidence was sky high.
"I believe in myself and want to achieve my own goals - that's the biggest pressure. I'm hungry for more wins. I want to win twice this season. That's my main goal, so the quicker I can get the first one the better," said the 23-year-old.

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Carter beats sloppy Robertson to reach Berlin final

Ali Carter battled to a 6-2 victory over Neil Robertson in an error-strewn German Masters semi-final.
Robertson was far from his usual assertive self and was guilty of unforced errors from start to finish, allowing Carter to move two frames clear at the mid-session interval. He never looked back.
The Englishman, runner-up at last season's World Championships, was unable to break higher than 46 in the entire contest but did not need big builds to capitalise on the Australian's tepid performance.
A brisk run to 90 from Robertson for 5-2 was the highest break of the semi-final, but the 2010 Crucible winner wasted further chances for 5-3 and Carter moved in for the kill to book a final against either Marco Fu or Barry Hawkins, who play on Saturday evening.
Robertson began fluidly enough with a smooth 42 break in the opening frame, but it would be his best snooker - at least until it was too late.
A fluked red put Carter in to move ahead with a knock of 44, before 'The Captain' came through two failed snooker escapes to clear to pink after the Australian took on a final yellow when he could have forced another re-take.
An extremely scrappy second frame finished in a similar manner to the first, as again Robertson wasted a chance towards the end with loose position on the final red to allow Carter another late clearance for a 2-0 lead.
The roles were reversed in the third, with Carter whiffing a long red opportunity to return to the table. But though Robertson claimed his first frame, he was bossed by the Englishman's separate runs to 32 and 46 which secured a 3-1 mid-session lead.
The 15-minute break was Robertson's chance to gather his thoughts and re-focus, but it was the same old story in frames five and six as Carter kept his breaks at moderate length and his safety play tighter than his opponent's to find himself one frame away from the final.
And though Robertson finally snapped into life with a sharp visit of 90 to snatch a quick one back, three separate chances to put some serious pressure on Carter at 5-3 went to waste and sent the world number five packing.

 

[Smallville22]

ERC - Ketomaa builds lead over Breen with four stages on trot

Jari Ketomaa has reversed an overnight deficit of 6.4 seconds to lead Rally Liepāja-Ventspils by 12.1 seconds following a day of high-speed FIA European Rally Championship action in the ice and snow of Latvia.
Craig Breen, who led after winning Friday’s trio of stages, celebrated his 23rd birthday in style by topping Saturday’s opening two runs. But on the super-fast Neste Oil stage the Irishman’s normally aspirated Peugeot 207 Super 2000 lacked the outright speed needed to fend off Ketomaa’s turbocharged Ford Fiesta RRC. As a result, the Finn took a one-second advantage to the midday service halt in Ventspils.
With another flat-out test, Ventbunkers, plus the repeat of Neste Oil, making up the bulk of the afternoon’s competitive action, Breen was powerless to prevent Ketomaa from edging into a seven-second advantage starting the Ventspils spectator stage located in the grounds of the city’s artificial ski slope. Despite his best efforts, Breen lost more ground there when patches of fog meant he couldn’t fully commit in several corners.
“It’s a very good day and I’m very satisfied,” said Ketomaa, who is being navigated in his Autotek Motorsport entry by Kimi Räikkönen’s former co-driver Kaj Lindström. “I really enjoyed the stages when they were completely full of ice. I hadn’t driven a car since last summer before yesterday so I wasn’t trying too hard because I knew the pace would come when I got into a rhythm.”
Despite losing top spot and the seven bonus points on offer for winning leg two, Breen was pleased with his performance for the Peugeot Rally Academy-Saintéloc operation. “I never expected to be leading this rally at any stage so I’m chuffed to be in a position where I can still fight for the win tomorrow. The Regional Rally Car can do up to 200kph and this car is only designed to do 170kph or thereabouts. But I’m not going to throw in the towel. I’m going to go for it.”
Alexey Lukyanuk made the most of his turbocharged Mitsubishi Lancer’s top speed of 210kph – not to mention some impressive driving – to catch and pass François Delecour’s 207 Super 2000 for third place. Delecour bemoaned his decision to bring two short-ratio gearboxes to Latvia, which compromised his car’s top-end power. “I was on the rev limiter so often it was crazy,” said Delecour, who trails his Russian rival and the ERC Production Car Cup pacesetter by 14.0s starting the longest leg of the rally on Sunday.
Lithuania’s Vytautas Svedas is fifth despite a sleepless night caused by partying guests at the hotel where he was staying. The Mitsubishi driver is 9.8s clear of Jan Černý, who has grown his pace and confidence in his family-run ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000, going second fastest on two stages. Behind seventh-placed Siim Plangi, Raimonds Kisiels remains the top Latvian competitor in the MINI John Cooper Works RRC he is driving in competition for the first time on the back of a 40-kilometre test. Vitaliy Pushkar, from Ukraine, is ninth with Latvian Aivis Egle 10th.
Stéphane Lefebvre, who is giving Peugeot’s 208 R2 its ERC debut, holds a 10.4s-advantage over Risto Immonen (Citroën C2 R2) in the chase for ERC 2WD Championship honours. Lefebvre had never competed on snow and ice before arriving in Latvia but continues to sparkle. Title leader Hannes Danzinger is third in his Renault Clio R3.
Frigyes Turán is the leading Subaru Impreza driver in 12th overall with Zbyněk Baller still on course to finish in his Honda Civic. Jarosláv Orsak is the GPD Mit Metal Racing Team’s leading representative in 13th with Romanian Marco Tempestini the top Napoca Rally Team runner in 26th.
Sunday’s route starts and finishes in Ventspils with all but one stage based around the town of Kuldīga to the south where a remote service will also be held. In total there are six stages over a competitive distance of 109.18 kilometres. Following the second Ventspils kalns spectator stage at 15:00hrs local time, the first car is due to reach the finish podium in Ventspils at 15:35hrs.

