stage. Georges can request that a backup "B" sam

MADRID -- Spanish authorities have detained 34 people, including six tennis players, involved in a tennis match-fixing network that made more than half-a-million dollars from lower-tier tournaments in Spain and Portugal.Police said Thursday that Operation Futures probed several Futures and Challenger tournaments in Iberia for the past several months and found evidence that results were rigged.The tennis players were not identified, but authorities said they were ranked between 800 and 1,200 in the world. Their Spanish rankings ranged between 30 and 300.Police said they found evidence of match-fixing attempts in 17 mens tournaments in five cities, including Madrid, Seville and Porto.Authorities said the two alleged leaders of the network were among those detained across 12 Spanish cities. The leaders were based in Seville and La Coruna. All those detained were Spaniards and are expected to remain free pending trial.If convicted of corruption in sports, they could face prison sentences of up to four years.The investigation began after a tip given by a player to the Tennis Integrity Unit, the sports anti-corruption body.Investigation of corruption allegations by law enforcement agencies takes precedence over tennis disciplinary action, the body said in an email. The TIU will continue to work co-operatively with (Spanish police) and offer its full support and access to resources.Authorities took the case forward after noticing an unusual amount of online bets related to the suspected tournaments.The network allegedly used instant-messaging groups and social media to attract online betters who would pay for the information about rigged results.The players who accepted participating in the scheme would receive about $1,000 for each match. In some cases, they were asked to lose specific points or games.The networks earnings in some of the tournaments surpassed $10,000.The Challenger tournaments are second-tier events organized by the ATP, while the Futures are single-week competitions organized by the International Tennis Federation offering either $10,000 or $25,000 in prize money.There were nearly 39 Futures tournaments in Spain this season, and more than 10 in Portugal. Spain hosted Challenger events in Sevilla and Segovia.---Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni Joe Carter Jersey . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. Randal Grichuk Jersey . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. http://www.officialbluejaysgearshop.com/Blue-Jays-Josh-Donaldson-Kids-Jersey/ . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Justin Smoak Jersey . Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the April 15 race in an area packed with fans cheering the passing runners. Three people were killed and more than 260 injured, including at least 16 who lost limbs. Kendrys Morales Jersey . After a lengthy wait, persistent rain finally forced the postponement of the Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p.AIGLE, Switzerland -- French rider Sylvain Georges tested positive for a banned stimulant in a doping test at the Giro dItalia. The international cycling federation said Wednesday that traces of the stimulant Heptaminol were found in a urine sample from Georges after Fridays seventh stage. Georges can request that a backup "B" sample be tested. No provisional ban was given, although Georges did not start Wednesdays 11th stage. The 28-year-old Georges rides for the AG2R La Mondiale team. During last weeks fourth stage, Georges attempted a solo attack on the final climb but was quickly chased down.dddddddddddd After Tuesdays 10th stage he stood 81st overall -- 1 hour, 3 minutes, 54 seconds behind race leader Vincenzo Nibali. It was the first doping case reported during this years race. The UCI considers Heptaminol a specified substance, which the World Anti-Doping Agency defines as those that are "more susceptible to a credible, non-doping explanation." Bans for such substances are often shorter, and athletes have a better chance of proving that they did not intend to consume it or enhance their performance. ' ' '