Cycling: Team Sky rider Mark Cavendish blew his chance to start the Tour of Britain with a stage victory when he crashed with a sprint finish in sight yesterday. Cavendish, the 2011 world champion, fell from his bike in the closing moments of the opening stage as riders collided along the narrow lanes of Norfolk. Team Sky went on to claim the stage win as Luke Rowe kept clear of the carnage to cross the finish line first.
Rugby Union: Warren Gatland has revealed Jonny Wilkinson could be handed a surprise call-up to the British and Irish Lions squad for next year’s tour to Australia despite having retired from international rugby. Wilkinson quit England duty last December after amassing 91 caps for his country. Asked if he might consider Wilkinson as a possible kicking coach, Gatland was quoted as saying: “I might well think about it but he may also be available as a player. He’s still a fine a player and only 33. That’s not old.”
Snooker: Ronnie O’Sullivan was beaten by world number 76 Simon Bedford as he returned to the snooker tour four months after winning the World Championship. Back in action last weekend at the Players Tour Championship event at the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester, O’Sullivan led 2-0 and 3-2 but Bradford left-hander Bedford forced a deciding frame and took it with a fine break of 98 to claim a terrific 4-3 victory.
American Football: Tulane University player Devon Walker broke his spine in a helmet-to-helmet clash with a team-mate in a game against Tulsa on Saturday, the team doctor said. Walker was injured while making a tackle in the first half of the 45-10 defeat when his head struck that of a team-mate. Physician Buddy Savoie said that Walker, a senior-year safety, was in traction in hospital and had been diagnosed with a cervical spine fracture.
Boxing: Andre Ward stopped Chad Dawson in the 10th round on Saturday to remain unbeaten and retain his WBA and WBC super middleweight world titles. Ward pummelled Dawson – the reigning WBC light heavyweight champion who came down in weight to take the fight – sending him to the canvas in the third and fourth rounds before his final barrage ended it at 2:45 of the 10th.