Cycling: Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong is still planning to court controversy by riding part of the Tour de France route next month for charity, according to a BBC report. The American will join former England footballer Geoff Thomas and a team of amateurs, who are aiming to raise one million pounds ($1.57 million) for Cure Leukaemia, by cycling in two stages, a day before the official peloton goes through. Armstrong is to go ahead with his plans, said Thomas, even though he was advised not to proceed by UCI (Inter-national Cycling Union) president Brian Cookson in March.

Athletics: With Usain Bolt a notable absentee, Asafa Powell threw down the gauntlet at the Jamaican national senior trials by running a blistering 9.98 seconds to qualify for the semi-finals of the 100 metres. Bolt, the world record holder at 100 and 200m, has struggled this year and his absence sparked concerns about his fitness ahead of this year’s World Championships in Beijing, where he is set to defend his sprint titles. Former world record holder Powell blasted out of the blocks in lane five and built a commanding lead by halfway before cruising home, with Yohan Blake trailing five metres behind after a horrid start.

Basket, NBA: Kentucky’s versatile big man Karl-Anthony Towns was the expected first overall pick by Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2015 NBA Draft but surprises followed at Barclays Centre on Thursday. Towns, 19, is considered an ideal modern NBA big man with a combination of dominant defence, low post scoring brilliance and an outside shot – qualities craved by a Minnesota team that has not made the play-offs since 2004. The multi-talented, 6-foot-11 (2.11m) centre averaged 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 56.6 per cent from the floor as a freshman for a University of Kentucky team that went 38-0 in the regular college season.