De Villiers wins stage

MOTOR SPORT: Volkswagen driver Giniel de Villiers won the third stage of the Dakar Rally yesterday as the German manufacturer continued its dominance of the annual endurance event.

The victory in two hours 46 minutes and 12 seconds moves the South African up to second place in the overall standings, behind team-mate Carlos Sainz who has hit the front of the rally after the first day on African soil.

Spaniard Sainz proved his stage two victory on Sunday was no flash in the pan as he brought his VW Touareg home in second place on the 252km stage from Nador to El Rachidia in Morocco. He finished 25 seconds adrift of De Villiers.

ATHLETICS:World, Olympic and European heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft has been voted Europe's female athlete of the year for 2006.

The 23-year-old Swede also won the trophy in 2003.

Belgium sprinter Kim Gevaert, who won the 100 and 200 metres double at the European championships in Gothenburg last year, and world pole vault record holder Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia tied for second.

Olympic long jump champion Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia was fourth in the European Athletics Association poll which was open to member federations, the media and the public.

The winner of the men's award will be announced today.

RACING:Jamie Spencer was handed a 10-day ban at a Horseracing Regulatory Authority disciplinary hearing yesterday as the long-running inquiry into the performance of Mickmacmagoole at Southwell in November 2005 finally took place.

But the former champion was cleared of any wrong-doing under the "non-triers" rule - Rule 157 - and instead punished under Rule 158, which covers failure to take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing.

The case was referred after the horse's apparent improvement in form when winning a banded stakes race when well-backed at the same track three weeks later.

TENNIS:Serena Williams marked her return to the tennis stage with a 6-4, 6-0 demolition of Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson in the first round of the Hobart International yesterday.

The American was making her comeback after a four-month injury layoff and was eager to prove a point about her fitness before the Australian Open begins next Monday.After allowing her opponent four games in the first set, Williams was relieved her knee held up well as she ran Arvidsson ragged in the second.

Jalicia Molik repaid organisers for her wildcard with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Jelena Kostanic. Defending champion Michaella Krajicek lost to France's Severine Bremond 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.