Sport in brief
Aiken regains cycling crown
CYCLING: Roger Aiken from Banbridge Cycling Club regained the Irish Cyclo-Cross Crown yesterday in Tymon Park, Dublin 24 which he last won in 2005 WRITES Tommy Campbell.
The defending champion Robin Seymour relinquished the title which he has won on no less than 15 occasions as the Team WORC man was second.
Third home was Joe McCall who had reason to celebrate with getting into the frame for the first time in 16 years.
"It must have been those extra Weetabix at breakfast this morning that made the difference. It was important that I got a good start and from then on it was a matter of consolidating my lead which varied from lap one to 10 seconds to 50 seconds in the intervening laps,'' said Seymour.
Brilliant Taylor named top boxer
BOXING: World and three-time European lightweight champion Katie Taylor was named Ireland's Number 1 boxer of 2007 at the IABA Awards Night at the Ringside club, Dublin over the weekend, WRITES THOMAS MYLER.
Katie, from St Fergals BC, Bray, Co Wicklow, made history in Denmark last October when she became the first boxer to win a third European gold medal. She is also one of the nominees for the Irish Independent/Jurys Doyle Hotels Young Sportstar of the Year award.
Belfast lightflyweight Paddy Barnes, who qualified for the Beijing Olympics by reaching the quarter-finals of the World Championships in Chicago in November, received the Anne Abatte Achievement award.
The three gold medal and two silver medal winners at last June's EU Championships in Dublin -- Keneth Egan, Darren Sutherland, Roy Sheahan, Cathal McMonagle and Carl Frampton -- shared the Senior International Achievers award, along with Taylor.
Hot favourite Anderson is out
DARTS: Hot favourite Gary Anderson was sent crashing out of the Lakeside BDO World Championships last night after a first-round defeat to teen qualifier Fabian Roosenbrand.
Number two seed Anderson, who had beaten the cream of both the BDO and PDC to lift the International Darts League and World Darts Trophy titles last year, lost 3-2 against the unknown Dutch 150-1 outsider.
The Scot -- who beat Phil Taylor last year -- missed countless doubles including five in the third set to fall behind. Anderson said afterwards: "The first round is just my voodoo in this tournament. I scored well but snatched my darts when throwing for doubles. My finishing was terrible."
