Lob & Kritik » as in Aspen it seemed like everybody I met

BAIONA, Spain -- Belgiums Gianni Meersman beat a pack of sprinters to claim the Spanish Vueltas second stage on Sunday for his first win at a grand tour.The 30-year-old Meersman was launched by his Etixx-Quick Step team in the final meters and stayed in front of a huge group to win the relatively flat 160.8-kilometer (99.9-mile) ride from Ourense to Baiona in 4 hours, 16 minutes, 39 seconds.Polands Michal Kwiatkowski took the leaders red jersey from Sky teammate Peter Kennaugh for Mondays mountain stage.Chris Froome, also of Sky, and Movistar rivals Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde remained on the same time with Kwiatkowski.Three-time Vuelta winner Alberto Contador stayed 52 seconds back after his Tinkoff team struggled through the opening stages time trial, which was won by Sky.Meersman said that he told his wife and family to be sure to watch Sundays stage on television because his team had selected it for him to go for the win.She was crying and they were yelling at the TV, Meersman said after talking to his wife by telephone. Today was the big goal for me. I was planning for this stage, I had it in my mind. I was so many times second and third, but my team really trusted me.On Monday, riders face a 170-kilometer (105.6-mile) route along the Atlantic coast starting in Marin. A flat first half is followed by three climbs finishing at the Mirador de Ezaro summit.The 21-stage race ends in Madrid on Sept. 11. Air Max 95 Cheap Uk .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. Clearance Air Max 95 Uk . Zvonareva, who won the tournament in 2009 and 10, couldnt handle her opponents big groundstrokes in only her third event back after 17 months out with a shoulder injury. Zvonareva made her comeback in January in Shenzhen and played in the Australian Open but lost her first matches at both tournaments. http://www.airmax95saleuk.com/ . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Nike Air Max 95 Outlet Uk . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. Air Max 95 Wholesale Uk . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda.HOUSTON -- Dwight Howard has a new team and catchy new nickname. "Hes not Superman anymore. Hes Rocket Man now," longtime Rockets broadcaster Bill Worrell said Saturday as he introduced the teams major free agent acquisition. As Howard took the stage and greeted several Houston officials including owner Leslie Alexander and coach Kevin McHale, a couple of his new teammates playfully repeated his new moniker -- Rocket Man, Rocket Man -- and were met with a huge, toothy smile from Howard. "It means a lot to me just to have a fresh start and have an opportunity to write my own story," Howard said. "I dont think people understood the fact that I got traded to L.A., and now I had a chance to really choose my own destiny, and this is the place where I chose and Im happy about it." The Rockets gave him a four-year deal worth about $88 million, a year less and far below the $118 million the Lakers could have offered. The centre was formally introduced in Houston on Saturday after spurning the Lakers to sign with the Rockets. He was greeted by some of the brightest stars in team history. Hall of Fame centre Hakeem Olajuwon and Yao Ming were among those on hand to celebrate Howards signing. Also joining the party were Ralph Sampson, Clyde Drexler and Elvin Hayes. He will be the latest in a storied line of centres to play for the Rockets. He has long worked with Olajuwon to improve his game, and "The Dream" was among the contingent that flew to Los Angeles to woo him into joining the Rockets. Olajuwon didnt shy away from raving about his student. "He is the missing piece where he can really bring the team to a championship contender," he said. Howard joins a team starring James Harden that reached the playoffs for the first time since 2009 and battled back from a 3-0 deficit before being eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6. General manager Daryl Morey, who led the effort to land Howard, is excited about upgrading his team and knows this puts the Rockets among the preseason favourites to contend for a championship. "I think it absolutely gives us a chance," he said. "What you do this job for is to have a chance. The reality is five to seven teams have a chance any given year. The way it is in this league, youve got to have multiple All-Stars, you generally have to have dominant top players and we have two guys that we think are in the top 10 in the league in James and Dwight." Howard was traded from Orlando to the Lakers in a four-team trade that also included Philadelphia and Denver last year. He recovered from back surgery last season and averaged 17.1 points and 12.4 rebounds His one season in Los Angeles was filled with unrest, including an admission that there were times that he wasnt having fun and what many believed to be a less than positive relationship with Kobe Bryant The Rockets believve that will change in Houston.dddddddddddd "If you can be a great player and cant be happy, what difference does it make? Hell be very happy here," Alexander said. "Dwight recognizes that his boyhood dreams will come true as a Rocket." Yao made a call to Howard to help recruit the 27-year-old player to Houston. As the most recent star centre to play for the Rockets, Yao is eager to see Howard take the team to "the next level." "I feel so happy that he chose the Rockets and I feel the Rockets will be the best fitting team for him because we have such a great, rich history of big men," Yao said. Howard is perfectly happy dealing with lofty expectations from outsiders because he believes he should control the game every time he sets foot on the court. "Thats what Ive always expected out of myself," he said. "Before I got injured, thats what I did every night -- I dominated the game on both ends of the floor. Its not about putting up big numbers, none of that; the biggest thing is just going out there and having fun and dominating and thats what Im going to do." Of all the people the Rockets enlisted to help lure Howard to Houston, the star admitted that his new teammate Chandler Parsons made the biggest impact. "Chandler is probably the guy you should really thank," Howard said. "Hes been blowing my phone up every day. Hes been great." Howard couldnt pinpoint one thing Parsons said that helped sway his decision, but noted that they had numerous conversations about Houstons great team chemistry and the feeling of family. Parsons, a second-round pick in 2011 who has developed into a solid starter, said he tried to sell Howard on the idea of winning. "I just told him: Were going to be really good without you, were going to win games without you. Come make us great," he said. The Rockets also got a push in a rather random way. Howard was in Aspen, Colo., while mulling his options and prayed for a sign of what he should do. "I believe in signs ... and when I was in Aspen it seemed like everybody I met was from Houston," he said. "I just had a good feeling in my soul about everything, the direction of the team, and just had a great feeling about what they were trying to accomplish." Though his nickname got switched on Saturday, the Rockets unveiled a Superman-inspired marketing campaign this week that features a mans torso with hands ripping back a suit to reveal a red shirt that says Rockets, above their slogan A New Age. That picture along with several other shots flashed on a video screen above the stage during Saturdays introduction. After he was done speaking with reporters, Howard and the other Rockets stars made their way outside where the street in front of the Toyota Center was blocked off for a rally to allow fans to welcome him to Houston. ' ' '