Marquez leads Pedrosa in first practice at Misano

Marquez threw down the Friday morning gauntlet with a best lap time of 1’34.476. As the sun shone, Pedros,a recovered from early bike vibrations to move to within a quarter of a second of Marquez, while Jorge Lorenzo pipped Valentino Rossi by 76 thousandths; incidentally, Misano marks a critical weekend for the Yamaha pairing as they hope their seamless system will move them closer to the pace-setting Hondas.
At the start of this penultimate European race weekend prior to the Asian triple-header, 2012 Misano podium finisher Alvaro Bautista was fifth for GO&FUN Honda Gresini, ahead of LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl and Ducati Team pairing Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso. Michele Pirro was ninth for Ignite Pramac Racing, while Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro placed his CRT machine inside the top ten, ahead of Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Cal Crutchlow.
Second free practice will be underway from 2:05pm local time (GMT +2)

Kohli a fit candidate to lead team India in future said Chetan Chauhan

Kohli's aggressive attitude and cool head even in trying times makes him a fit candidate to lead team India in futuresaid Chetan Chauhan.

Lance Armstrong returns Olympic bronze medal

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has handed over his 2000 Olympic bronze medal to US Olympic officials, nine months after the International Olympic Committee demanded it back, he said on Thursday.

"The 2000 Bronze is back in possession of @usolympics and will be in Switzerland asap to @Olympics," Armstrong said on Twitter, posting a photo of the medal.

USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky confirmed on Twitter that the American body had the medal.

"I can confirm that The United States Olympic Committee has received the bronze medal awarded to Lance Armstrong at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney," Sandusky said.

"The International Olympic Committee and the USOC had previously requested that the medal be returned. The USOC has made arrangements to return the medal to the IOC."

Thomas Bach, who was elected president of the IOC in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, had revealed on Monday in his role as head of the IOC judicial commission that Armstrong had yet to return the medal.

The IOC had written to Armstrong -- who was third in the time-trial event in Sydney -- in January to ask him for it.

The IOC had to wait to punish the American until world cycling's governing body, the International Cycling Union (UCI), sanctioned Armstrong, which it did on December 6 last year.

It then had a further three-week wait in which the Texan had recourse to appeal his lifetime doping ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from the sport for life in October, 2012, after the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) produced evidence of widespread doping by him and his former team-mates.

Rohit Sharma waits for his Test debut call

NEW DELHI: He has often been painted as a batsman who has failed to realise his potential but Rohit Sharma is not bothered about the criticism, instead he is eagerly waiting to make his Test debut.

After being catapulted to the opening slot by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sharma did extremely well in the Champions Trophy and the tri-series in the West Indies.

Those performances together with his good show in the recent India A tour of South Africa have infused a new life into his career and the young batsman is now confident to do an encore when he takes guard in the five-day format.

A freak injury just before the Nagpur Test in 2010 had delayed his Test debut but he is confident he will finally get to play the traditional format when the West Indies arrive for a short tour in November.

"I am confident. I am expecting another Test call-up and making my debut. Although these things are not in my hand as my job is to perform and contribute towards team's victory but I am looking forward to my debut in the upcoming series," Sharma said.

In February 2010, Sharma was set to make his Test debut against South Africa but he injured himself while playing football in the warm-up on the first morning of the match.

He was also part of the squad for the third Test at home against the West Indies in November 2011 and the four-Test Australia series in 2011-12 but could not make the playing XI.

Since then Suresh Raina, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja have all made their Test debuts in the middle-order.

Sharma also rejected criticism that he has not justified his immense talent. He has been often criticised for being laidback and not managing himself off the field.

"I am very happy with what I have done so far," he said categorically.

"I would like to keep doing things that way. I don't look back and ponder over my failures. I am working hard on my game and keep on doing it," Sharma, who holds the dubious record of being the first player in history to play 100 ODIs without playing a single Test match, added.

Sharma said he is enjoying the current phase of his career and hopes it continues the same way.

"Last four months have been great for me and I am happy with my form. I am enjoying my batting. It's about converting the good start into big scores. I have played 20-25 games opening the innings and I enjoyed my role as an opener. I am doing it for quite some time and I am happy with the role. I still have a long way to go in my career.

"Me and Shikhar Dhawan had some good opening partnerships going in the recent past. We gave our team convincing starts. It's good as long as the team is winning," he said.

Sharma said the experience of playing in South Africa with India 'A' will definitely help his game when he tours the country again with the senior squad.

"It will be an added advantage for us. Definitely, it will help us a lot. We did well and got to know about the conditions. I scored a hundred in the first 'Test'.

"However, the team was not given the real feel of pitches. What we expected in South Africa in terms of wickets (pace and bounce), we did not get that. The wickets weren't that great but you have to make certain adjustment. You get used to the condition when you start playing," he said.

The 26-year-old added that the short series against the West Indies would serve as an ideal preparation for the team.

"It can be, lot of guys haven't played Test matches for months. They will be short of practice. It will help them get back into the groove which will definitely help in South Africa tour."

Talking bout his own fitness, Sharma said he is feeling a lot more agile and quicker as a fielder.

"I have worked hard on it. We are now one of the best fielding sides in the world. We are strong as a unit and when you have a great bunch of agile fielders, your approach towards the game completely changes," he said.

