Sports FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015 43 Cycling star Froome ‘missed’ doping test LONDON: British cycling star Chris Froome revealed yester- day he had missed a drugs test earlier this year but said it was his own fault. The 30-year-old’s missed test came while he was on holiday in Italy with wife Michelle. Staff at the hotel where they were staying refused to let anti-doping officials disturb the couple. During the Tour itself, Froome said he was tested “over 30 times in three weeks”. Athletes must provide anti-doping officials with their whereabouts for one hour every day of the year and are sanctioned if they have three missed tests in a 12-month period. Froome’s revelation comes amid the ongoing con- troversy engulfing Mo Farah after it emerged Britain’s Olympic 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters champion missed two drugs tests prior to the 2012 London Games. That in turn followed a BBC documentary alleging Farah’s coach Alberto Salazar had practiced doping techniques with American athlete Galen Rupp. Farah has not been accused of doing anything wrong, while Salazar denies the accusa- tions against him. Froome, speaking by conference call from his base in Monaco, told British media: “Earlier this year I had a couple of recovery days and I took my wife down to quite an exclu- sive hotel in Italy. “The first morning we were down there the authorities showed up at seven o’clock in the morning and the hotel wouldn’t give them access to our room. They COLOMBO: Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez (left) is dismissed by Sri Lankan spinner Tharindu Kaushal also refused to let them call up to the room. “When we as wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal looks on during the opening day of the second Test cricket match came down for breakfast they said to us, ‘Oh, anti-doping between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the P Sara Oval Cricket Stadium in Colombo on June 25, 2015. —AFP guys were here to test you this morning, but it’s our policy not to let anyone disturb our clients’. “That was a hugely frustrating situation for me. I did appeal it and try and Kaushal, Prasad skittle explain the circumstances to the authorities, but at the end of the day I do take responsibility for that case. “I should’ve been more proactive in letting the hotel Pakistan in second Test know that this is a possibility that I could be tested. I’ve cer- tainly learnt my lesson there.” “It’s always the athlete’s responsibility to make sure he or she is available for testing.” Young off-spinner Kaushal bags five wickets Froome, who crashed out of the 2014 Tour, forecast an “epic battle” with defending champion Vincenzo Nibali, Alberto COLOMBO: Young off-spinner Tharindu Khan, making his 100th Test appear- SCOREBOARD Contador and Nairo Quintana next month when the 2015 Kaushal grabbed five wickets as Sri ance, survived a confident leg-before edition of cycling’s most prestigious road race gets under- Lanka bundled out Pakistan for 138 on appeal on zero, but was caught behind COLOMBO: Scoreboard at stumps on way. “(It is) probably the biggest battle we’ve seen for years the opening day of the second Test by Dinesh Chandimal off Prasad for six in the Tour de France,” he added. “All my rivals I respect, but the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo yesterday. in the first over after lunch. Kaushal between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the P. I don’t fear anyone at this point.” —AFP Seamer Dhammika Prasad chipped in began his wicket hunt by bowling Sara Oval in Colombo yesterday: with three wickets as the tourists col- Hafeez in his fourth over and, six deliv- lapsed in 42.5 overs by tea after skipper eries later, trapped Asad Shafiq leg- Pakistan 1st innings: Misbah-ul Haq elected to bat on a fresh, before for two as the tourists slid from Mohammad Hafeez b Kaushal 42 Ramos wants bouncy pitch at the P Sara Oval. Sri 74-2 to 95-5. Ahmed Shehzad c Sangakkara b Prasad 1 Lanka, looking for a series-levelling win Azhar Ali c Chandimal b Prasad 26 after losing the first Test in Galle by 10 Pakistan woes Younis Khan c Chandimal b Prasad 6 to leave Real wickets, were 70 for one at stumps and A sharp shower just as Shafiq was Misbah-ul Haq run