Motorcycling: MotoGP will return to Brazil for the first time in a decade next year subject to an upgrade to the Nelson Piquet track in Brasilia, promoters Dorna announced this week. Grand Prix motorcycling last took place in the country in Rio de Janeiro in 2004 and its return is subject to approval by the MotoGP safety commission and the agreement of the governing International Motorcycling Federation (FIM). Should the race get the go-ahead, South America would go from having no rounds in the 2013 calendar to two in 2014 with Argentina also hosting a race at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit.
Rugby Union: New Zealand suffered a trio of injury blows yesterday with confirmation that lock Luke Romano will miss the rest of the Rugby Championship, while flyhalves Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett are out of Saturday’s test against Australia. All three players suffered their injuries during the 47-29 victory over the Wallabies in Sydney last weekend and while Romano’s adductor tear is the most serious injury, Cruden’s might hit the All Blacks the hardest.
Cycling: The Euskaltel Euskadi team is to cease riding at the end of the season, the Basque organisation confirmed yesterday. The news brings to an end nearly two decades of professional riding under the Euskaltel Euskadi banner. A lack of funding was cited, although the team did say it would continue through its commitments in 2013. In quotes carried by Velo News, the team said: “Euskaltel Euskadi cannot continue next season. The input of a second sponsor, essential to ensure the sustaina-bility of the team, has not been produced, making the project unfeasible to maintain from next year.”
Doping: Serbia’s Viktor Troicki has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over his 18-month suspension for violating doping regulations, the Lausanne-based tribunal said yesterday. The 27-year-old was suspended by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in July for not providing a blood sample at the Monte Carlo Masters in April. Troicki, a member of the Serbia team which won the Davis Cup in 2010, was ranked 53rd when the ITF announced his ban.
Tennis: Novak Djokovic has been named the top seed for the US Open with Rafael Nadal seeded second and defending champion Andy Murray third. The top seedings for the tournament, which begins next week, have stayed faithful to the latest world rankings, with Roger Federer seeded seventh after dropping two places. It is the first time he has been seeded outside the top three at a Grand Slam tournament in the past decade. Federer, a five-time US Open champion, was the top seed last year.
America’s Cup: Luna Rossa Challenge suffered a mechanical breakdown in the third race of the America’s Cup challenger finals on Monday, handing Emirates Team New Zealand a point and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. It was the third consecutive race in which a mechanical malfunction crippled one of the competitors and handed a victory to the team that managed to cross the finish line. On Monday, a line used to control the 40m wing sail on Luna Rossa broke. As the Italian sailors fought unsuccessfully with winches to control their boat, New Zealand extended its lead and won its second point of seven needed to win the Louis Vuitton Cup.
Cricket: New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder has been suspended for six months for failing a doping test for banned stimulants he claimed he took in a supplement to help him lose weight, the country’s sports tribunal said. Ryder returned a positive sample after being tested following a match for provincial side Wellington Firebirds against Northern Knights on March 24, the Sports Tribunal said.