Sports digest

Today's other stories in brief

Garzelli claims prestigious stage

CYCLING: Former champion Stefano Garzelli claimed the prestigious mountain time-trial 16th stage at the Giro d'Italia yesterday, while overall leader David Arroya lost valuable ground.

Garzelli, the 2000 winner, clocked a best time of 41 minutes 28 seconds on the arduous 12.9km stage up the Plan de Corones in the Italian Dolomites.

Arroya retained the leader’s pink jersey, although he lost more than a minute to local hopeful Ivan Basso who climbed into second place overall with the day’s sixth quickest time.

Basso continued the momentum he gained after winning Sunday’s 15th stage to trim Arroyo’s advantage to 2.27 with five stages remaining.

Garzelli’s stage win made him the fifth different Italian rider to cross the line first in the past five stages.

“This is one of the most sought after stages,” the 36-year-old Acqua e Sapone rider said.

Fourie recalled for Wales Test

RUGBY:South Africa centre Jaque Fourie has been recalled for the Test against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on June 5th following the withdrawal through injury of Jean de Villiers.

De Villiers, who has returned to South Africa after one season with Munster, was one of six Europe-based players initially named in a largely second-string Springbok team.

Coach Peter de Villiers said yesterday Fourie had been recalled because of the strength of the opposition. “We must never lose sight of the fact that this remains a Test match and that we are playing against one of the top,” he said.

Fourie, who will play for the Stormers in Saturday’s Super 14 final against the champion Bulls, was originally omitted after the Springbok selectors opted to rest him and other veterans, Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez, Bryan Habana and Schalk Burger. All five are involved in the Southern Hemisphere final between the South African sides.

Orlando Magic beat Celtics in overtime thriller

BASKETBALL:The Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics 96-92 in an overtime thriller on Monday to stay alive in their Eastern Conference play-off series. Facing elimination, the Magic got better leadership from centre Dwight Howard, who scored 32 points and notched 16 rebounds to help neutralise Boston's tight defence.

“We were very aggressive from the start,” said Howard. “We needed to run the ball and not let them get their defence set.”

Guard Jameer Nelson added 23 points for Orlando, and helped lock up victory with a pair of three-pointers in overtime.

“His play throughout the game was the reason we got a chance to win,” Howard said. “And from then on, it was all about confidence. He has to have confidence in himself. He did tonight.”

Orlando let slip a 10-point lead midway through the second quarter, setting up a raucous final period with frequent lead changes that saw the score tied at 86-86 at the end of regulation. “In the second half, in overtime, we didn’t play well. But we did keep fighting and fighting and fighting,” said Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy.

Paul Pierce top-scored for Boston with 32 points, equalling his season play-off high, and had 11 rebounds. But the veteran forward missed two rushed shots in the final minute.

Guard Ray Allen kept the Celtics close with a pair of three-pointers in overtime on his way to a 22-point game. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for Boston.

UCI reveal no EPO traces in 2001

CYCLING:The International Cycling Union (UCI) have said no samples from the 2001 Tour of Switzerland revealed any traces of EPO (erythropoietin). The statement came after Floyd Landis claimed last week that seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong struck a deal with world cycling's governing body to conceal a positive test.

The claim, strenuously denied by both parties, initially concerned the 2002 Tour of Switzerland, but Armstrong did not compete in that race and it seems Landis was instead referring to the previous year’s race, which Armstrong won.

A UCI statement read: “Due to the controversy following the statements made by Floyd Landis, the International Cycling Union wishes to stress that none of the tests revealed the presence of EPO in the samples taken from riders at the 2001 Tour of Switzerland.”

Jauzion out of summer tour

RUGBY:France centre Yannick Jauzion has withdrawn from the tour to South Africa and Argentina next month. Jauzion, who played a major part in France's Six Nations Grand Slam triumph and Toulouse's win in the European Cup, will be replaced by his club team-mate Florian Fritz.

France officials did not give a reason for Jauzion’s withdrawal.

France will face the world champion Springboks on June 12th and 18th.

Pacquiao leaves hospital after scare

BOXING: Seven-time world champion Manny Pacquiao checked out from a private hospital in the Philippine capital yesterday, two days after he was admitted due to stomach pains and fatigue.

“I’m okay now,” said Pacquiao, as he walked out of Manila’s Cardinal Santos Memorial Hospital with his family. “I was advised to take my medication and not to skip any meal. Nothing to worry about,” he added.

He thanked all those who have prayed for his recovery.

Pacquiao won a seat in the national Congress in the May 10th elections.

He last week agreed to undergo random drug testing in order to help negotiations to fix a fight with undefeated American welterweight Floyd Mayweather.