Footballs World Cup. A Super Bowl ring. The tiny Ashes urn in cricket. And, of course, the yellow jersey. No list of the most famous trophies in sports can be complete if it doesnt include that gaudy shirt from the Tour de France -- and British speedster Mark Cavendish aims to get his hands on the first one this year. Over the next three weeks, 21 of them will be distributed at the 100th Tour. None will be more important than the last one -- worn by the overall winner on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on July 21: Many pundits believe that will be either Britains Chris Froome or two-time Tour champion Alberto Contador of Spain. But it would be a mistake to reduce the Tour to a two-horse race. Multiple heartbreaks, crashes and other dramas await over the meandering 3,404-kilometre (2,110-mile) trek along wind-swept sea sides, through flat plains and Alpine and Pyrenean mountain punishment, and even to a medieval island citadel in the English Channel. The first story could be written by Cavendish: the "Manx Missile" is a favourite to win the mostly flat Stage 1 over 213 kilometres (132 miles) from Porto Vecchio to Bastia in the race debut on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica on Saturday. The Briton, whose muscle, timing and accelerations make him the finest sprinter of his generation, has already won other coveted prizes in his sport. In 2011, he won both the green jersey given to the best Tour sprinter and the rainbow-striped jersey awarded to cyclings road-race world champion. The yellow jersey, however, has eluded his grasp. "Its not just one of the most iconic symbols in cycling, its one of the most iconic symbols in the world of sport," Cavendish said. "To be able to wear that for at least a day in your life, its a thing to make any riders career. Its a thing you dream about when youre a child. It would be a beautiful thing." Cycling could use some beautiful things. This is the first Tour since Lance Armstrong was stripped of his record seven victories for doping, which he finally admitted to on U.S. cable TV after years of denials that were exposed as lies by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Despite millions spent on fighting drug use in the peloton, blasts from cyclings checkered past keep on coming: Ahead of this race, French media reported that a Senate investigation into the effectiveness of doping controls pieced together evidence that a urine sample provided by long-beloved French rider Laurent Jalabert contained EPO, cyclings designer drug, at the Tour of 1998. Tour organizers will be hoping the racing drama of the next three weeks will push such miseries to the background. In the traditional pre-race presentation, the 22 teams took a stage one after the other Thursday in Porto Vecchio, with its idyllic mountain backdrop on Frances "isle of beauty." Hundreds of fans clapped politely, as white yachts stuck up like teeth from the shimmering blue Mediterranean. Contador predicts an action-packed race in this comeback year for him. The 30-year-old Spaniard was stripped of his 2010 Tour title and missed out last year over a doping ban. He could be the biggest danger for Froome. Both riders excel in mountain climbs that feature heavily this year. But Contador said there would be more to this Tour than simply their rivalry. "This year wont just be the story of two riders; well have more actors in this film," he said. "This year will see more action than in past years," he added. Of Froome, he said: "I would have no motivation to be here if I thought I couldnt beat him." Among longer-shot contenders are 2011 Tour winner Cadel Evans of Australia -- though at 36, his legs arent the freshest -- and his young BMC teammate Tejay Van Garderen of the United States, plus Spaniards Alejandro Valverde of Movistar and Joaquim Rodriguez of Katusha. Bradley Wiggins, the 2012 Tour winner and a Sky teammate of Froome, is sitting out this year due to injury. Last year Froome was more impressive than Wiggins in the mountains, but that race was more heavily weighted to time trials -- Wiggins specialty -- than in this years edition. Like Wiggins last year, Froome has had a nearly flawless run-up to the Tour: the 28-year-old Kenyan-born Briton won four of five races he started. He said hes confident, but not fond of the "favourite" moniker. "Its an absolutely privilege for me to be in this position," he said, but "there is a certain amount of pressure that comes with it." "Coming in as the race favourite sets that precedent of people looking to beat you ... so it definitely opens doors that people may be ganging up," he said, acknowledging the possibility that Valverde, Contador and Rodriguez might form a Spanish alliance against him. Contador is high in Froomes mind. "I dont think we have seen Contador at his best yet," he said. "His goal was never to perform well at any of the races building up to the Tour, but then to come to the Tour at his absolute best. I believe hell be here at his