Contador banned from Hamburg

CYCLING:Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has been banned from the Hamburg Cyclassics event scheduled for August 19th because of his connection with the Operation Puerto blood doping scandal in Spain involving doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.

Denmark's Michael Rasmussen, who was sacked by his team Rabobank and thrown out of the Tour de France last month while leading the race for lying to the team about his training whereabouts, has also been barred from the 229-km race. Rasmussen has denied any wrongdoing.

The Spaniard won a Tour marred by a number of doping scandals last month.

Last year, Contador was implicated in Operation Puerto but was cleared by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and has said he is ready to give a sample of his DNA to prove his innocence.

Kazakhstan rider Andrey Kashechkin yesterday became the second Astana rider to test positive for blood doping in less than a month.

Kashechkin, who has been suspended with immediate effect by the Swiss team, failed a test on August 1st in Belek, Turkey. He now faces a two-year ban from the sport and a fine equivalent to one year's salary.

The Kazakh rider left the Tour de France before the start of the 16th stage last month after his team pulled out of the race following compatriot Alexander Vinokourov's positive test for blood doping.

BOYS GOLF:Ireland produced a brilliant display over the Machynys Peninsula course on the outskirts of Llanelli yesterday to rekindle their hopes of clinching the R&A Trophy as Boys Home Inernational champions.

They stunned holders Scotland with an impressive singles display, securing an overall 9½-5½ success. England, who overwhelmed host nation Wales, are now favourites to regain the trophy, requiring just a share of the spoils against the Scots. Ireland would need to record a big win over Wales and hope for the other result to go their way.

Portstewart's Paul Cutler partnered Garth Boyd to a top-of-the-order foursomes triumph and then recorded a magnificent win over James Byrne.

GIRLS GOLF:Ireland suffered a whitewash in the singles to lose 7½-1½ to favourites and defending champions Scotland at the first day's play of the 2007 Girls Home Internationals at Southerndown, Wales.

Slieve Russell's Leona and Lisa Maguire won their foursomes match on the home green while Victoria Bradshaw and Stephanie Meadow halved to give Ireland a share of the spoils after the morning foursomes, but despite brave fights by Leona once again and Louise Mernagh who both lost on 18, Ireland failed to secure a singles victory in the afternoon.

England took a 3-0 lead into the afternoon singles in their opener against Wales and secured the match with early singles victories.

BOXING:Irish middleweight Andy Lee will have his 11th professional fight against American Brad Austin at the Point in Dublin on the Bernard Dunne/Kiko Martinez promotion on August 25th.

The Limerick southpaw confirmed yesterday that 30-year-old Tennessee-born Austin, who has won eight from 11, had been named for his Irish debut later this month.

Lee (22), who boxes out of the Kronk in Detroit, had a narrow escape after he and his manager and coach Emanuel Stewart were involved in a car accident last weekend in the US.

The accident occurred when the Rolls Royce driven by Stewart blew a tyre and skidded off the road outside Detroit.

BLIND SPORTS WORLD GAMES:Stephen Campbell, from Cookstown in Co Tyrone, has won a silver medal in the final of the 200 metres individual medley at the recent International Blind Sports (IBSA) World Games in Brazil.

Campbell, who lost his sight at 16 years of age, started in lane five and in the opening 50-metre butterfly section was neck and neck with the leaders before moving into second behind eventual winner Enhamed Mohamed of Spain.

A fine 50-metre breaststroke section, where he put in his best work, saw him pull away to secure the runner-up spot.

Campbell only narrowly missed out on a medal in the men's 100 metres butterfly event with less than one second separating the first five home.