Sport Briefs

AMERICAN David Zabriskie, of the CSC team, pulled on the Tour de France yellow jersey after winning the opening time trial over 19km here Saturday.

Zabriskie, a time-trial specialist, set a stunning time of 20 minutes and 51.80 seconds to leave compatriot Lance Armstrong in second place at only two seconds behind. At 54.68 km/h it is the fastest ever time recorded in a Tour de France time trial.Six-time race winner Armstrong, bidding for a seventh yellow jersey, was the last rider off the ramp and struck a major psychological blow to his main rival, 1997 winner Jan Ullrich, whom he overtook a couple of kilometres from the finish line having started a minute behind the German.Alexandre Vinokourov, of T-Mobile, finished third.FORMER Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie was a runaway winner of the British 10 kilometres London run on Sunday in 28 minutes and 12 seconds.The world record-holder and double Olympic champion for the distance was never under pressure as he coasted to victory around the capital’s historic landmarks.There were pre-event hopes that the Ethiopian star might challenge the UK all-comers’ record of 27 minutes and 25 seconds he set at the BUPA Great Manchester Run in May.But he spread-eagled the field from the beginning of the race and was never tested.Robert Cheboror of Kenya was a distant second in 29 minutes and 6 seconds, with Thembalina Zola from South Africa clocking 29 minutes and 36 seconds for third place.A MICROCHIP-EQUIPPED ball designed to end disputes over goal-line decisions will be used at this year’s world under-17 championships held in Peru in September, organisers said Friday.Earlier this year, world governing body FIFA agreed to trial a “smart ball” developed by a sports equipment giant which contains a microchip that bleeps when it crosses lines fitted with special sensors.EXPERIENCED Dutch winger Boudewijn Zenden signed for Champions League holders Liverpool from Premiership rivals Middlesbrough on Saturday on a free transfer.The 28-year-old, 53-times capped Dutchman agreed personal terms and passed a medical, and will complete the move on Monday.The former Barcelona and Chelsea star – who was influential in Boro’s League Cup winning campaign in the 2003-04 season – will be eligible for Liverpool’s Champions League qualification campaign on July 13.Zenden joined Middlesbrough on a permanent basis last summer after a successful season on loan from Chelsea.THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Sunday stripped show jumper Cian O’Connor of Ireland’s only gold medal from last year’s Athens Olympics after his horse Waterford Crystal failed a dope test.”The period for appeal is now over,” IOC director Giselle Davies said.”O’Connor is now officially disqualified from the event and the medals will be redistributed accordingly.”The gold medal now goes to Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa on Baloubet du Rouet.Chris Kappler of the United States on Royal Kaliber gets silver and German Marco Kutscher on Montender was elevated to bronze.MANCHESTER United’s England striker Wayne Rooney is not for sale at any price, club chief executive David Gill said, even though the Glazer family’s Old Trafford buy-out has landed them 500 million pounds (740 million euros) in debt.The 18-year-old England striker is seen as the man who will carry the Red Devils’ fortunes forward over the next decade.However, supporters fear any failure of the Glazers’ business plan could lead to mass sales, with Rooney, a 27-million-pound purchase from Everton 12 months ago, the prize asset.Yet Gill is adamant he will not be sold, even if the bid was way over the top.CAMEROON international defender Salomon Olembe has been loaned to Spanish club Real Mallorca from French side Marseille.Mallorca have an option to buy Olembe, 24, who spent the 2003/04 season on loan with then English Premiership Leeds, according to Jose Antigo, sporting director of the French club.ENGLISH Premiership club Fulham are interested in Czech international striker Tomas Jun, under contract with Czech champions Sparta Prague until 2007, the Prague-based Sport daily reported.”We’ve been in talks for three weeks with an interested English club which should soon submit an official offer to the Sparta Prague management,” said the player’s agent Zdenek Nehoda.Jun, 22, has played five times for the national side, scoring once.- Reports by Nampa-Reuters and AFPAt 54.68 km/h it is the fastest ever time recorded in a Tour de France time trial.Six-time race winner Armstrong, bidding for a seventh yellow jersey, was the last rider off the ramp and struck a major psychological blow to his main rival, 1997 winner Jan Ullrich, whom he overtook a couple of kilometres from the finish line having started a minute behind the German.Alexandre Vinokourov, of T-Mobile, finished third.FORMER Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie was a runaway winner of the British 10 kilometres London run on Sunday in 28 minutes and 12 seconds.The world record-holder and double Olympic champion for the distance was never under pressure as he coasted to victory around the capital’s historic landmarks.There were pre-event hopes that the Ethiopian star might challenge the UK all-comers’ record of 27 minutes and 25 seconds he set at the BUPA Great Manchester Run in May.But he spread-eagled the field from the beginning of the race and was never tested.Robert Cheboror of Kenya was a distant second in 29 minutes and 6 seconds, with Thembalina Zola from South Africa clocking 29 minutes and 36 seconds for third place.A MICROCHIP-EQUIPPED ball designed to end disputes over goal-line decisions will be used at this year’s world under-17 championships held in Peru in September, organisers said Friday.Earlier this year, world governing body FIFA agreed to trial a “smart ball” developed by a sports equipment giant which contains a microchip that bleeps when it crosses lines fitted with special sensors.EXPERIENCED Dutch winger Boudewijn Zenden signed for Champions League holders Liverpool from Premiership rivals Middlesbrough on Saturday on a free transfer.The 28-year-old, 53-times capped Dutchman agreed personal terms and passed a medical, and will complete the move on Monday.The former Barcelona and Chelsea star – who was influential in Boro’s League Cup winning campaign in the 2003-04 season – will be eligible for Liverpool’s Champions League qualification campaign on July 13.Zenden joined Middlesbrough on a permanent basis last summer after a successful season on loan from Chelsea.THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Sunday stripped show jumper Cian O’Connor of Ireland’s only gold medal from last year’s Athens Olympics after his horse Waterford Crystal failed a dope test.”The period for appeal is now over,” IOC director Giselle Davies said.”O’Connor is now officially disqualified from the event and the medals will be redistributed accordingly.”The gold medal now goes to Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa on Baloubet du Rouet.Chris Kappler of the United States on Royal Kaliber gets silver and German Marco Kutscher on Montender was elevated to bronze.MANCHESTER United’s England striker Wayne Rooney is not for sale at any price, club chief executive David Gill said, even though the Glazer family’s Old Trafford buy-out has landed them 500 million pounds (740 million euros) in debt.The 18-year-old England striker is seen as the man who will carry the Red Devils’ fortunes forward over the next decade.However, supporters fear any failure of the Glazers’ business plan could lead to mass sales, with Rooney, a 27-million-pound purchase from Everton 12 months ago, the prize asset.Yet Gill is adamant he will not be sold, even if the bid was way over the top.CAMEROON international defender Salomon Olembe has been loaned to Spanish club Real Mallorca from French side Marseille.Mallorca have an option to buy Olembe, 24, who spent the 2003/04 season on loan with then English Premiership Leeds, according to Jose Antigo, sporting director of the French club. ENGLISH Premiership club Fulham are interested in Czech international striker Tomas Jun, under contract with Czech champions Sparta Prague until 2007, t
he Prague-based Sport daily reported.”We’ve been in talks for three weeks with an interested English club which should soon submit an official offer to the Sparta Prague management,” said the player’s agent Zdenek Nehoda.Jun, 22, has played five times for the national side, scoring once. – Reports by Nampa-Reuters and AFP