CHAMROUSSE, France -- If Vincenzo Nibali was looking happier Friday after the Tour de France rode into the Alps, heres why: His top rival fell out of
contention, he gained nearly a minute on his next-biggest challenger and oh, he
won Stage 13 to boot.
Jaroslav Halak
Jersey . On a sunbaked and melting Alpine road, the 29-year-old Italian,
cemented his control of cyclings greatest race with a solo-finish victory that
was an afterthought to gaining time on other title contenders. Team Skys Richie
Porte, who began the day in second, saw his title hopes all but vanish after he
lost about 9 minutes to Nibali on the last climb along the grueling
197.5-kilometre (122-mile) trek from Saint-Etienne to Chamrousse ski station.
Ever cautious, calm and understated after his stage win, Nibali noted that three
big Alpine climbs still await Saturday and other punishing ascents are on tap in
the Pyrenees next week. "For the coming days, I only know that I have to remain
quiet," he said. But in the winners circle, where he collected the yellow jersey
for the 11th time this year, Nibali perhaps let slip a bit more happy emotion --
knowing that a first Tour victory for an Italian since Marco Pantani in 1998
just got a little closer. "I expect more attacks tomorrow in another very hard
stage and next week," Nibali said. "My advantage over Porte is good now. Hes the
rider I feared the most in the closing time trial." If Nibalis mountain
dominance keeps up -- on Monday, he won the only other high-mountain stage so
far -- the 54-kilometre (33-mile) time-trial in Stage 20 from Bergerac to
Perigueux is the only real challenge left in his way. The unexpected has gone
Nibalis way. He surprised himself by winning an up-and-down Stage 2 stage in the
hills and dales of Yorkshire and capturing his first Tour yellow jersey. He
mastered cobblestone treachery in Stage 5, when 2012 Tour champ Chris Froome
crashed out. And then, two-time Tour winner Alberto Contador went out five
stages later after a fast downhill crash fractured his tibia. In a sport where
many dominant riders in past years later turned out to be drugs cheats, Nibali
confronted the issue of doping a day earlier, saying he expected questions about
it. "This theme belongs to the past," he said, crediting recent efforts like
enhanced testing and the biological passport to clean it up. This 101st Tour
could become the third straight in which the winner locked up victory from
before the halfway point. Last year, Froome was in yellow from the eighth stage
onward. In 2012, Bradley Wiggins had the shirt for good after Stage 7. Nibali
took it in Stage 2, lost it in Stage 9, and regained it a day later. Hes hoping
to take it home after a largely ceremonial ride on the Champs-Elysees in Paris
on July 27. A comeback by a rival would be exceptional by recent standards.
After the 13th stage last year, Froome had three other riders within minutes. In
2012, Wiggins had only two. After Fridays ride, no one is within three minutes
of Nibali. The first of two days in the snow-capped Alps lived up to its billing
as the daunting final climb of 18 kilometres (12 miles) with an average 7.3 per
cent gradient shook up the overall standings. The ride was hot: black tar on the
recently resurfaced road to Chamrousse melted. Big crowds lined the route,
including fans dressed as superheroes and one as a scantily clad Borat -- the
Sacha Baron Cohen film character. As riders embarked on the final climb, the
pack was mostly together and Valverdes Movistar team was pushing the pace. But
when it hit the steepest part, Porte struggled and dropped off the back and
Nibali briefly turned his head to look. Valverde attacked a short while later,
but Nibali and the others reeled him in. Nibali said he felt "better and better"
as he climbed, despite the heat of more than 30 degrees Celsius (86 F). When the
Italian saw "Richie Porte in trouble," he turned his attention to gaining time
on Valverde, he said. After two riders raced ahead, the Italian leader struck --
jumping out of his saddle, and pedaling while standing in the upright riding
position known in French as "la danseuse" or the dancer. He overtook them, and
went on to win. Portes troubles also meant others climbed in the standings:
Frances Romain Bardet moved up to third, countryman Thibaut Pinot was fourth,
and American Tejay van Garderen fifth. Nibali appeared to be taking a risk that
his effort to distance his rivals could come back to haunt him. By his own
admission a day earlier, he said that he feared the second Alpine day more.
Saturdays 177-kilometre (110-mile) stage takes riders over three tough climbs
from Grenoble to Risoul -- including the Izoard pass that is one of the hardest
under cyclings ranking system. Some of his rivals seem to be accepting that
Nibali may win. "Vincenzo is the strongest rider in the race, but after him,
there is a place to take," Bardet said, referring to the final podium. Nibali
"played it well", said FDJ.FR team manager Marc Madiot. "Now he can say Ive got
all the cards, I can do what I want, when I want and if you try to slap me, I
give two slaps in return."
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Josh Bailey
Jersey .Gasol had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and the Bulls beat the
winless Orlando Magic 98-90 on Tuesday night.Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 21
points and Taj Gibson added 16 for Chicago, which finally pulled away in the
final minutes of a game that was tied after three quarters.
http://www.hockeyislandersstore.us/Thomas-Greiss-Jersey/ . In the late match, Shinji Okazaki scored two goals to pace Mainz to a 3-2
victory at Werder Bremen. Goals from Milan Badelj, Maximilian Beister and Hakan
Calhanoglu ended Hamburgs two-match losing run and kept Hannover winless in
seven games.Auckland, New Zealand (SportsNetwork.com) - Two-time NCAA singles
champion Steve Johnson posted an opening-round win Monday at the Heineken Open
tennis event, a final Australian Open tune-up. The eighth-seeded American took
care of Portuguese Joao Sousa 7-5, 6-4 on the hardcourts at ASB Tennis Centre.
Also on Day 1, German Jan-Lennard Struff overcame Austrian Dominic Thiem 66-7
(6-8), 6-4, 6-3 and Frances Adrian Mannarino drilled Argentine Federico Delbonis
6-1, 6-1.
Casey
Cizikas Jersey. This weeks top seeds are Spaniard Tommy Robredo and
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