SPORTS DIGEST:CYCLING: Nicolas Roche had an aggressive ride on yesterday's fourth stage of Paris-Nice, going clear in the day's big break and being in the hunt for stage honours until the final ten kilometres, reports Shane Stokes.
Roche initially got away with six others after 70 kilometres of racing, this group also including Christian Vande Velde (Garmin Slipstream), who finished fifth in last year’s Tour de France. The American attacked inside the final 25 kilometres of the hilly 173.5 kilometre stage and fended off a long chase by Roche.
Vande Velde ultimately won the stage, while Roche was caught and passed with about nine kilometres to go and eventually finished 110th.
Overnight leader Sylvain Chavanel (Quick.Step) also lost some time on that climb and eventually conceded 41 seconds to Vande Velde and 27 to those rivals. He ended the day just six seconds clear of Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank).
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SNOOKER: World number one Ronnie O’Sullivan will kick off his bid for a fourth World Snooker Championship crown with a first-round tie against Stuart Bingham.
The defending champion was paired with the world number 21 at yesterday’s draw for the last 32 of the tournament, which gets under way on April 18th at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. Arguably the tie of the round sees seven-time champion Stephen Hendry meet two-time winner Mark Williams, who came through qualifying to reach this stage.
Ali Carter, last year’s runner up, plays Gerard Greene, while Australia’s Neil Robertson meets six-time champion Steve Davis, who booked his 28th appearance in the final stages of the tournament with a hard-fought qualifying win over Lee Spick yesterday.
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GAA: Fermanagh staged a second-half comeback to defeat Monaghan, 1-7 to 1-6, in last night’s first round Ulster under-21 football championship clash in Emyvale.
Monaghan led at half-time, 1-6 to 0-3 – with Darren Bishop getting the goal in the 11th minute – but thereafter they failed to score as Fermanagh took control.
Fermanagh chipped away at the lead during the second half and claimed the crucial score in the 23rd minute when full forward Kevin Connolly finished to the net.
FERMANAGH: J McGrath; E Maguire, N McGovern, M McGovern; D Drumm, B Mulrone, R Foy (0-2); R Jones, E Donnelly; D Keenan (0-2, one free), N McElroy, L McQuaid; T Corrigan (0-3), K Connolly (1-0), C O’Brien. Subs: P O’Brien for D Drum, J O’Brien for T Corrigan, P McCusker for c O’Brien.
MONAGHAN: N McCarthy; D Duffy, K Hughes, D Hughes; C Galligan, C Greenan, D Wylie; N McAdam, B McArdle (0-1); J Turley, D Malone, M McElroy (0-3); P Grant, D McNally, D Bishop (1-2). Subs: P Donaghy for J Turley, S Markey for D McNally, P O’Hara for B McArdle.
Referee: E McConnell (Tyrone).
BOXING: Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera has warned Amir Khan he has picked “the wrong guy to use as a step-up” towards a world title shot.
Bolton lightweight Khan will take a significant gamble on Saturday in a bid to erase memories of his shocking first-round defeat by Breidis Prescott last September and propel himself up the rankings.
The pair clash at the MEN Arena in Manchester in an extremely difficult fight to call which will double as a WBO lightweight title eliminator.
Barrera is already ranked number one with the WBO – and therefore in line to challenge new champion Juan Manuel Marquez – and insists Khan will pay a heavy price for opting to go head to head with such an experienced opponent.
The 35-year-old said: “If Amir thinks I am just here to be a stepping stone I’ve got news for him. I am here to win. Amir will not use me as a stepping stone.”
