Paris  - Giro d'Italia and Vuelta champion Alberto Contador of Spain won the prestigious Golden Bike award for the second straight year on Wednesday.

Contador received 72 votes as he beat Olympic time trial champion Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland (47) and Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre of Spain (36) in the poll among the cycling media conducted by France's Velo Magazine.

Contador, 25, won the Tour in 2007 and completed his collection of major race wins this year at the Giro and Tour of Spain. He was unable to go for a second Tour de France title because his Astana team was not invited in 2008 over its doping-tainted past.

London  - Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is confident the 2009 world drivers' championship will be decided by the number of race wins rather than points total as is currently the case.

Under the proposed system, gold medals will be awarded to race winners and the driver securing the most grand prix victories by the end of the season would be crowned world champion.

At the moment, a race win earns a driver 10 points, with eight points available for second place and six for third as the top eight finishers receive points.

Madrid - Spanish football giants Valencia on Wednesday announced the signing of left-back Thiago Carleto from Brazilian club Santos.

Cologne- Bundesliga club Cologne confirmed on Tuesday night that they are plan to bring their long lost son Lukas Podolski back home to the club from Bayern Munich.

Club president Wolfgang Overath and general manager Michael Meier said that Cologne have talked with the relevant parties and now wait for a signal from Munich on the future of the Germany striker.

"We have done our homework and will do everything to bring Lukas back home," Overath told Cologne's annual members meeting amid thunderous applause.

Meier said: "Talks were held recently between Cologne and Bayern Munich and between Cologne and Lukas. Now we are waiting for a signal."

London, Nov 26: Former England skipper Michael Vaughan who was dropped for India tour, has said that he was prepared to play in the upcoming two-Test series against India, if required.

The English cricketer, who is also presently in India, said he was ready to help out England captain Kevin Pietersen, especially when the tourists are being thrashed by the hosts in the ongoing ODI series.

England is currently 0-4 down in the seven-match ODT series.

Sydney, Nov. 26 : Out of favour Australian off-spinner Nathan Hauritz has been called into the Australian squad for the second Test against New Zealand in Adelaide.

Hauritz has been called in as cover for Jason Krejza, who twisted his right ankle during a fielding drill at the Adelaide Oval this morning.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Krejza, who took a sensational 12 wickets in his debut Test in Nagpur against India earlier this month, has been sent to hospital for scans on his right ankle and is in doubt for Friday''s match.

Hauritz, who represents New South Wales in the Sheffield Sheild, played his only Test as a replacement for an injured Shane Warne in Mumbai four years ago.