Cycling

Nicola Minali, of Italy, who won two stages of this year's Tour de France, won the 163.6km first stage of the Tour of Denmark yesterday.

TOUR OF DENMARK First stage (Horsens to Esbjerg, 102 miles): 1 N Minali (It) Batik 3hr 33min 59sec; 2 R McEwen (Aus) Rabobank; 3 F Guidi (It) Scrigno-Gaerne; 4 T Braikia (Den) Bikers Best; 5 M Steen Nielsen(Den) Bikers Best; 6 J Silovs (Lat) Schauff-Oeschelbronn; 7 L Michaelsen (Den) TVM; 8 A Baffi (It) US Postal Service; 9 M Kyneb (Den) Post Danmark; 10 S Petersen (Denmark) Post Danmark all same time.

Max Sciandri, of Britain, was edged out by the Ukrainian Alexandre Gontchenkov in a sprint finish in the Camaiore Grand Prix in Italy yesterday. Russia's Viatcheslav Djavanian was third.