Sports Digest/ CYCLING: Cristian Moreni has been banned for two years after testing positive for excess testosterone during the Tour de France, the Italian Cycling Federation said yesterday.
Moreni's positive test after the 11th stage in July led to his team Cofidis pulling out of a race. The federation's disciplinary commission acted on a recommendation from Italy's Olympic Committee (CONI), which acts as Italy's anti-doping body and has been rigorously cracking down on cheats.
However, Italy's cycling federation has not always rubber-stamped CONI's requests and caused a storm in July when they rejected a recommendation for Alessandro Petacchi to be banned for testing positive for excess levels of salbutamol.
Petacchi argued he used the substance in his asthma inhaler, for which he had a medical certificate. The case is now with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Sullivan back for Waterford
SOCCER: If there's a glimmer of hope for Waterford United ahead of this evening's promotion/relegation play-off second leg against Finn Harps (7.45), it lies in the return of the club's top scorer, Vinny Sullivan, from suspension, writes Emmet Malone.
The former Cork City striker missed Tuesday's calamitous first leg, a game in which Pat Flynn's sending-off handed the home side an advantage that they capitalised fully upon with two goals in the last half hour, giving them a 3-0 cushion ahead of the trip to the RSC.
Paul Hegarty has everyone bar the injured John O'Loughlin to choose from and is likely to stick with the same 11 players have done rather well for him in Finn Harps' two play-off games to date.
United have not scored three goals in a game all season, while the last time their visitors conceded that many was on the opening day of the season against Dundalk.
America's Cup postponed
SAILING: America's Cup organisers yesterday announced the 2009 event has been postponed.
BMW Oracle Racing (BOR) are embroiled in a legal dispute with two-time defending champions Alinghi over Desafio Espanol's status as official challenger.
A statement on the official race website read: "The ongoing uncertainty around the conclusion of the New York court case brought by BOR leaves the organisers no choice but to delay the event, as many indicators demonstrate a lack of viability to stage the event in 2009 to the same standards as the 32nd America's Cup."
Golden Gate Yacht Club, the home of BMW Oracle Racing, contends that Desafio Espanol's status as the official challenger - which allowed it to negotiate the format for the next America's Cup - is illegal. The Americans want the right to replace the Spanish syndicate.
Brazil struggle to victory
SOCCER: Brazil came from behind to beat Uruguay 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier yesterday morning but were upstaged by Paraguay and Ecuador who both went on scoring sprees.
Luis Fabiano scored both goals as Brazil overcame their smaller neighbours in Sao Paulo on a night when they were heavily indebted to goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
Paraguay won 3-0 in Chile to go top of the South American qualifying group and Ecuador, who conceded five goals in each of their last two games, beat Peru 5-1 to pick up their first points.
With four of the 18 rounds of matches played in the 10-team group, Paraguay lead with 10 points followed by Argentina (9), Brazil and Colombia (8), Venezuela (6), Uruguay and Chile (4), Ecuador (3), Peru (2) and Bolivia (1).
The top four qualify directly for South Africa in 2010 and the fifth play off against the fourth-placed team from the Concacaf zone.