 

[Smallville22]

WRC - Gronholm to test Italia Mini

Former World Rally champion Marcus Gronholm will make his return to a WRC car after his 2012 injury on Monday when he tries Motorsport Italia's Mini.
Gronholm had to withdraw from the second half of last year's Global Rallycross season following a violent crash in practice for the X Games in July.
On Monday he will drive Michal Kosciuszko's Mini in Likenas in Sweden while tutoring the Production class graduate ahead of next weekend's Swedish round of the 2013 WRC.
Motorsport Italia team boss Bruno di Pianto said he was thrilled his team would have the chance to benefit from Gronholm's experience.
"Marcus is a legend in the world of rallying and one of the most inspiring drivers of all time," said di Pianto.
"We'll run for about 100km and Marcus will help Michal with the particular style of driving needed for Sweden based on how much a driver can use or lean on the snow banks.
"He'll also take our Mini John Cooper Works WRC out for a spin and test her limits, which'll allow us to compare his and Michal's data on the 6km test stage, then work on speed-saving details like technical corner entry, mid-corner speed and corner exit.
"I've rarely met a driver as keen to learn and be the best he can be as Michal, so I'm sure that he and the team will benefit a lot from Marcus' masterclass."
Gronholm won the 2000 and '02 titles with Peugeot, and last competed in the WRC full-time in 2007.

 

[Smallville22]

WRC - Hirvonen sure of fresh start in Sweden

Mikko Hirvonen is confident he can get his 2013 World Rally title challenge underway properly by winning Rally Sweden next week.
Citroen's Finn was expected to lead the team's championship assault this year now that erstwhile number one Sebastien Loeb was in semi-retirement.
But a tough Monte Carlo Rally ended with Hirvonen only fourth, as Loeb and fellow Citroen driver Dani Sordo finished first and third.
Last year, in only his second outing in a Citroen DS3 WRC, Hirvonen finished second overall in Sweden.
Hirvonen says a year's extra experience at the team will be enough for his third Swedish win in four years.
"Since we finished Monte Carlo, I have been totally focused on this rally," said Hirvonen.
"Last year, I was missing that little something you need to grab the win. A year later, I feel ready to secure my first win in 2013.
"Obviously, we'll have to deal with the conditions, which can vary depending on how cold it gets and any snowfall. That can affect the wear of the tyres.
"The new Michelin tyres seem more hard- wearing on the frozen gravel, but we'll only really be able to tell in the race."
Hirvonen concluded his two-day pre-event test in Sweden on Friday.
Rally Sweden is one of Citroen's weakest rallies of the year; the French firm has only won once in Karlstad, when Loeb took the 2004 event in his Xsara WRC.