best -- and thats what well expect." Andy Schleck, who inherited the 2010 title stripped from Contador for testing positive for the muscle-building drug clenbuterol, said this years mountainous course would have suited him under normal circumstances. But hes coming off a rough year -- including a crash injury to his lower back that kept him out last year. The Luxembourg rider considers himself an "outsider" -- not a favourite. The race spends three days on Corsicas winding, hilly roads. It then sets off on a clockwise run through mainland France along the Mediterranean, into the Pyrenees, then up to Brittany and the fabled Mont-Saint-Michel island citadel before a slashing jaunt southeastward toward the Alps before the Paris finish. "The Tours always full of surprises," said Garmin-Sharp team director Jonathan Vaughters, insisting his American squad could have contenders like Ryder Hesjedal of Canada and Andrew Talansky of the United States. "The easy answer is: Yes, its Chris Froome vs. Alberto Contador -- but I think were going to try and make the answer not as easy." Cheap Adidas NMD . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield. Cheap Sneakers China Free Shipping . Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. http://www.sneakersonsalecheap.com/cheap-air-max-sneakers.html . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. Cheap Nike Shoes Wholesale . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. Air Force 1 Clearance Sale . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. 3 Team scores in the Ranji Trophy lower than Himachal Pradeshs 36, against Hyderabad in this round, which did not result in a defeat for the side. The lowest total to not end in a defeat in Ranji is Eastern Punjabs 31 against Railways in 1958-59, followed by 33 for Kerala against Andhra in 1969-70 and then again 33 for Andhra against Kerala in 1997-98. All matches, including the Himachal Pradesh-Hyderabad game, ended in draws. The score of 36 was also Himachals lowest in first-class matches; their previous lowest was 64 against Services in 1986-87.12 Batsmen who were unbeaten in the 290s in first-class cricket. Deepak Hooda became the 12th player, when he ran out of partners and was stranded seven runs short of a triple-century against Punjab. The previous instance of a player remaining unbeaten in the 290s was Fawad Alam, who finished on 296 in a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match in 2008-09. Two other players were stranded in the 290s in the Ranji Trophy - Shantanu Sugwekar (299*) and Gursharan Singh (298*), both in the 1988-89 season. Hoodas innings is the second-highest individual score for Baroda, after Gul Mohammads 319 in the 1946-47 final. 3 Centuries for Hooda in three matches this season. He is the only one to score three centuries in this edition so far, and has scored one in each game he has played. He had scores of 118, 46 and 100 not out in the first two matches before his 293 not out in this round. Hooda had scored three centuries in his first 25 first-class innings, while his three recent centuries have come in only four innings.209 Yuvraj Singhs previous highest first-class score, which he surpassed with his 260 against Baroda in this round. He made his fourth first-class double-century and his first in the Ranji Trophy; two of his previous double-hunddreds came in the Duleep Trophy and one in the Irani Cup.dddddddddddd His previous highest in Ranji Trophy matches was 187, against Gujarat last season. His innings is also the highest by a Punjab captain, trumping Navjot Sidhus 259 not out in 1995-96.343 Runs added by Manan Vohra and Yuvraj for the third-wicket - the highest third-wicket stand for Punjab. The partnership eclipsed the 284 runs added by Ravneet Ricky and Dinesh Mongia against Uttar Pradesh in 2003-04. The 343-run stand is the fourth-highest for any wicket for Punjab in first-class matches.6 Tamil Nadu players who have scored a century on first-class debut, including Narayan Jagadeesan who hit 123 not out against Madhya Pradesh in this round. The previous player to do so was Arun Karthik in 2008-09.7/50 Rishi Dhawans returns in the first innings against Hyderabad - his first-class best. His previous best was 7 for 93 against Tripura in Agartala in 2014-15.10/112 Ashok Dindas figures against Railways - his second-best match figures in first-class cricket. He took five wickets in each innings of the match and has taken three five-wicket hauls in the season so far, the most by any bowler. He also reached the milestone of 250 Ranji Trophy wickets in this match. No other bowler has taken more than 200 wickets for Bengal since Dindas debut in 2005-06.36 Innings without a century for Gautam Gambhir in first-class matches before his 147 against Odisha. His previous first-class hundred was scored in December 2014. Since then he made 12 fifties in 36 innings, including five dismissals in 90s. In ten first-class innings since August this year, he has scored 50 or more six times. ' ' '