Wed, Dec 10, 2008 page19

• Sport Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■CYCLING

  Riders to face 600 tests

  The 29 riders from the Garmin-Slipstream team will be tested over 600 times next season after agreeing to a new internal anti-doping program, the US outfit said on Monday. “[The team] will participate in a new program run by the Anti-­Doping Sciences Institute [ADSI] to further its anti-doping mission. The program will include profiles from testing conducted over the last year and will share data with UCI [International Cycling Union] and other international and national anti-doping agencies,” said Garmin-Slipstream, previously know as Garmin-Chipotle. “All 29 athletes on the team are voluntarily participating in the program, which will test them over 600 times next year.” The program will include tests to detect the new generation of the banned blood-booster EPO, called CERA.

  ■SOCCER

  Kinnear in hot water again

  Joe Kinnear has been hit with the second disciplinary charge of his short Newcastle career after being charged by the Football Association (FA) over an outburst at the referee in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Stoke. Kinnear, 61, was charged with using abusive and insulting words toward a match official after going ballistic over the free-kick that led to Stoke claiming an injury-time equalizer. Referee Mike Riley duly sent Newcastle’s interim manager to the stands and he will inevitably be watching a few more of his side’s matches from the expensive seats following Monday’s charge. Kinnear has been in charge of Newcastle for less than three months, but already he has notched up a hat-trick of run-ins with the FA’s disciplinary chiefs. He was given a warning as to his future conduct over an expletive-rich outburst at journalists which found its way into the media and has yet to respond to an improper conduct charge arising from his description of Martin Atkinson as a “Mickey Mouse referee” following his side’s 2-1 defeat at Fulham on Nov. 9.

  ■CYCLING

  Boonen faces court charges

  Belgian cycling star Tom Boonen risks facing criminal charges over his positive test for cocaine, public prosecutors in Turnhout, Belgium, said on Monday. Boonen, a former world champion and winner of such prestigious races as Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders, tested positive for the recreational drug in an out of competition test in May this year. The 28-year-old escaped a sports sanction because the test was not held under the auspices of a sport body. However, his team, Quick Step, were forced to pull him off their Tour de France squad after race organizers expressed concerns. Now the Flemish cycling star, who has recently returned to live in Belgium from Monaco, has been told to expect notice by Jan. 6 on whether he will face charges or not.

  ■OLYMPICS

  Australia gets tough

  The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) is introducing tough new rules to ensure athletes behave in an appropriate manner before being selected for the Games. Athletes will have to declare criminal charges and convictions or any conduct not in the team’s best interests, the AOC said in a statement on Monday. Australian swimmer Nick D’Arcy was dropped from the team for this year’s Beijing Olympics after he was charged by police with assault following an incident in a Sydney nightclub. “Athletes will be asked to consent to the AOC making enquiries, which may include police checks,” AOC director of sport Fiona de Jong said.
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