Sports Briefs: Armstrong cleared for comeback race

GENEVA -- Cycling's governing body is relaxing its rules to allow Lance Armstrong to make his comeback at a road race in Australia in January.

The International Cycling Union said that Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France champion, can compete in the Jan. 20-25 Tour Down Under, his first race since coming out of retirement after three years.

A strict application of testing rules would not have allowed Armstrong, 37, to compete until Feb. 1, 2009, six months after he filed paperwork with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

But the UCI said yesterday that Armstrong could return early because its drug-testing standards have improved since the rule was drawn up four years ago.

"Riders are now subject to a much-reinforced system of monitoring compared to that of the past," the governing body said in a statement. "Lance Armstrong has and will be the subject of very strict monitoring throughout the period running up to his return to the peloton."

Armstrong's comeback is meant to draw attention to his global campaign to fight cancer, a disease he survived before winning seven straight Tours from 1999 through 2005.

Hockey

■ The Carolina Hurricanes have completed their roster for opening night.

The Hurricanes yesterday released their 23-man roster for Friday night's regular-season opener against Florida -- and it includes their first-round draft pick this year.

Center Zach Boychuk made the team four months after Carolina selected him with the 14th pick in the draft. He is recovering after a pin was removed from his surgically repaired left wrist.

The team also announced the status of two forwards: Scott Walker will start the season on the injured list, and Justin Williams is on the nonroster injured list. Walker will miss six weeks with a torn ligament in his hand, while Williams is out at least three more months with a torn Achilles tendon.

■ The San Jose Sharks assigned defenseman Kyle McLaren to their minor-league affiliate in Worcester yesterday after no NHL teams claimed McLaren, a 12-year NHL veteran, on waivers.

McLaren, who spent the past 4½ seasons with the Sharks, was waived Tuesday in a move to create salary-cap room. McLaren is to make $2.5 million this season, but he didn't fit the Sharks' plans after the club added defensemen Rob Blake, Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich to a young defensive core including Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Christian Ehrhoff and Doug Murray.

Basketball

■ Wizards center Brendan Haywood needs surgery for a torn ligament in his right wrist.

Washington wasn't saying how much of the regular season he was expected to miss. Haywood, injured during training camp, visited two hand specialists in New York yesterday.

His operation has not been scheduled.

All-Star forward Antawn Jamison has a bruised right knee and is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season. An MRI exam yesterday showed no other damage.

■ Coach Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers was at practice yesterday, a day after missing the team's preseason opener because of soreness and swelling in his lower legs.

Team spokesman John Black said that Jackson felt better, although he hadn't decided whether he would travel to Fresno for tonight's game against the Los Angeles Clippers and probably wouldn't make a decision until this morning.

Assistant coach Kurt Rambis ran the Lakers in a 99-90 loss to Utah team in place of Jackson, 63, who remained home and watched the game with his legs elevated. Jackson has been experiencing discomfort for the past few days and was examined Monday by a team doctor.

Soccer

■ European champion Spain remained No. 1 in the latest FIFA rankings released yesterday, with Italy No. 2 and Germany No. 3. Brazil advanced two spots to No. 4, and the Netherlands and Croatia dropped a place each to Nos. 5 and 6, with Argentina staying No. 7.

The United States climbed seven places to No. 21, and fellow CONCACAF member Mexico stayed at No. 24.

■ Wake Forest will play at Duke tonight at 7 in a matchup of ACC women's soccer teams ranked among the nation's top 15. Duke (9-2-1 overall, 1-1-1 ACC) is No. 9; Wake Forest (8-3, 1-2) is No. 15.

Duke leads the series 11-5-2 and is 6-0-1 against Wake Forest in Durham. Wake Forest, however, won the last meeting, 1-0 in last season's ACC Tournament. Each team lost to North Carolina in its last game.