 

[Smallville22]

Motorcycling - Aoyama to assess injury at Sepang

Hiroshi Aoyama will assess the condition of his fractured wrist at the start of MotoGP's forthcoming pre-season test at Sepang.
The 31-year-old Japanese rider suffered his injury when he fell while training on a motocross bike at a Barcelona circuit in January.
His recovery is taking longer than expected, and MotoGP specialist Dr Xavier Mir has advised him to keep it unstressed for a further week in order to speed the healing process.
That could compromise his participation in the first test of the season, which runs from February 3-4 for CRTs only and then for a further three days with the MotoGP prototypes.
CRT squad Avintia confirmed Aoyama as a full-time rider in 2013 in November last year.

 

[Smallville22]

Golf - USGA to launch initiative to address slow play

Five days after Tiger Woods won the PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open after a tortuous final round, the United States Golf Association have announced measures to address the game's growing problem of slow play.
The USGA in a statement laid out plans to launch a "multi-faceted programme" this year in partnership with golf industry leaders, allied organisations, media partners and golf course managers in a bid to resolve the issue.
"The cry that pace of play has become one of the most significant threats to the game's health has become only louder over the last year," USGA president Glen D. Nager said.
"Industry research clearly shows that slow play and the amount of time it takes to play a round of golf detract from the overall experience and threaten to drive players away from the game.
"This problem touches every golfer, from the professional to the elite amateur to the collegiate player to the millions of recreational golfers at both public and private facilities."
On Monday, former world number one Woods clinched his 75th PGA Tour title by four shots at Torrey Pines outside San Diego after completing a fog-delayed final round that was played at a painfully slow pace.
At one point eight strokes in front of the chasing pack on a breezy day, Woods dropped four shots over his last five holes as he and his playing partners had to wait on virtually every tee before they could proceed.
"We played nine holes in just over three hours, and three of them are par threes," Woods said of his increasing frustration over the closing stretch. "I started losing my patience a little bit, and that's when I made a few mistakes."
USGA executive director Mike Davis echoed Woods' thoughts.
"Six-hour rounds are just not good for the players, our championships or the game," Davis said.
"Slow play is also incompatible with our modern society, in which our personal time for recreation is compressed. This is an issue that demands our complete attention."
The USGA initiative will include an analysis of key factors known to influence the pace of play, the development of a "pace-of-play" model based on quantifiable data and assistance at golf courses to help managers assess and improve the pace of play.
"We must be committed to addressing over the long term the amount of time it takes to play, armed with the determination to improve pace of play and a belief that the time that golf takes to play can be reduced through the dedicated efforts of everyone connected with the game," Nager said.

 

[Smallville22]

Golf - Gallacher three ahead in Dubai

Britain's Stephen Gallacher holed a 40-yard bunker shot for an eagle at the 18th hole to put the seal on a sparkling 10-under 62 and take a three-shot lead after the third round of the Dubai Desert Classic on Saturday.
Gallacher, seeking to end a nine-year wait for a European Tour win, notched a 21-under total of 195 to streak clear of midway leader Richard Sterne (66) of South Africa with young Dane Thorbjorn Olesen (67) two strokes further back.
World number eight Lee Westwood, the highest-ranked player in the field, fired a 66 and is nine shots behind Gallacher, with whom he finished joint runner-up in last year's event.
Gallacher, nephew of former Ryder Cup captain Bernard, almost recorded an albatross (double eagle) at the par-five 13th when his second shot hit the flag and finished just four feet away.
There was never any doubt in the Scot's mind about his spectacular final shot however.
"The moment I hit it I knew it was either stiff or in," said the world number 111 whose only tour win came at the 2004 Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.
"I struggled last week (at the Qatar Masters) and my driver cracked but with the new one I'm hitting more fairways and I've putted really good. I'm excited and looking forward to tomorrow," Gallacher said.
He said his knowledge of the Emirates Golf Club stood him in good stead.
"I'm pretty familiar with his course. I come out here on holiday with the family," added Gallacher.
In joint fourth place on 202 were Chile's Felipe Aguilar (66), Jeev Milkha Singh (67) of India and Britain's Tommy Fleetwood (69).
Former world number two Sergio Garcia, battling against shoulder pain, slipped down the field with a 71 for 206.