Sharma admitted that the competition in the team has become tougher with seniors like Virender Sehwag and Gautam looking to make a comeback.

"Sure, the competition has become much tougher. But it's good for Indian cricket. It's good that seniors have been provided with a chance to make a comeback. It augurs well for the team but competition has increased."

Talking about the upcoming Champions League, Sharma said Mumbai Indians would "badly miss" the services of their front-line bowler Lasith Malinga, who has ruled himself out of the competition due to family reasons.

"Lasith is not coming but Mitchell Johnson will be soon joining us. Lasith's absence will be definitely felt as he forms an integral part of our team. He is a great bowler and on his day, he can destroy any opposition's batting line-up. It's definitely a big loss for us and we will miss him."

Sharma said he would look to repeat the success of IPL 6 while leading the star-studded side in the Champions League.

"That's exactly the goal (to lift the trophy) and our preparations are heading in the right direction. But it's not going to be easy this time around with world's best clubs competing in the tournament.

"It will be a new challenge for me. I would like to repeat my performance as a captain but it's a tough tournament," he said.

Sharma also seemed happy to have players such as Sachin Tendulkar and Kieron Pollard in the side.

"The team combination is good and we are all ready to go. We have a good mixture of experience and youth. A lot of players are coming off on the back of some good match practice and it's all looking good," he signed off.

Mumbai Indians start CLT20 preparations from Friday

MUMBAI: IPL champions Mumbai Indians will commence their preparation-cum-conditioning camp ahead of the Champions League Twenty20 from Friday at home ground in Ahmedabad.

The team will have a five-day camp at the Sardar Patel Stadium and later return to play its two home matches in the city on September 23 and 27.

"Mumbai Indians had a great season in IPL 2013 emerging victorious. We are looking forward to begin our CLT20 campaign from where we had left," said team mentor Anil Kumble.

"Ahmedabad is our new home ground during the League. This is the first time Mumbai Indians is setting its foot in this city and it would be exciting to play in front of our fans here in Gujarat."

Anil Kumble will be joined by team's head coach John Wright, Robin Singh, Jonty Rhodes, Nitin Patel and Paul Chapman in the support staff.

Placed in Group A, Mumbai Indians will play its first match - also the CLT20 opener - against Rajasthan Royals on September 21 in Jaipur.

Ferrari say Kimi Raikkonen not an anti-Alonso choice

Ferrari say their decision to bring 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen back to the Formula One team next season will help and not hurt Fernando Alonso's chances.

"For anyone thinking that the choice of Kimi is somehow an anti-Alonso choice, I can put their minds at rest," team principal Stefano Domenicali told the team website (www.ferrari.com).

"At Ferrari, everyone knows the interests of the team come first and only then those of the individual. Fernando is a key asset for this team and he will be for a long time.

"I'm sure he is the first to be happy with a choice made to strengthen the group, because he is too intelligent not to realise that a stronger team can only be an advantage," added the Italian.

Double world champion Alonso had made clear before the appointment that he would be happy to continue with under-performing Brazilian Felipe Massa as his teammate.

In comments on Wednesday, after the announcement from Maranello, the Spaniard paid tribute to the departing Massa and welcomed his new "travelling companion" without mentioning the Finn by name.

Domenicali said the driver combination of Alonso and Raikkonen was the best Ferrari could have and both would start on equal terms.

The Italian also addressed concerns about Raikkonen's ability to work as a team player and in helping to develop and improve the car technically.

"Everyone has their own ways and you can't expect a Finn to start telling jokes in Italian or playing the clown," he said. "Honestly, I think the combination of Fernando's expressive and passionate Latin character and the cool style, to call it that, of someone like Kimi, seems to appeal too many.

"As for the technical side of things, not only do we know full well how much Kimi can contribute at an important time like this...but we also have first hand information from James Allison, as to how much the Finn has also progressed in this area over the past two years."

Allison was with Raikkonen at Lotus, where he was technical director, before starting work with Ferrari this month.

Bale says 'bit behind' in fitness for Real Madrid

Gareth Bale said on Thursday he was "a bit behind" his new Real Madrid teammates in terms of fitness, after a close season hampered by injury.

But the big-money signing from English Premier League side Tottenham said he hope to be back to his best as soon as possible and maintained that his troublesome foot was better.

"I feel good. I have been training in the last week with Wales. I have had two good sessions today and I got half an hour or 40 minutes game-time with Wales (on Tuesday)," the 24-year-old told reporters at the launch of Madrid's third kit.

"Obviously I am a bit behind physically than everyone else but I am hopeful I can catch up as soon as possible."

Bale signed for Real from the north London club earlier this month on a six-year deal for around £80 million ($124 million, 94 million euros).

The winger said he did not know whether Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti would pick him for Saturday's game against Villarreal in La Liga.

"He has spoken to me but I think you will have to wait until the match later to see if whether I am picked or not," he said.

"Hopefully I can get my fitness up straight away and hopefully get a place in the team" he added, vowing to give "100 percent" regardless of where Ancelotti will play him.

Bale also said he was happy with the welcome he received in the dressing room, particularly from Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo.

"It was amazing. He's a nice guy and he made me feel welcome just like everyone else," said Bale.

"I am just looking forward to getting on the pitch and doing well."