Sporting Digest: Cycling

Richard Virenque, the cyclist involved in the Tour de France drugs scandal over the summer, may be about to retire from the sport according to his brother Lionel. Virenque, the four-times Tour de France King of the Mountains winner, has been accused by the former masseur of his Festina team of taking the banned drug erythropoietin. Virenque, 28, has persistently denied ever taking banned substances and said last Tuesday that official tests that appeared to contradict him were false. Virenque has been dropped by Festina since the Tour and yesterday Lionel Virenque told French television: "Richard is going to end his career."

TWICKENHAM CC WINTER SERIES (Hillingdon) 40km: 1 W Butterworth (Twickenham CC) 57:45; 2 M Hill (Viking Wheelers) same time; 3 P Swettenham (Twickenham CC) +12sec.

OXONIAN CC (Great Haseley, Oxfordshire) 10 miles: 1 P Smith (West Drayton MBC) 57:15; 2 J Hartwell (Milton Keynes CC) +3:13; 3 A Holland (Sports Coaching) +4:00.

SOUTH WESTERN CCA (Bath) 10 miles: 1 C Denning (Sports Coaching) 51:45; 2 J Wherlock (Clayton Cars) +1:25; 3 P Brookes (Somer Valley CC) +6:00.