SCORES:

195 Stephen Gallacher (Britain) 63 70 62

198 Richard Sterne (South Africa) 62 70 66

200 Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 67 66 67

202 Felipe Aguilar (Chile) 68 68 66

Jeev Milkha Singh (India) 68 67 67

Tommy Fleetwood (Britain) 65 68 69

203 Steve Webster (Britain) 69 69 65

Maximilian Kieffer (Germany) 66 68 69

204 Lee Westwood (Britain) 67 71 66

205 Robert Rock (Britain) 70 68 67

Justin Walters (South Africa) 68 70 67

Noh Seung-Yul (South Korea) 66 72 67

Gareth Maybin (Britain) 69 67 69

Marcus Fraser (Australia) 67 69 69

Andy Sullivan (Britain) 69 67 69

Jbe Kruger (South Africa) 70 66 69

Andreas Harto (Denmark) 67 67 71

Chris Doak (Britain) 65 69 71

206 Alexander Noren (Sweden) 68 71 67

Fredrik Andersson Hed (Sweden) 67 71 68

Raphael Jacquelin (France) 70 68 68

Ricardo Santos (Portugal) 66 71 69

Romain Wattel (France) 68 67 71

Sergio Garcia (Spain) 68 67 71

207 Garth Mulroy (South Africa) 71 70 66

Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spain) 69 69 69

Scott Jamieson (Britain) 65 72 70

Matteo Manassero (Italy) 66 71 70

Ignacio Garrido (Spain) 69 68 70

Peter Lawrie (Ireland) 66 70 71

208 Jamie Donaldson (Britain) 67 73 68

Marcel Siem (Germany) 68 72 68

Anthony Wall (Britain) 68 72 68

Lorenzo Gagli (Italy) 68 71 69

David Drysdale (Britain) 69 70 69

Todd Hamilton (U.S.) 70 68 70

Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 70 67 71

209 Jorge Campillo (Spain) 69 71 69

Robert-Jan Derksen (Netherlands) 68 72 69

Lee Slattery (Britain) 69 70 70

Gary Lockerbie (Britain) 68 70 71

Gregory Bourdy (France) 67 71 71

Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 69 69 71

Gregory Havret (France) 70 67 72

Paul Casey (Britain) 66 70 73

Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 68 68 73

210 Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina) 71 70 69

Mikko Ilonen (Finland) 71 70 69

Craig Lee (Britain) 69 70 71

Marc Warren (Britain) 67 72 71

David Howell (Britain) 70 68 72

Eddie Pepperell (Britain) 68 70 72

Chris Wood (Britain) 68 68 74

211 David Horsey (Britain) 75 66 70

Robert Coles (Britain) 73 68 70

Simon Khan (Britain) 68 73 70

Maarten Lafeber (Netherlands) 69 71 71

Matthew Nixon (Britain) 69 69 73

212 Mark O'Meara (U.S.) 67 74 71

Alessandro Tadini (Italy) 70 71 71

Pablo Larrazabal (Spain) 71 70 71

Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) 71 68 73

213 Jaco Van Zyl (South Africa) 69 71 73

Damien McGrane (Ireland) 68 72 73

Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (France) 72 68 73

S.S.P. Chowrasia (India) 69 70 74

Keith Horne (South Africa) 68 71 74

214 Oliver Fisher (Britain) 69 72 73

Simon Dyson (Britain) 70 71 73

215 Tom Lewis (Britain) 69 72 74

Thomas Levet (France) 68 70 77