GAA: According to the GAA, no request has yet been made to the association to allow Croke Park be inspected by UEFA in respect of the Ireland-Scotland bid to host Euro 2008, reports Seán Moran.
It has been announced that the UEFA inspectors will be in Dublin next week to have a look at the facilities on which the FAI part of the bid is based.
"We have received no formal request for inspection," said Danny Lynch the GAA's PRO. "At least none had been received by Friday and the office was closed today (Monday - after the All-Ireland hurling final)."
The bid is already suffering some turbulence with yesterday's news that there is continuing disagreement between the Government partners on the issue of building the proposed Stadium Ireland.
Croke Park is the one venue that is virtually complete as Lansdowne Road needs a major overhaul and Stadium Ireland hasn't a sod turned.
The obvious problem is that the GAA still doesn't permit certain games - soccer among them - to be played on its property, a prohibition that association president Seán McCague reiterated last month.
The basis of allowing Croke Park go forward as a prospective venue was that its availability was completely subject to annual congress repealing Rule 42 and Central Council giving the go-ahead to the European Championship bid.
Lynch said that the GAA had no difficulty accommodating a UEFA inspection if one was requested.
"We would have no problem as a matter of courtesy. Every sporting organisation that has asked to visit has been facilitated.
"Representatives from the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and Twickenham have visited to compare notes and talk about any problems."
The GAA also believe that UEFA should be made aware of the current status of Rule 42 on their visit to Croke Park.
GAELIC GAMES: Donegal centrefielder John Gildea has announced his retirement from inter-county football.
This is a blow to the county, which comes close on the heels of manager Mickey Moran's resignation last week.
"I was thinking about it for the last week," said Gildea, "and made up my mind. We're after giving it a big year and I'm having a knee operation in October.
"At 31, I'm not sure I have the commitment to come back again."
CYCLING: US-based professional David O'Loughlin yesterday left for Japan with four Ireland team-mates in advance of the Tour of Hokkaido start this week, reports Shane Stokes.
Attempting to repeat the team's success of last year, O'Loughlin is joined by Paul Griffin, who won a stage, finished third overall and claimed the king of the mountains classification in 2001, plus fourth-placed Paddy Moriarty.
The squad is completed by John O'Shea and Stamullen M Donnelly-rider Craig Sweetman, who was a late call-up to the squad after Stephen O'Sullivan withdrew at short notice.
CYCLING: Italian sprinting star Mario Cipollini secured his first stage victory in the Tour of Spain yesterday.
Led out by Acqua and Sapone team-mate Giovanni Lombardi at the end of the 134.2 kilometre third stage from San Vicente de Raspeig to Murcia, Cipollini won by half a bike length ahead of fellow Italian Alessandro Petacchi with Telekom leader Erik Zabel of Germany third.
