Tour De France: British rider Alex Dowsett has been ruled out of the Tour de France due to illness. Dowsett’s manager Sky Andrew has confirmed that three-time national time trial champion Dowsett will miss the race, which starts in Yorkshire next weekend. In a statement, Andrew said: “Three-time national time trial champion Alex Dowsett will miss the Tour de France due to illness. The Giro d’Italia stage winner was taken ill at the recent Tour De Suisse and will not recover in time to be part of the nine-man Movistar team. He is expected to be fully fit for the Commonwealth Games where he will team-up with Bradley Wiggins.”
Golf: Justin Rose emerged last man standing to win the $6.5 million Quicken Loans National at the first extra hole in a play-off at Congressional Country Club in Maryland. Britain’s Rose sank a 15-foot bogey putt at the final regulation hole before parring it a few minutes later to edge unheralded American Shawn Stefani in Bethesda. Rose and Stefani each shot 70 to finish regulation at four-under-par 280 on a course that played much tougher than when it hosted the US Open three years ago, due to firm and fast conditions and plenty of lush rough. Rose, 33, collected $1.170 million for his sixth PGA Tour victory, and his second in this event, with his previous triumph coming in 2010 at another classic course, Aronimink near Philadelphia. He also has won six times internationally.
Rugby Sevens: England beat Portugal 47-12 to win the Moscow Sevens and lead the FIRA-AER European Grand Prix Series after two rounds. Simon Amor’s side defeated pool opponents and round one champions France 28-7 in the quarter-finals and Georgia 33-5 in the semi-finals to set up a showdown with Portugal. A Phil Burgess hat-trick and tries from Mike Ellery, Charlie Hayter, Tom Mitchell and James Rodwell saw England crown a successful weekend with silverware as they look ahead to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.
Athletics: Collegiate champion Devon Allen shocked a world class 110 metres hurdles field as the year’s fastest hurdler Ronnie Ash tripped and fell at the US championships in California on Sunday. Allen, an American football player for the University of Oregon, pipped world silver medallist Ryan Wilson by five thousandths of a second to win the wind-assisted race in 13.16 seconds on a hot day in Sacramento. “I am pretty excited about it,” Allen, a wide receiver who also runs track, told reporters. “I did not know I finished first when I crossed the finish line, until they announced it.” Defending world champion David Oliver claimed third in 13.23 with 2011 world champion Jason Richardson placed fifth in 13.27.