Sports digest

Today's other sports stories in brief

Donovan set to face Italian

BOXING: Irish lightweight Eric Donovan is in line to renew acquaintances with Italian world champion and AIBA world boxer of the year Domenico Valentino next Friday after retaining his 60kg crown and scooping the boxer of the championships award following a 17-10 win over his St Michael's Athy team-mate David Oliver Joyce at the Elite National finals at the National Stadium in Dublin on Saturday night.

Ireland trade leather with a star-studded Italian team at the National Stadium and the Donegal Celtic club in Belfast next Friday and Sunday.

Olympic and world super heavyweight champion Robert Cammerelle and 2007 world champion Clemente Russo have also been named on a full-strength Azzuri side.

Donovan and Valentino are Facebook friends – but Donovan is not sure how to react to the latest message he received from the Italian. He said: “He sent me a one word message on Facebook saying ‘goodbye’.”

Boom takes first yellow in Paris-Nice

CYCLING: Dutchman Lars Boom beat cold, windy conditions and all the favourites to claim the first yellow jersey of this year's Paris-Nice race yesterday. The 24-year-old Rabobank rider won the eight-km prologue in the picturesque town of Montfort-l'Amaury, near Paris, in 10 minutes and 56 seconds, on a hilly, demanding course.

German Jens Voigt, the oldest man in the race at 38, was three seconds adrift with American Levi Leipheimer third. Pre-race favourite and Tour de France champion Alberto Contador had to be content with fourth place, also six seconds behind.

“I gave everything I had, knowing this was a course for me, with a little climb at the start and a fast hard, flat course afterwards,” Boom said.

ISA move unlikely

SAILING:The Irish Sailing Association (ISA) is unlikely to move to Galway following a consultation process, the annual conference for the sport's governing body heard at the weekend, writes David Branigan. A number of reasons for and against were presented, but the viability of proposal rested on establishing a national watersports centre at the new base.

However, there was little demand for additional facilities for high-performance sailing. The threat of competition to existing schools and clubs was also cited.

Unrest within the ISA staff at the prospect of a move from its Dun Laoghaire head-quarters resulting in significant replacements was also a factor.

Meanwhile, marine correspondent Tom MacSweeney, who retired from RTÉ at the end of 2009, was presented with the President’s Award for his lifetime contribution to the sport. The Cork-based journalist is currently working on a book on government failures towards the marine sector.

Loeb cruises to victory in Rally of Mexico

MOTOR SPORT: Six-time world champion Sebastien Loeb cruised to an easy victory in the Rally of Mexico yesterday to move top of the drivers' standings after two races.

The Frenchman, who started the day in first place for Citroen almost a minute ahead of Norwegian Petter Solberg, finished 24.2 seconds ahead of the pack for his 55th victory at world championship level.

Citroen driver Solberg and Sebastien Ogier were left to scrap it out for the runner-up spot, providing a thrilling finale.

Former world champion Solberg narrowly trailed Frenchman Ogier going into the decisive Super Special stage, but set the fastest time to beat the Citroen Junior Team driver to second overall by 1.1 seconds.

“I had a good lead today and was not going to take any risks with that when I started first on the road,” Loeb, who has now won in Mexico four years in a row, said.

“I was just breezing through the last couple of stages trying to keep my concentration. It’s a good victory; Im back in the lead of the championship and the points we lost in Sweden weve won back.”

Ferrer sees Spain through

TENNIS: David Ferrer crushed Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2 6-4 6-0 to fire depleted champions Spain into the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup yesterday and set up a clash away to nine-time winners France.

Novak Djokovic booked Serbia’s place in the last eight at the expense of the US, the world number two being pushed all the way by John Isner before winning 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-7 6-4 in the fourth singles in Belgrade.