The game seemed destined for extra-time until the closing stages.

Marcel Kittel yesterday claimed a fourth stage victory in this year’s Tour de France with a thoroughly convincing performance in Bergerac.

Ryan Mullen claimed a wonderful solo victory in the Irish elite men’s road race championships in Co. Wexford, crossing the line ahead of a gallant runner-up Christopher McGlinchey.

Ryan Mullen is the hottest of favourites for the Elite national time-trial championships that take place in Wexford today — though defending champion Nicolas Roche will pose a huge threat.

James Gullen remains on course for the biggest win of his career as he leads the An Post Rás by over a minute entering the final two stages.

It was coming for a few days and yesterday on the brutal Donegal terrain the An Post Rás was blown to pieces as overnight leader Matt Teggart lost the yellow jersey in bittersweet fashion.

Today is World Poetry Day, so Jonathan deBurca Butler asked a number of people to select their favourite work

Tipperary football board chairman Joe Hannigan says it is not set in stone that Peter Creedon’s replacement will be pulled from the outgoing backroom team.

As one of the few visible inter-county managers on Twitter (plenty, we know, skulk in the shadows), there is opportunity to gain a little more insight into Peter Creedon’s thinking.

Sam Bennett failed to feature in the first big bunch sprint of this year’s Tour de France after getting caught on the wrong side of a key split during a crucial part of yesterday’s race.

Clare football’s injury crisis has robbed management of six first-team regulars for Sunday’s Munster championship semi-final against Cork.

Tyrone legend Peter Canavan has expressed disappointment at the accusations of the Tipperary U21 football camp that the Ulster men adopted a cynical approach during Saturday’s All-Ireland decider.

Mark Dowling won the Des Hanlon Memorial in stunning fashion yesterday, blitzing the stellar field to win before a huge crowd in Carlow.

Eddie Dunbar was named the Irish Male Cyclist of the Year at the Cycling Ireland Awards night over the weekend.

Peter Creedon is expected to extend his reign as Tipperary football manager into 2015.

Nicolas Roche was best of the three-man Irish team after six and a half hours in the saddle in the elite road race at the World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain, yesterday.

Philip Deignan believes Ireland have a gold medal contender in Dan Martin for tomorrow’s Elite men’s road race at the World Championships in Spain.

Cycling Ireland coach Neill Delahaye believes rising star Eddie Dunbar has the potential to medal in Saturday’s world junior road race championships in Spain.

Ireland’s Ryan Mullen captured a silver medal at the UCI World U23 Time-Trial Championships in Ponferrada, Spain, yesterday, the 20-year-old finishing a mere 0.48 seconds behind winner, Campbell Flakemore of Australia-

Cycling Ireland last night named a strong team for the UCI World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain in two weeks’ time.

Germany’s John Degenkolb claimed his third sprint victory of the Vuelta a Espana by winning stage 12 in Logrono yesterday as Ireland’s Dan Martin survived a rather stress-free day and remains 11th overall.

History was made in Clare yesterday when, for the first time in the 38-year history of the Junior Tour, a rider successfully retained the title.

Jack Maddux of the US-based Hot Tubes Team won yesterday’s fourth stage of the International Junior Tour of Ireland as defending champion Eddie Dunbar survived another day of relentless attacks.

Eddie Dunbar is still in the race leader’s yellow jersey after stage three of the Stena Ireland International Junior Tour yesterday was won by Matthew Teggart of the Nicolas Roche Performance Team.

German sprinter Andre Greipel believes he answered his critics after extending the country’s Tour de France sprint supremacy with victory on stage six yesterday from Arras to Reims.

Defending Tour de France champion Chris Froome became the second major casualty of this year’s race when he abandoned the race after a third crash in two days.

ALL-IRELAND SFC ROUND 2A:

Mayo manager James Horan has called former Connacht captain Gavin Duffy into his senior squad.

Sixmilebridge 1-11 Clonlara 0-11

Ireland 116 (6-22-14) Australian Indigenous All Stars 37 (2-7-4) (Ireland win series by 101 points on aggregate, 173 to 72)

Ireland’s International Rules manager Paul Earley insists there is no need to alter the playing rules to save the hybrid series.

So fare thee well Lance Franklin. We hardly knew ya.

The Australians’ attitude towards the International Rules series has again come under the spotlight with reports some of their players caused early morning disturbances in the team hotel in Clare.

Members of the Australian International Rules squad reportedly caused a number of early morning disturbances in their team hotel in Clare yesterday.

Ireland 57 Australian Indigenous All Stars 35

Australian coach Michael O’Loughlin believes the Indigenous All Stars are unlikely to represent Australia again after this year’s International Rules series.

Ireland captain Michael Murphy said he is fully prepared to lead out his country this evening, just 21 hours before he plays for Glenswilly in the Donegal SFC final.

It has been ignored, ridiculed, blamed for the departure of every Irish player to the AFL, castigated for occasional outbreaks of violence and, more than once, even shelved. However, the International Rules Series is back. Again.

Where Donie Buckley goes, improvement follows. And when his native Kerry didn’t involve him in a new management team, Mayo’s James Horan was quick to step in and quick to reap rewards

Tipperary football boss Peter Creedon has claimed his side were forced to warm up on an “atrocious surface” before last Saturday’s Allianz FL Division 4 clash with Clare in Ennis.

Eamon O’Shea was ratified as Tipperary’s new senior hurling team manager at a county board meeting in Thurles last night.