Sports Digest/CYCLING: Former top British professional Malcolm Elliott proved he still has what it takes at 45 years of age when he won the Murphy and Gunn-sponsored Shay Elliott Memorial trophy yesterday, writes Shane Stokes.
The Tour of Spain stage and points jersey winner outsprinted Irishman Paul Griffin (Giant Asia) at the end of the tough 161 kilometre event, with 2006 winner Andy Roche making it first and third for the visiting Pinarello team when he was next across the line.
These three were part of a seven-man group which went clear shortly after the start, with five Irish riders present.
These were Griffin, Paul Healion and Morgan Fox (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/Sean Kelly M. Donnelly), Seán Lacey (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn - Ireland ) and Neil Delahaye (Usher Irish Road Club).
Roche was first to the top of the Old Wicklow Gap, with Fox and Healion being dropped under the pressure. Lacey and Delahaye were themselves distanced on the next climb to the Elliott Memorial at Glenmalure.
Griffin did what he could to try to win but with Elliott and Roche team-mates, it was a very tough ask. They attacked the Kerry rider repeatedly on the run-in to the finish, but he held on to Elliott until 300 metres to go.
TENNIS:Rafael Nadal continues to prove the clay court nemesis of the world's top player Roger Federer as he clinched victory in yesterday's final of the Monte Carlo Masters.
Spain's Nadal was too good for Federer in the principality, wrapping up a 6-4 6-4 win.
Switzerland's Federer is the undoubted master of all other surfaces but Nadal is the king on clay, claiming his 67th consecutive win on the surface.
Nadal's liking for the slow surface is in contrast to Federer who still needs to win the French Open if he is to complete his set of grand slam titles.
CRICKET:West Indies captain Brian Lara's farewell to international cricket was spoilt by a run out and a one-wicket defeat by England in the final World Cup Super Eights match in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Saturday.
The retirement of Lara, one of the greatest batsman to have graced the sport, and England coach Duncan Fletcher's imminent departure gave the match special significance even though neither team had a chance of progressing further.
Lara's disappointment at the defeat was compounded by his own innings - he only managed to make 18 before he was run out following a mix-up with Marlon Samuels in his final knock.
While Lara, who holds the record for the top Test score (400 not out) and highest first class knock (501 not out), ended his reign as captain with another loss, the match produced just the kind of entertaining cricket the 37-year-old values so highly.
"Things didn't work out as planned but still it was a very good game of cricket, it was a fitting way to end my career, runs galore, with over 600 scored in the day," Lara said.
MOTOR CYCLING:Casey Stoner from Australia blew away his rivals to win the Turkish MotoGP in Istanbul yesterday to take the overall lead in the championship.
Spaniard Toni Elias finished second for Honda, edging out Stoner's Ducati team-mate Loris Capirossi of Italy who finished more than eight seconds behind the winner.
Stoner, who led for most of the race and finished 6.2 seconds ahead of Elias, capitalised on a first lap error by five-time Italian world champion Valentino Rossi, who began on pole.
The former champion rode wide into the grass on a turn early on, re-entering the race in fifth place. He finished 10th after recovering to second place.
"It was a little strange because I managed to get past Valentino quite early, from then on I didn't make any mistakes," Stoner said.
Ducati are leading after the third race of the season. Rossi, who won the second race of the season in Jerez, is second overall with 51 points, 10 behind Stoner.
