MONTECASSINO, Italy (AFP) — Race leader Michael Matthews of Australia won the gruelling sixth stage of the Giro d’Italia yesterday as compatriot Cadel Evans lurked on a day’s racing marred by a nasty crash.

Matthews, 23, surged home in a sprint finish to the 257km stage from Sassano to Montecassino, the longest on the Tour, ahead of Belgian Tim Wellens and Evans.

The leading peloton had a 49-second advantage over the main chasing pack that included a host of rivals to Evans, the big beneficiary of the day’s racing.

Heavy rain made for a slick surface and there were two falls in the final 12km, 8.7km of which was a steep climb.

Evan’s BMC teammate, Switzerland’s Steve Morabito, accelerated away to build up a lead that the fallen riders were unable to reel in.

In the general classication, Matthews has a 21-second lead over Evans, with Colombian Rigoberto Uran at 1:18 minutes.

Today’s seventh stage is a 231km ride from Frosinone to Foligno, and Matthews vowed no let-up.

MONTECASSINO, Italy — Australian Michael Matthews (centre) celebrates his pink jersey of the overall leader on the podium after winning the Sixth stage of the 97th Giro d’Italia, Tour of Italy, cycling race from Sassano to Montecassino here, yesterday. (PHOTO: AFP)

Clippers coach Rivers fined for bashing officials

NEW YORK, USA (AFP) — The NBA fined Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers $25,000 yesterday for criticising the officials after his team’s 105-104 play-off loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

The final moments of the contest included an out-of-bounds replay that favoured the Thunder and led to Russell Westbrook’s winning shots from the free-throw line.

“That could be a series-defining call. And that is not right,” an irate Rivers said after the game.

“Everybody knows it was our ball. I think the bottom line is they thought it was a foul and made up for it. We got robbed.”

The victory gave the Thunder a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference second-round series and a chance to wrap up the set last night in Los Angeles.

Rod Thorn, NBA president for basketball operations, announced the fine yesterday.

CSKA Moscow retains Russian football title

KHIMKI, Russia (AP) — CSKA Moscow retained the Russian Premier League title with a last-day win over Lokomotiv Moscow yesterday.

CSKA prevailed 1-0 at home to take their fifth Russian title by one point, as Zenit St Petersburg won 4-1 away to FC Kuban to finish second and qualify for the Champions League.

Lokomotiv led the title race for much of the season before their form dipped. They finished third, earning a berth in the Europa League.

Serbian winger Zoran Tosic’s 47th-minute goal gave CSKA the win against Lokomotiv, completing a remarkable season for his team, which was nine points off the league lead in March.

Ex-NFL star charged in 2 more shooting deaths

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) — Former NFL star Aaron Hernandez, who was already accused of murder in a man’s shooting death last year, “ambushed and executed” two other men a year earlier after an encounter at a nightclub, prosecutors said yesterday in announcing new murder charges against Hernandez in their deaths.

The arrest of Hernandez on a murder charge last year stunned the American sports world. Hernandez earned big money as a star for the Boston area’s New England Patriots, one of the most successful teams in recent years in the National Football League, by far the most popular pro sports league in the US.

In the new charges, Hernandez is accused of shooting the victims to death as they sat in a car in Boston’s trendy South End on July 16, 2012. Police have said they were shot by someone who drove up alongside in an SUV with Rhode Island licence plates and opened fire, and Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley said yesterday in announcing that Hernandez has been indicted that the victims were “ambushed and executed as they drove home” and that Hernandez was the gunman.

Weeks later, Hernandez signed a five-year deal worth about $40 million with the Patriots and went on to play 12 games as a tight end for the team that season.

Smooching Sevilla players raise eyebrows

SEVILLE, Spain (AP) — As Sevilla celebrate their Europa League triumph, an intimate kiss between teammates has grabbed the spotlight.

Sevilla captain Ivan Rakitic and Portuguese teammate Daniel Carrico shared a mouth-on-mouth smooch at Juventus Stadium in Turin on Wednesday.

Rakitic said: “He wanted to give me a kiss on my face, it turned out that way and the cameras just happened to catch it. It was just luck that it turned out that way, what do you want me to do?”

The team was travelling back to Seville yesterday to take the trophy to the Andalucian capital for the third time since 2006.

SEVILLE, Spain — Sevilla’s Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic poses with the Europa League trophy upon his team’s arrival at Sevilla’s airport one day after winning the Europa League final over Benfica. Spanish side Sevilla sensationally claimed a third Europa League title after a dramatic penalty shoot-out in Turin. (PHOTO: AFP)

Puyol bids Barca goodbye after 15 seasons

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Carles Puyol reluctantly quit football yesterday, his knees no longer able to endure the demands of the Barcelona defence after 15 years, the most successful period in the club’s history.

At an organised send-off at the Camp Nou, Puyol said his goodbyes having won 21 trophies since his debut during the 1998-99 season, with nagging knee injuries having forced him out.

“I gave everything. (But) we couldn’t find a solution (to the injury) though we never stopped trying,” said Puyol, who ruled out playing for any other club due to his knee injury.

Puyol made just under 600 appearances for the club, and as the captain he led the Catalan club to three Champions League titles and six Spanish league trophies.

“For me this is the end of an era. A new one begins and I wish I will enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed this one,” Puyol said. “I can’t believe the career I’ve had. I’ve lived the dream of millions of children.”

The 36-year-old Puyol made 100 appearances for Spain, winning the 2010 World Cup following the European Championship in 2008.

PUYOL… for me this is the end of an era

Ribery takes aim at Bayern coach Guardiola

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Franck Ribery has criticised Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola as he battles to be fit for tomorrow’s German Cup final showdown against Borussia Dortmund amidst the Bavarians’ midfield injury concerns.

Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara will definitely miss the clash at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium having been ruled out of next month’s World Cup after suffering a new knee injury on Monday while on the verge of making his comeback.

The German champions are also waiting on the fitness of defensive midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who has strained knee ligaments, and winger Ribery, who is struggling with a back problem.

But Ribery said Guardiola’s rotation sytem has not helped him with the Spaniard struggling to give his star-studded squad enough games during his first season in charge.

“Sometimes you play, sometimes you sit on the bench, sometimes you stay at home and aren’t even in the squad,” Ribery, who was shortlisted for the 2013 Ballon d’Or award, told German magazine Kicker.

But the timing of Ribery’s comments did little to impress director of sport Matthias Sammer.

“The time to talk about these things is not just before a cup final,” said Bayern boss Sammer.

Bayern are chasing the double having already won the Bundesliga title, but while Guardiola can win his fourth title since taking charge last June, a third defeat to Dortmund this season would mean a bad 2013/14 campaign for the Bavarian giants, especially having bowed out of the Champions League in the semi-finals.

RIBERY… I need a break after five or six games, not after just one