THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Michael Rogers of Australia won the Tour of California on Sunday, emerging from a talented field to capture a cycling race overshadowed by Floyd Landis‘ accusations of doping by Lance Armstrong.
Rogers won by nine seconds after holding the lead since Thursday. He repelled repeated challenges during the 83 1/2-mile final stage on a hilly circuit in Ventura County while riding for the U.S.-based team of HTC-Columbia.
“They made me sweat until the end,” Rogers said. “I really didn’t expect this stage to be so hard.”
American David Zabriskie of Garmin-Transitions finished second overall, his third runner-up finish in the 5-year-old race. Three- time champion Levi Leipheimer of the U.S. began the day third overall and finished there for RadioShack.
• Ivan Basso won the 15th stage of the Giro d’Italia, launching a solo attack on the grueling climb up Monte Zoncolan to move into contention behind overall leader David Arroyo Duran.
Arroyo Duran kept his lead despite finishing 3 minutes, 50 seconds behind Basso. Richie Porte remained second overall, 2:35 off the pace, and Basso was 3:33 back in third after starting the day in 11th.
Dream remains undefeated
NEW YORK — Angel McCoughtry scored 21 points, Erika DeSouza had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and the Atlanta Dream remained undefeated with an 86-77 WNBA victory over the New York Liberty.
Alison Bales also had 10 rebounds to help the Dream (4-0) remain one of two unbeaten teams, along with Seattle (3-0).
• Plenette Pierson and Shavonte Zellous each scored 14 points to help the visiting Tulsa Shock earn its first victory of the season, a 94-82 win over the Minnesota Lynx.
• Tan White scored 15 points and Anete Jekabsone-Zogota added 14 as the host Connecticut Sun beat the Washington Mystics 80-65.
• Shay Murphy had 16 points and nine rebounds to lead the Indiana Fever to a 69-61 victory over the visiting Chicago Sky.
Crew remains on a roll
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Emilio Renteria scored on a header in the 64th minute to give the unbeaten Columbus Crew a 1-0 MLS victory over the Kansas City Wizards.
Renteria’s goal — his second in two games — was the first allowed by the Wizards off a corner kick this season. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, making his return to the Crew (6-0-2) after serving a one-game suspension, got the assist.
Czechs win world hockey title
COLOGNE, Germany — The Czech Republic captured the hockey world championship, ending Russia’s 27-game tournament winning streak with a 2-1 victory.
Jakub Klepis gave the Czechs the lead just 20 seconds in, and captain Tomas Rolinek made it 2-0 with less than two minutes left in the second period.
Tomas Vokoun of the Florida Panthers made 35 saves for the Czechs, who have won the world championship title six times since the separation of Czechoslovakia.
The Associated Press
