Vicioso's win deemed illegal

Cycling: Spain's Angel Vicioso of the Kelme team was stripped of his win in the 180 kilometre 15th stage of the Tour of Italy yesterday after organisers decided his sprint was illegal.

Second-placed Italian Biagio Conte of the Saeco team was awarded the stage victory - his first in the Giro - following the stretch between Bormio and Brescia.

Italy's Francesco Casagrande of the Vini Caldirola team retained the overall leader's pink jersey.

Organisers believed Vicioso's sprint interfered with Italy's Silvio Martinello about 150 metres from the line. With only six days remaining in the Tour, first year professional Ciaran Power looks increasingly likely to realize his aim of finishing the second biggest race in cycling. The 24 year old was placed 95th yesterday and is in 133rd place overall.

Tennis: The French connection was a factor as the business of qualifying was being finalised yesterday for this week's ITF Futures series at Rathmines. And one player not happy with an influx of players who had failed to qualify at Roland Garros for this week's French Open and led by Satoshi Iwabuchi, was British Davis Cup player Luke Millegan.

Millegan will have to vacate the top-seeded position as Iwabuchi world ranking is higher. The Japanese player was among a batch of late arrivals who travelled to Dublin on spec to take their chances in the queue.

A surprised ITF tournament referee, Steve Mehigan said it was unusual for so many highly-ranked players to chance their luck in the qualifiers.

Meanwhile, Irish interest will now centre on the four main draw wild cards given to Peter Clarke, Scott Barron, Owen Casey and Sean Cooper.

Rowing: Skibbereen and Carlow gained creditable results in difficult conditions at the British Schools' Championships in Nottingham at the weekend.

The Skibbereen boys' quadruple scull took silver in an event which was run as a time trial because of the conditions, while the club's promising single sculler Timmy Harnedy was fourth in his class. Majella Bolger and Lizanne Byrne took bronze for Carlow in the women's junior coxless pair.