Pro cycling Team Sky "has appointed Australian triathlon expert SHAUN STEPHENS as its new performance coach (BBC, 11/14). Stephens "leaves his current roles as head coach and program manager at the Australian Institute of Sport and Triathlon Australia to work alongside Team Sky Pro cycling's Head of Performance TIM KERRISON in a full-time capacity (ROAD CYCLING, 11/14).
TROUBLE AHEAD: Jockey FRANKIE DETTORI "failed a drug test in France in September." Dettori, one of the most recognizable faces in the sport, will be "facing the medical committee of France Galop next week with the possibility of a lengthy ban hanging over him" (Irish INDEPENDENT, 11/14). ... Luxembourg tennis player CLAUDINE SCHAUL was sentenced to 18 months on probation for cocaine trafficking by a Luxembourg court. In addition, the 29-year-old also received a 12-month driver's license suspension (BLICK, 11/14).
KICK IN THE GRASS: U.K.-based social enterprise Alive & Kicking revealed that it has signed up Man City and England national team footballer MICAH RICHARDS as its first brand ambassador. Alive & Kicking has set up football stitching factories in Kenya, Zambia and Ghana. The factories have created more than 120 jobs in areas of high unemployment and have stitched more than 400,000 balls, a quarter of which have been donated to children who otherwise would be playing with homemade alternatives (Alive & Kicking). ... EPL club West Ham United has immortalized Owners DAVID GOLD and DAVID SULLIVAN as "brilliant bobble-head figurines, available to buy from the club shop for £11.99 ($19) apiece." The set is completed by player MARK NOBLE, "who appears in a vintage West Ham home kit" (London DAILY MAIL, 11/14).
LEAVE IT ON THE ICE: German second-tier hockey club Heilbronner Falken has signed NHL Philadelphia Flyers player BRUNO GERVAIS during the league's lockout. Gervais is the team's second NHL player after goaltender JONATHAN BERNIER (DPA, 11/13). ... NHL Buffalo Sabres player CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF, who is playing for the German Hockey League (DEL) club Krefeld Pinguine during the NHL lockout, said that he "plays for free." Ehrhoff said he "doesn't earn a cent." He added, "The club has enough to do to pay my insurance." Sources said that Ehrhoff's insurance is around €20,000 ($25,450) per month (SPOX, 11/14). ... While the NHL and the NHL Players' Association "are still in a lockout, four former NHL players had their big moment on Monday night." JOE SAKIC, ADAM OATES, PAVEL BURE and MATS SUNDIN were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto as its "Class of 2012" (KICKER, 11/13).
