Tour de France organiser Jean-Marie Leblanc yesterday rejected calls for this year's race to be called off while the sport continues to clean up its act.
"The suggestion that it should not start this year suggests that cycling hasn't the ability or confidence to overcome the drugs problem," he said. "As a recent poll indicated, 80 per cent of the French people want the race to go ahead."
Leblanc admits that while police and customs officers are entitled to investigate the sport, he hopes they will lay-off while the race is in progress "as the cyclists' routine is a very special one."
Tennis
Nir Welgreeen, who has just completed three years of national service in the Israeli army, will be hoping that his pay packet will amount to at least $2,000 after he contests the final of the ITF Futures event at Riverview this afternoon.
Welgreen (22) will need the cash to defray costs as he sets out to qualify for his first Wimbledon at Roehampton next week. But first he must maintain the good form he showed against Australian Leigh Holland and beat his compatriot Amir Hadad in the decider.
Against Holland his returns countered the better part of the Australian's game for a 7-5 6-3 win. Hadad had it tougher against compatriot Jonathan Erlich but won the final set 6-3.
Singles - Semi-finals: A Hadad (Isr) bt J Erlich (Isr) 3-6 6-4 6-3; N Welgreen (Isr) bt L Holland (Aus) 7-5 6-3.
Doubles - Semi-finals: D Melo and A Prieto (Bra) bt J Doran and O Casey 6-1 6-4; D Bracciali and I Gaudi (Ita) bt Welgreen and D Roberts (RSA) 6-4 4-6 6-0.
Golf
American Bob Lendzion drew inspiration from playing partner Nigel Mansell and took the lead with a five-underpar 67 in the first round of the Jersey Seniors Open at La Moye GC yesterday. Lendzion picked up six birdies to lead by one from Ireland's Liam Higgins and two from David Jones and Paul Leonard.
Higgins returned his 68 after playing with a new brand of ball for the first time in five years. "It has given me new confidence," he said. "I like the course here as it is similar to the ones back home and it suits me when the wind blows."
In this unique Pro-Am format Mansell, playing off a handicap of three, heads the amateur tournament after two rounds on 18 under par.
Swimming
Fiona Kinsella, Trojan's 15-year-old Leinster champion, stepped up an age group to win the Scottish Junior Championship title for the 200 metres butterfly in Glasgow yesterday. The Dublin girl, competing in a 50-metre pool for the first time, won by two metres in two minutes 27.66 seconds.
Karen Reilly, from the Phoenix club, was second in 2:30.86, while Cormorant's Nessa O'Shea just failed to complete an Irish clean sweep, taking fourth in 2:31.74.