out 7 well set to build a big first innings lead. walking back to the pavilion halted play Asad Shafiq lbw b Kaushal 2 MADRID: Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has told the Kumar Sangakkara was unbeaten on for an hour, but Pakistan’s woes multi- Sarfraz Ahmed c Mathews b Kaushal 14 18 and Kaushal Silva was on 21 after plied on resumption. Misbah ran him- club he wants to leave after falling out with its president Wahab Riaz lbw b Kaushal 4 Florentino Perez, media reported yesterday, saying Dimuth Karunaratne was caught behind self out after making seven, failing to for 28 while trying to slash a wide ball regain his ground after dashing down Yasir Shah c Sangakkara b Kaushal 15 Manchester United were interested in buying the player. Zulfiqar Babar b Chameera 5 Spain’s major sporting and general dailies reported that from seamer Junaid Khan. Kaushal, a 22- the wicket for a sharp single which was Junaid Khan not out 2 Ramos met top club officials on Wednesday and asked year-old playing only his second Test refused by non-striker Sarfraz Ahmed. them to listen to offers from other clubs. Real have yet to match, finished with five for 42 runs in Sarfraz, the batting hero of Pakistan’s Extras: (lb4, w3, nb7) 14 renew Ramos’s current contract, which expires in 2017. 10.5 overs of accurate spin bowling in victory at Galle, made 14 when he Total (all out, 42.5 overs) 138 helpful conditions. Mohammad Hafeez edged a drive off Kaushal on to his pad The 29-year-old is a hero at Real, having scored a decisive Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Shehzad), 2-51 (Azhar), top-scored with 42 as Pakistan lost and the ball lobbed to Angelo Mathews goal in the historic 10th European championship final vic- 3-74 (Younis), 4-89 (Hafeez), 5-95 (Shafiq), eight wickets in the afternoon session in the slips. tory last year. But his tense relations with Perez have been 6-96 (Misbah), 7-113 (Sarfraz), 8-117 after resuming at the lunch score of 70 Kaushal then claimed Wahab Riaz (Wahab), 9-124 (Babar), 10-138 (Yasir) widely reported. Ramos notably defended ex-coach Carlo for two. Prasad, who took the field leg-before through a review after Bowling: Prasad 13-2-43-3 (w3), Mathews Ancelotti who was fired by Perez last month. despite having suffered a finger injury umpire Sundaram Ravi had turned Numerous rumors about salary demands and interest during net practice on Wednesday, down a loud shout from the bowler and 9-4-16-0, Chameera 10-0-33-1 (nb5), from other clubs have circulated over recent days. struck with the first ball of his second the close-on fielders. Zulfiqar Babar was Kaushal 10.5-0-42-5 (nb2). Television footage showed Ramos driving into Real’s over to make it five for one. bowled to give debutant seamer Valdebebas training ground on Wednesday for the report- He forced Ahmed Shehzad to edge a Dushmantha Chameera his first Test Sri Lanka 1st innings: ed meeting. Leading sports newspaper Marca said rising ball to second slip where the 37- wicket, before a fine running catch at D. Karunaratne c Sarfraz b Junaid 28 Wednesday’s meeting “lowered the tension” but that no year-old Kumar Sangakkara dived to his long-on by Sangakkara to dismiss Yasir K. Silva not out 21 agreement was reached. Various Spanish and British media right to pick up a low catch. Azhar Ali, Shah terminated the innings. Pakistan K. Sangakkara notout 18 said Manchester United had made an offer for Ramos, but who put on 46 for the second wicket retained the same side that won the Extras: (b2, nb1) 3 neither club nor the player have commented publicly on with Hafeez, was dismissed for 26 when first Test to take the lead in the three- Total (for one wicket, 32 overs) 70 the possible transfer. Real Madrid are widely reported to TV umpire Paul Reiffel upheld Sri match series. Sri Lanka made two Fall of wicket: 1-47 (Karunaratne) be interested in signing United goalkeeper David de Gea, Lanka’s review for an edge off Prasad changes, replacing off-spinner Dilruwan Bowling: Wahab 9-2-19-0 (nb1), Junaid 10- prompting speculation that a transfer of Ramos could form after on-field official Richard Illingworth Perera and seamer Nuwan Pradeep with part of the deal. —AFP had turned down the appeal. Younis Kaushal and Chameera. —AFP 3-26-1, Babar 7-4-9-0, Yasir 6-0-14-0. .