Drug case angers Armstrong

Cycling: Double Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has issued a stinging retort to recent allegations that his US Postal team have been using illegal drugs.

A judicial inquiry into the team was launched last month in France, but Armstrong said on his official website yesterday that all the accusations are without foundation.

"We had permission to bring every product we ever used in the Tour de France. We do it by the book. We get everything authorised by the French minister of health," he said.

"It's stamped. It's approved. And that's all we bring. I mean, come on guys. We have nothing to hide.

"We're going to defend ourselves very aggressively. I'm sick of it."

He added: "Cycling is a lot farther ahead and does a lot more than any other sport when it comes to doping.

And cycling at the same time has been criticised and persecuted much more than any other sport. Look at the latest BS (referring to the judicial inquiry) in France. This is ridiculous."

Judge Sophie-Helene Chateau heads the inquiry into the US Postal team for "infractions of the law on the prevention on the use of doping products, inciting the use of doping products and breaking of legislation regarding toxic substances".

Golf: After a poor first round, Ireland's form improved yesterday in the LGPGA European Team Championship at the Citrus Club in Hammamet, Tunisia. Following the first day's play Stephen Hamill, Michael Allan and John Dwyer were in 11th place, 11 shots behind overnight leaders Wales. At the halfway stage the trio have moved up to joint seventh with Switzerland, but they are 14 strokes adrift of leaders England.

Both Stephen Hamill and Michael Allan carded level-par rounds of 72 despite, like many others, experiencing serious problems on the greens. All but a few players in the field of 23 countries found the grainy putting surfaces somewhat bewildering.

"We must have had at least a dozen three-putts amongst us," reflected Allan, who was three strokes better off yesterday than on Tuesday. Hamill bettered his first-round score by four shots.

Allan continued: "All three of us in the Irish team are new to this competition and the course is new to us. It is very tight and demands a precise shot every time but I love playing it."

Leading scores: 281 (-7) - England (B Cameron 68, T Nash 71, R Butt 75). 287 - Wales (L Bond 75, R Dinsdale 76, S Bebb 72). 289 - Scotland; Italy. 290 - Portugal. 293 - France. 295 - Ireland (M Allan 72, S Hamill 72, J Dwyer); Switzerland. 297 - Netherlands. 299 - Austria. 300 - New Zealand.