WADA Rejects Cycling Report

World Anti-Doping Agency Chairman Dick Pound said Friday that a Dutch investigator’s report clearing Lance Armstrong from doping allegations made by a French newspaper is full of holes.

“They put as fact things that are suppositions, suspicions and possibilities,” Pound said.

Pound said WADA has “completely rejected” the report written by lawyer Emile Vrijman for the International Cycling Union (UCI). The report defended Armstrong against accusations that he used performance-enhancing drugs at the 1999 Tour de France.

He said the report had so many factual errors that “pointing them out would probably take as much space as the [132-page] report.” WADA will consider legal action against Vrijman and “any organization, including UCI, that may publicly adopt its conclusions.”

Pound said a complete, independent investigation was needed to determine whether the seven-time Tour champion used endurance-boosting erythropoietin, or EPO.

The cycling union appointed Vrijman in October to investigate the handling of urine samples from the 1999 Tour by a French anti-doping lab. His report released Wednesday exonerated Armstrong “completely” of any doping infractions.

The Paris-based sports daily L’Equipe reported in August that six of Armstrong’s samples tested positive for EPO. After the Vrijman report was released, the newspaper ran an editorial saying it stood by its original story.

Armstrong has denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs.

The American rider said this week he was the victim of a “witch hunt” by Pound, WADA, the French lab, the French ministry of sport, L’Equipe and Tour de France organizers to tarnish his reputation.

The Austrian Ski Federation cleared banned Olympic Coach Walter Mayer of involvement with doping at the Turin Games.

An investigative commission found no evidence Mayer was behind any coordinated doping effort at the Winter Olympics in February, ski federation spokesman Josef Schmid said.

IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said the organization was carrying out its own “totally independent” probe.

She declined to comment on the investigation’s status but said the IOC was waiting for information from Italian authorities.

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

UCLA to Face Alabama

in an Elimination Game

Top-ranked UCLA will play Alabama today at 11 a.m. PDT in an elimination game at the Women’s College Softball World Series in Oklahoma City.

Both teams lost first-round games by one run. Alabama (54-10) fell to Northwestern, 6-5, in 10 innings. UCLA lost, 4-3, after leading, 2-0, and holding Tennessee to one hit through five innings.

The Lady Vols scored three runs in the sixth and another in the seventh, finishing with nine hits.

On Friday, Alicia Hollowell threw a four-hitter to help Arizona beat Texas, 2-0, and hand pitcher Cat Osterman only her third loss in 41 games this season.

In the second game Friday, Northwestern improved to 2-0 in the tournament after a 2-0 victory over Tennessee, led by Eileen Canney, who threw a one-hitter, and Darcy Sengewald, who hit a solo homer .

If UCLA beats Alabama today, it will play Texas later in the day.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

USC Begins to Settle

Its Television Schedule

USC’s homecoming football game against Oregon on Nov. 11 will begin at 7:15 p.m. and will be shown nationally on FSN.

Kickoff times for all but five USC games have been set.

ESPN has yet to announce the start time for USC’s opener at Arkansas on Sept. 2.

The start times for Trojans games Sept. 30 at Washington State, Oct. 7 vs. Washington, Oct. 28 at Oregon State and Nov. 4 at Stanford will be announced two weeks before each game when television networks make their selections, according to USC.

-- Gary Klein

Former Arizona starting quarterback Richard Kovalcheck is transferring to Vanderbilt and will be eligible to play immediately under new NCAA rules, the Commodores announced.

Under new NCAA bylaws, Kovalcheck will be able to play because he has two years of eligibility left and has completed his undergraduate degree.

MOTOR RACING

Newman Ends Drought

to Win the Pole at Dover

Ryan Newman thought a little rain might extend his pole drought.

Instead, the rain only delayed the wait and didn’t keep Newman from putting himself on the pole for the first time this season with a lap of 154.633 mph at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

Newman now has 36 career poles in 165 starts -- but none of them had come this year, breaking a 14-race streak without one.

Jeremy Mayfield joined Newman on the front row for Sunday’s race after a lap of 154.361. Jeff Gordon was third at 154.063 and Kurt Busch fourth at 153.774.

Mark Martin drove his No. 6 Ford to an easy victory in the Craftsman Truck Series race at Dover International Speedway, beating fellow Nextel Cup star Carl Edwards by 3.052 seconds. It was Martin’s third win in six races this season and gave team owner Jack Roush the top two spots.

The win capped a long day for Martin, who took the lead for good when Kyle Busch was black-flagged for a loose hood pin late in the race.

Busch led more than half of the first 100 laps before one of the pins holding the hood came off and dropped him to 10th. Series points leader Todd Bodine finished third.

MISCELLANY

Colts Sign Quarterback

King to Be a Backup

Quarterback Shaun King, who did not play in the NFL last season, signed a contract with the Indianapolis Colts.

King joined the Detroit Lions in March and was released Wednesday. He will try to become Peyton Manning’s backup.

Wayne Chrebet of the New York Jets officially retired after 11 seasons in which he became one of the team’s most productive wide receivers. Chrebet, 32, had said in January that he would retire because of repeated concussions.

Former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams was held to seven yards in four carries in his first CFL game for the host Toronto Argonauts in a 31-3 exhibition loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Williams is sitting out the 2006 NFL season for violating the league’s substance-abuse program.

The opening of USC’s new arena, the Galen Center, will be delayed about a month because of several factors, including a steelworkers’ strike, according to a school athletic department official. USC’s women’s volleyball team is scheduled to play Pepperdine in the first sports event at the arena on Sept. 14.

-- Gary Klein

Oklahoma State freshman Jonathan Moore shot a three-under-par 69 to take a one-stroke lead in the NCAA men’s golf tournament at Sunriver, Ore. Washington maintained a three-stroke lead in a bid for its first team title.

Moore has a total of nine-under 207. Wake Forest’s Kyle Reifers (208) was second, followed by Oklahoma State’s Pablo Martin (209) and Texas A&M;’s Andrew Parr (210).

The Los Angeles Riptide will play its inaugural home opener of the 2006 Major League Lacrosse season today against the Rochester Rattlers at 1 p.m. at the track and field stadium of the Home Depot Center.