Top Shot

Rasmussen returns to competition in Danish street race

CHARLOTTENLUND, Denmark: Michael Rasmussen returned to competition for the first time since being expelled from the Tour de France, riding in a street race in Denmark on Monday in front of thousands of cheering supporters.

After leading most of the way, Rasmussen lost ground in the final sprint and finished in the peloton in the Tour de Charlottenlund, an 80km race through an affluent Copenhagen suburb that attracts mostly amateur and second-tier professional riders.

The 33-year-old cancelled a scheduled appearance at a news conference after the race, which was won by Team CSC's Nicki Sorensen.

Danish news agency Ritzau quoted Rasmussen as saying he had yet to find a team to ride for after Rabobank.

"I'm juggling a few options, and we'll see what happens," Rasmussen said. "Hopefully this is a new beginning."

Platini warns English soccer about greedy owners

LONDON: English soccer authorities should not allow foreign businessmen interested only in making "a quick buck" to take over their clubs, UEFA president Michel Platini said in a television interview to be broadcast on Tuesday.

"I would be worried if I were English because of all the foreign ownership," the head of European soccer's governing body said in the interview to be aired on British satellite channel Sky News.

"They could be rich people coming to help English football and develop it, but they may just want to make a quick buck. I fear your clubs will lose identity. If it was in France, I would fight it."

Last month, Manchester City became the latest of several foreign-owned English Premier League clubs when former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra took over.

The Premier League say all club owners have passed their "fit and proper persons" test and maintain their rules governing club ownership are strong enough to discourage any wrongdoing.

Borg makes tour return after six-year absence

LONDON: Swedish great Bjorn Borg will end a long absence from the veterans' tour when he takes on former French Open winner Andres Gomez in the Vale do Lobo Grand Champions event in Portugal on Tuesday.

Borg, winner of eleven Grand Slams, has not featured on the Tour of Champions for six years but said he was looking forward to returning to competitive action.

"I've been playing a lot of tennis lately to get ready for this and physically I feel great," the 51-year-old said.

"I'm looking forward to taking on the guys and particularly it would be nice to get the chance to face John McEnroe again," he told the tour Web site (www.blackrocktourofchampions.com).

Borg, who won five Wimbledon and six French Open titles, had been scheduled to play his first grasscourt singles match in England for 26 years at the Liverpool International tournament in June but was forced to withdraw after being bitten by a dog.

He was wounded on his right leg after intervening in a dog-fight and was advised by doctors not to put any weight on the leg for six weeks.

(China Daily 08/08/2007 page23)