Cycling: Ciaran Power yesterday registered his second top 10 placing in three days in the Tour Down Under in Australia. The 165 km stage to Victor Harbour was won by lone breakaway Alessio Galletti of Italy, but in the dash for the line just over three minutes later Power came home in a fine seventh place.

The 24-year-old Irishman also gained a handful of seconds over the bulk of the main field, which split in the final kilometre. Power inched upwards in the general classification is now 21st overall, three minutes 55 seconds behind the new race leader, Stuart O'Grady.

BOXING: Wayne McCullough received his licence to fight from the Nevada State Athletic Commission yesterday. McCullough had been scheduled to box on October 19th in Belfast but his contest was cancelled by the British Boxing Board of Control because an MRI test showed he had a cyst on the brain.

Upon his return to the US, McCullough underwent a battery of tests at UCLA Medical Centre. The doctors cleared McCullough to fight as did Peter Richards, the medical adviser to the BBBC who stated that McCullough faced "no greater risk than any other fighter."

"I knew it was only a matter of time before I received this good news," said McCullough. "I've been in the gym training for the past two months. I'm ready to return to the ring at the soonest."

Promoter Dan Goossen said: "We intend to have him make his 2001 debut in Las Vegas within the next 60 days."

SNOOKER: Former winners Wales sent out a warning to their Nations Cup rivals by completing their group matches with a 100 per cent record in Reading yesterday. The trio of Mark Williams, Matthew Stevens and skipper Dominic Dale whitewashed Group B whipping boys Malta 4-0.

Earlier, World Cup winners Scotland cruised into the semi-finals by thrashing Thailand by the same score. Wales will now play Group A runners-up Republic of Ireland while the Scots face Group A table toppers Northern Ireland.