Today's letter from the Editor
Today's Matrices

The Sports Matrix: Friday 12 October 2012

Wiggins stunned by new Armstrong drug revelations

Bradley Wiggins said he was "shocked" by the scale of the doping programme orchestrated by Lance Armstrong, but the first British winner of the Tour de France insisted cycling is now one of "the most successful sports for catching people."

Team Sky's director Sean Yates, a former team-mate of Armstrong, denied having seen anything untoward during his time working with the American. On Wednesday night the US Anti-Doping Agency published over 1,000-pages of detailed evidence that Armstrong had cheated throughout his seven Tour wins.

Dave Brailsford, Sky's general manager and the head of British Cycling, said: "What we want to work towards is a future where there is no doubt, so nobody questions it."

Wiggins, pictured, accepted that the Usada report damns Armstrong. He said: "It is pretty jaw-dropping the amount of people who have testified against him. It is certainly not a one-sided hatchet job, it is pretty damning. I am shocked at the scale of the evidence."  MORE

Froch feeling the pressure for bout

Carl Froch says he has "everything to lose" when he defends his IBF super-middleweight title against the unfancied American Yusaf Mack on 17 November. Froch become a three-time world champion in May.

Murray working with psychologist

Andy Murray revealed he has consulted the sports psychologist Alexis Castorri to help him with off-court matters. "[It's been about] learning how to deal with people a little bit better," the 25-year-old world No 3 said of his sessions. MORE

Del Piero turned down Liverpool

Alessandro Del Piero says he rejected Liverpool last summer, before signing for Sydney FC, out of respect for victims of the Heysel disaster. The ex Juventus forward said: "For a lot of people, Heysel is something that can never be forgotten." MORE

De Boer calls for winter World Cup

Former Netherlands midfielder Ronald de Boer, who worked on Qatar's winning World Cup bid, says the 2022 tournament would be better in the winter. He said: "The best thing for me is the winter. For the fans the best thing is the winter." MORE

Tribute to Stein

Scotland play Wales in Cardiff this evening, a fixture that saw Jock Stein's tragic death in 1985. The legendary Scotland manager's life is fondly remembered ahead of the crucial qualifier. MORE

Coleman critical of his own approach

Chris Coleman says he should have made more changes when he took over as Wales manager after Gary Speed's death. Ahead of tonight's qualifier against Scotland, Coleman said: "The worst thing we could have done is keep it the same." MORE

James criticises anti-racism groups

David James, one of England's most decorated black footballers, has accused anti-racism groups of having "an agenda to keep themselves in existence". The ex England goalkeeper said: "I don't believe that football is any more racist than society is." MORE

Bonini: San Marino will love Wembley

The former San Marino captain, Massimo Bonini, says the current squad should be grateful for playing against England tonight. Bonini, who played 19 times for his country, said: "Playing at Wembley is possibly the best thing they are going to experience in their lives." MORE

Rooney has grown up after 'stupid' red

Wayne Rooney says he has learnt from his "stupid" red card against Montenegro a year ago.Rooney, who captains England against San Marino at Wembley tonight, said: "It won't be happening again, I can assure you. After that, at club level, you saw a different person." MORE

Armstrong scandal 'taints Sky cyclists'

The Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford admits the credibility of his riders is tainted by Lance Armstrong's doping operation. He said: "When people see the huge advances we are making, because of what happened in the past it is understandable that people are sceptical." MORE

Career Services

Day In a Page

Andrew Mitchell: 'It's no good feeling hard done by'

Andrew Mitchell: 'It's no good feeling hard done by'

In his first interview since 'plebgate', the former Chief Whip opens up just enough to concede that, in politics, you have to take the rough with the smooth
Corruption and the FCO: Blue skies, white sands, dark clouds

Corruption and the FCO: Blue skies, white sands, dark clouds

Special report: Met police call for criminal inquiry into former diplomat's Cayman Islands rule
Fallen angel: Winona Ryder on bouncing back from her decade in the wilderness

Fallen angel: Winona Ryder bounces back

She owned the 1990s... but then she disappeared. Now, Ms Ryder is back with quite the bang in her latest role, as the wife of a notorious real-life Mob hitman.
Roman Polanski shakes Cannes Film Festival

Roman Polanski shakes Cannes Film Festival

The director's new film, 'Venus in Fur', is one of the raciest on offer
Rev Richard Coles: 'I don’t have any concerns that God is cross with me for being gay and eventually the Church won’t either'

Rev Richard Coles on the Church and homosexuality

The mellifluous, erudite and witty Coles is the nation's most pop-culture-friendly priest
'Baghdad likes to live from crisis to crisis': Civil war looms in Iraq

Patrick Cockburn: Civil war looms in Iraq

The governor of Kirkuk - one of the country's most violent but successful provinces - fears the worst
Written on the body: Tattooists at pains to point out their artistic credentials

Written on the body

Tattooists at pains to point out their artistic credentials
Conquering Everest: 60 facts about the world's tallest mountain

Conquering Everest: 60 facts about the world's tallest mountain

The IoS marks the sixtieth anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first reaching the peak of the highest mountain on Earth
A new, and irreversible, Dust Bowl looms

Rupert Cornwell: A new, and irreversible, Dust Bowl looms

The destructive power of tornadoes will be as nothing once the Great Plains' vast underground water reserve dries up
Every creature's needless death diminshes us all

Philip Hoare: Every creature's needless death diminishes us all

A 60 per cent decline in our national species should alarm us, yet few of us act. But to mind more about animals would reflect well on society
Killing with kindness: Burma's religious battleground - and the monks at the heart of it

Killing with kindness: Burma's religious battleground

Six years ago, the world cheered the monks behind Burma’s Saffron Revolution. Now, a horrific new eruption of religious slaughter is being blamed on a 'Buddhist Bin Laden'.
Let's take it outside: Bill Granger's Bank Holiday feast

Let's take it outside: Bill Granger's Bank Holiday feast

You can’t always depend on the weather – but you can avoid the pitfalls of the British barbecue by preparing an elaborate outdoor feast indoors ahead of time...
The Calvin report: Stirring Champions League final shows how far English game must advance

The Calvin report

Stirring Champions League final shows how far English game must advance
10 big questions for the British & Irish Lions to answer

10 big questions for the British & Irish Lions to answer

Warren Gatland's squad fly Down Under aiming to do justice to the expectations – and hoping the Wallabies stay in the pub
The Last Word: Golf must end the hypocrisy before its halo slips totally

The Last Word

Golf must end the hypocrisy before its halo slips totally