Briefs

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Wiggins happy to be back-up for Froome

CYCLING:Bradley Wiggins is ready to accept whatever decision Team Sky make over their leader for next year’s Tour de France.

Wiggins this year became the first British winner of cycling’s biggest event but the announcement of next year’s mountainous route appeared to play more to the strengths of Chris Froome, Wiggins’ back-up this year. Froome said: “The team are saying they are going to back me with the Tour this year. That’s directly from Dave . He said: ‘You’re our man for the Tour. Focus on it.”’

But team leader Brailsford has been more equivocal over the issue in recent days, opening up the possibility of Wiggins defending his title.

Wiggins said: “We’re very fortunate that we have two people that can win the Tour de France.

“Having two people equally as strong, trying to beat the likes of Contador and Andy Schleck, is going to work in our favour.

“It could be any one of us, it could be Chris Froome on the day, it could be me, but once we get on that line we all have a professional obligation. We saw this year what Chris did for me, it could be that I’ll be doing that for him next year for the team to win.”

Quigley takes middleweight title at Under-23 championships

BOXING:Donegal middleweight Jason Quigley was crowned European U-23 champion following a commanding 17-11 victory over German Elite champion Dennis Radovan in Russia yesterday.

But Hugh Myres had to settle for silver after he was edged out by a single point by Armenia’s 2009 AIBA World Junior champion Kariun Sogomonyan in Kaliningrad.

Quigley, boxing superbly on the counter, took the first two rounds 5-3 and 5-3 and also won the final frame 7-5 to seal an impressive win at the Sports Palace venue. The Finn Valley BC orthodox, the 2009 European Youth champion, whose dad Conor and Zuar Antia were working his corner yesterday, was delighted to collect his second European gold. “When I won the bronze here I was very happy to have my second European medal, but when you get to that stage you always want to change the colour and thankfully I did,” he said.

“I’ve had five hard fights out here. There’s grown men and Olympians at this tournament and it was very tough and competitive and I’m delighted to come through it and win gold.”

BERNARD O'NEILL

Hogan warns Tipperary 'ruthless' cost-cutting measures needed

GAELIC GAMES:Former Munster Council chairman Con Hogan has warned Tipperary GAA officials that they must be “cold and ruthless” in their proposed cost-cutting measures in 2013, as one Premier County delegate warned of potential “financial ruin” at last Monday evening’s annual convention.

Tipperary’s 2012 financial statement revealed a €246,939 loss for the year and follows a deficit of almost €220,000 revealed 12 months previously. In the last four years, Tipperary have revealed losses totaling over €650,000. Hogan, a former GAA trustee and Tipperary’s current representative on Croke Park’s Central Hearings Committee, expressed his disappointment with the financial statement.

There was better financial news from Wexford’s county convention, with the operating surplus for the year €118,056 compared to a deficit of €21,473 in 2011. When extraordinary items such as grants are taken into account, the net surplus for the year comes to €309,631 compared to a €90,285 net surplus for 2011.