Sports Digest: A1 Team Ireland's Ralph Firman posted the second fastest lap in qualifying for tomorrow's World Cup of Motorsport sprint race in the first of two rounds of the A1 Grand Prix series in Dubai, writes Brian Foley.
Nicolas Lapierre of France was fastest in a time of one minute 46.073 seconds, with Firman on 1:46.209, ahead of Neel Jarni (Switzerland) 1:46.541 and Britain's Robbie Kerr on 1:46.753.
Meanwhile, three finalists for the Billy Coleman Award for the Young Rally Driver of the Year and €32,000 must wait until Tuesday for Motorsport Ireland to announce the winner. The trio in waiting is Maynooth's Ian Barrett (23), Rathcoole's Gareth McHale (25) and Kevin Kelleher (27) of Clonakilty.
Following a successful debut season in the supercar class, rising Irish rallycross star Christopher Evans is set to contest no fewer than four major championships next year: the Croft Superprix, the Irish Championship, the Rallycross Super Series and the British Championship.
WEEKEND FIXTURES: Saturday: Carlow CC, Autotest, Mondello Park, 11.30am; Midland MC, Navigation Trial, starts Ballinahown, Athlone, Co Westmeath, 8pm. Sunday: Carlow CC, Autotest, Tullow, Co Carlow, 11.30am; Castle AC, Autocross, Kilnaleck, Co Cavan, 10.30am.
Irish riders in the money
EQUESTRIAN: Irish riders were in the money at the big World Cup fixture in Geneva, with Cian O'Connor picking up a fourth place in the opening Derby-style speed class on the talented mare, Zanoubia, writes Grania Willis.
Compatriots Jessica Kürten and Trevor Coyle featured in the combinations in yesterday's young horse class, with Krten slotting Castle Forbes Vivaldo into eighth, one rung above Coyle and Sterappel.
The main focus for the Irish trio will be tomorrow afternoon's Rolex Grand Prix, with World Cup points on offer along with a €22,000 winner's purse.
Tour de France among races pulled from UCI series
CYCLING: Divisions within cycling deepened even further yesterday after the organisers of the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España pulled their races out of the UCI's ProTour series with immediate effect, writes Shane Stokes.
The decision follows several weeks of non-communication with the UCI over differences relating to the ProTour.
In addition to the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España events, the organisers are also withdrawing the eight other races organised by them, namely Paris Nice, Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Paris-Tours and the Tour of Lombardy.
This means some of the most prestigious races in cycling's history have been removed from the 27-race ProTour league, considerably devaluing the worth of the UCI's initiative to promote elite cycling.
The governing body reacted angrily yesterday, stating that it alone has the authority to implement rule changes and blasting the Grand Tour organisers' decision as one which is motivated solely by financial gain. The UCI has said that it will oppose the organiser's proposed Grand Tour Trophy.
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