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The Irish News Archive: July 14 1998: Chris Boardman crashes out of Tour

Injured: Chris Boardman
Injured: Chris Boardman

CHRIS Boardman, Ireland’s adopted Tour de France hope, sadly crashed out of the event here in Cork yesterday.

As thousands watched the action on a large screen in Cork city centre, a deafening silence fell when pictures showed Boardman lying without movement on the circuit following a sickening crash. Boardman looked set to make headway towards the front of the Peleton when the crash occurred not far from the city.

He lay still for several minutes and the carnival atmosphere was wiped from the smiling face of onlookers. It was the second crash of the tour in Ireland and a third was to follow moments later, a 25- man pile up which again involved members of Mario Cipollini’s Seako team.

The disciplined Telekom team rallied to the support of German Erik Zabel when Boardman went down. The English man was rushed to Cork Hospital and detained overnight.

However, he regained consciousness en route to the hospital and was last night nursing a suspected broken cheekbone, head, leg and arm injuries and the conclusion of his 1998 Tour de France.

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DONEGAL’S only injury worry going into Sunday's Ulster ZFC final is St Eunan’s corner-back Mark Crossan, who the Donegal selectors are hoping can recover in time for the Sunday.

Should Crossan’s hamstring not improve in time, then Raymond Sweeney would be the obvious replacement, lining out at full-back and John Joe Doherty moving out to the corner.

In goal there will be a straight choice between Burt man Paul Callaghan, who missed the Cavan game through a calf injury, and Tony Blake, who replaced him in the semi-final and acquitted himself well.

Midfield is one area of concern for Bonner. Jim McGuinness is assured a place against Anthony Tohill, but the other spot could be filled by James Ruane, Brian Murray. Noel Hegarty or even John Gildea.

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MEDAL hope Gareth Turnbull has withdrawn for the World Junior Track & Field Championships which start later this month.

The Belfastman revealed yesterday that he was left with no option but to pull out of French Alpine event after effectively missing six weeks of training through illness.

That means he will be unable to join his ex-St Malachy’s College teammate Colm McLean at in the French Alpine resort of Annecy. Turnbull, who won a bronze medal at the European Junior tests last summer, underwent a series of blood tests with sports medicine doctor Michael Cullen at Belfast’s Musgrave Park Hospital last month after a series of below-par performances in April and May.

Former World bantamweight champ Wayne McCullough dropped in to the St Malachy’s gym last Sunday to wish Ulster’s Commonwealth Games squad all the best for their Kuala Lumpur challenge in September.

The Highfield star, who stood on the Commonwealth gold medal rostrum in Auckland in 1990, was paying a flying visit home from Las Vegas and was a big hit with the local amateur fighters said Dockers club coach Paddy Fitzsimmons.

“He talked to all the lads in the gym, encouraging them and having a bit of a laugh. He’s not had it all his own way in his career recently but he made time for the amateur kids. He’s a real gentleman, always was,” said Fitzsimmons.

McCullough, now sporting soccer-style dyed blonde hair, is seeking to resurrect his world title claims after losing out for the WBC super bantam crown to the great Daniel Zaragoza in January in Boston last year.