Briefs: UCI considers making Tour de France shorter

Cycling

UCI considers making Tour de France shorter: UCI announced a complete review of its sport, including a possible shortening of the three-week Tour de France.

McQuaid said an independent team of academics would lead a yearlong audit of the sport.

The major tours in France, Italy and Spain have always objected to shortening their schedules, even though critics contend the long and intense season might drive cyclists toward doping.

McQuaid insisted the powerful tour organizers would have to adapt to the changes if the audit recommends a shorter schedule.

McQuaid contends Pound lacks credibility: The head of the world cycling federation called for the dismissal of Dick Pound, World Anti-Doping Agency chief.

"The sooner he is out of that job, the better," UCI president Pat McQuaid said Saturday at the world road championships in Salzburg, Austria. "As far as we are concerned, he lacks complete credibility. He has his knife in the sport of cycling."

When cycling was hit by a doping scandal at the outset of this year's Tour de France, Pound said the sport's image "was in the toilet." He said the situation was so bad that he would advise children to pick up other sports instead and said cycling had been in denial about the extent of the problem.

McQuaid said he has written to the WADA board, requesting Pound curtail his statements.

Vos wins women's road race: Teenager Marianne Vos of the Netherlands outsprinted Trixi Worrack of Germany to win the women's road race at the world championships.

Vos, 19, finished the 82.6-mile race in 3 hours, 20 minutes, 26 seconds.

Jurisprudence

Ex-Ohio State coach O'Brien asks court to increase award: A week after Ohio State filed an appeal in a bid to overturn a $2.4 million award to Jim O'Brien, the former basketball coach says he is planning his own appeal — seeking an additional $1.3 million.

The Ohio Court of Claims ruled last month that Ohio State improperly fired O'Brien in 2004 after learning he had given about $6,000 to a recruit.

Judge Joseph Clark said O'Brien broke NCAA bylaws but that the university did not follow the terms of O'Brien's contract in terminating him.

Track and field

Liu closes his season with win in Shanghai: World-record holder Liu Xiang of China edged American Allen Johnson by 0.02 seconds to win the 110-meter hurdles at the Golden Grand Prix in Shanghai, China.

Liu overtook Johnson on the final hurdle to finish in 13.07.

Americans swept the 100-meter races, with Marcus Brunson winning in 10.03 and Allyson Felix prevailing in 11.17.

Horse racing

Meadow Breeze, King of the Roxy triumph: Meadow Breeze, at 34-1 the longest shot on the board, won the Grade I Matron for 2-year-old fillies, and favored King of the Roxy took the Grade II Futurity for 2-year-olds at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Each race had a $250,000 purse.

Meadow Breeze, trained by Carl Deville and ridden by Kent Desormeaux, reached the wire a head in front of Featherbed and Octave, who finished in a dead heat for second. She ran 7 furlongs in 1 minute, 24-4/5 seconds and paid $70.50 to win.

King of the Roxy, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, beat C P West by three-quarters of a length after running 7 furlongs in 1:24. The colt paid $4.60 to win.

Strong Contender takes Super Derby: Strong Contender beat 4-5 shot Lawyer Ron by a length to win the $486,500 Super Derby, a Grade II race at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City. Strong Contender, trained by John Ward Jr. and ridden by Robby Albarado, ran 1-1/8 miles in 1:48-3/5 and paid $7.60.

Boxing

Broken jaw doesn't stop Abraham: Despite suffering a broken jaw in the fourth round, Germany's Arthur Abraham retained his IBF middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Colombia's Edison Miranda in Wetzlar, Germany.

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