If Taranaki are to use yesterday's match against Auckland as a yardstick for where they sit in the national championship, then they will know there is plenty of work to do.

It took months to build and a night to burn down.

For the second stage in a row, a cyclist in an all-day breakaway survived for a solo victory on Stage 9 at the Vuelta a Espana. The stage winner, David Lopez (Caisse d'Epargne), attacked the other cyclists in the breakaway about 2 miles from the finish in Alcoi, ending a 116-mile day with seven category 2 and 3 climbs. Meanwhile, there was no change among the top contenders for the overall lead ...