Freischaltung » raves 9-7 loss to the Washing

LIMOGES, FRANCE -- Defending Tour de France champion Chris Froome remains wary of the threat that Spaniard Alejandro Valverde still poses, even though the seasoned grand tour rider has declared that he is racing here to help Movistar teammate Nairo Quintana, from Colombia, win the event overall.Last year, Quintana was second overall and Valverde was third after their team led a planned two-pronged approach to the race. But this year Quintana is the top seed at Movistar, especially with Valverde having already raced the Giro dItalia in which he finished third behind Italian winner Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), who is also at the Tour to help Italian Fabio Aru (Astana), and Colombian runner-up Esteban Chaves (Orica-BikeExchange), who is not at the Tour but preparing for the Vuelta a Espa?a later this year.Speaking after Tuesdays fourth stage of the Tour -- 237.5km from Saumur to Limoges that was won in a bunch sprint by German Marcel Kittel (Etixx-QuickStep) from Frenchman Bryan Coquard (Direct-Energie) and Slovakian race leader Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) -- Froome said of Valverde: He seems to be in good [form]. I wouldnt be surprised if he is just [preparing] himself to ride GC [general classification] and have a two-pronged approach with Nairo. They definitely have the team to do it. Until he loses time, Ive got to treat him as a rival.There is much expectation that some clue of who could challenge for this Tour might be revealed in Wednesdays fifth stage, which is the first hill stage of this years 103rd edition. In the the 216km stage from Limoges to Le Lioran, the last five of six categorised climbs are in the last 80 kilometres. But in the last 40 kilometres, there are with two second category climbs -- the 5.4km Pas de Peyrol and the 4.4km Col de Perthus -- and the third category 3.3km Col de Font de Cère, after which there is a tricky descent to the finish with 2.5km to go.On Tuesday Sagan deflected questions about his chances in the stage. The world champion will start the stage with an overall lead of 12 seconds on second place Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (FDJ), 14 seconds on third place Valverde and 18 seconds on a group of 22 riders, which includes all but four of the pre-Tour favourites, including Froome, who is fifth.I think its a bit too early to see a real GC battle, but its definitely somewhere where there will be time gaps, Froome said. Its not going to be a big bunch sprint. Its going to be a more select group coming to the line. Maybe a stage for someone like Alaphilippe or Valverde, [Irishman] Dan Martin [of Etixx-QuickStep who is 13th overall] maybe.Alberto Contador: The hardest Tour start of my career.Asked about his chances of defending the yellow jersey that he claimed by winning stage two on Sunday, Sagan said: I cant tell you now. I tell you tomorrow after the stage. But without a doubt he will do as he said he will, which is to try to hold on to the lead.The Slovakian was more candid about his Spanish teammate Alberto Contador, who began this Tour as one of the major overall contenders, but crashed in both stages one and two. Those crashes put Contador on the back foot. He is 54th overall at 1 minute, 6 seconds behind.How the race unfolds might reveal how much Contador has recovered from his crashes. But Sagan said: He is a very tough guy and has recovered well. I am sure he will be there.Contador, who has hurt his left and right sides in his fall and a calf muscle, said: Its hard for me to pedal sitting out of the saddle, but thats a question of time. I got through today without crashing, and thats the most important thing. Tomorrow is a hard day. I have to get ready mentally to take it on. This has been the hardest Tour start of my career.However, a yellow jersey change is likely, according to Jim Ochowicz, president of the American BMC Racing team, which has overall contenders in American Tejay van Garderen (15th overall at 18 seconds) and Australian Richie Porte (71st at 2 minutes, 3 seconds). Portes early time loss was due to a rear tyre puncture inside the last five kilometres of stage two.Asked if he foresees a leadership switch, Ochowicz told ESPN: Yes. I am not going to predict who, but there are some close contenders in terms of time. Alaphilippe has got the advantage right now being in second. He has probably got the upper hand.Ochowicz believes the stage could see two races: one for the stage win between a break of non-Tour contenders of riders who can climb; and a second between the overall favourites.You are going to see a lot more action than you have seen probably in any stage up till this moment -- probably a break right from the gun that could be more of a break that could make it to the finish, Ochowicz said.Ochowicz expects the Tour contenders to mark each other to see whats left in their legs, he said. Its the first time they are going to go up some real categorized climbs, and in doing so, they are going to push each other to a certain point where someone might have some potential weakness and others will take advantage of that.Ochowicz said there is still no change of leadership at BMC with Portes early demise. We stay focused on two leaders, and they will sort things out [on stage five] a little bit in the race. But I think they will both be probably coming in the group together, he said.Van Garderen said in a team statement that he is looking forward to racing in terrain better suited to him: Im really excited to head to the hills and get the GC sorted out a bit more. Well get a sense of whos going well and whos not. Richie and I did the recon [of the stage] together and its a tricky stage. Its not going to be as hard as the Pyrenees, but it will shake things up. Youre not going to see Sagan and [Mark] Cavendish up there.Andy Pettitte Jersey Large . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. Jose Altuve Jersey .Y. -- Injured Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno did not practice with the team Monday and head coach Ron Rolston said its unlikely hell play in Wednesdays season opener in Detroit. http://www.customastrosjersey.com/custom-josh-reddick-jersey-large-1496y.html . Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey last Sunday. The fine is the fourth this season for Goldson. He was fined $30,000 for a hit on the New York Jets Jeff Cumberland in Week 1. Robinson Chirinos Jersey . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. Custom Carlos Lee Jersey . Defencemen Drew Doughty, Shea Weber and forward Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Canadians, who started their gold-medal defence 2-0. Goalie Roberto Luongo, getting the call in place of Game 1 starter Carey Price, was solid when needed in making 23 saves for the shutout.WASHINGTON -- Dansby Swansons first major league home run stayed in the ballpark.The 2015 overall No. 1 draft pick circled the bases with an inside-the-park home run in the second inning of the Atlanta Braves 9-7 loss to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.Swanson lined a pitch from Gio Gonzalez over Trea Turner and high off the center-field fence, 399 feet away. The ball caromed toward the infield, and Swanson slid home headfirst, easily beating the throw by right fielder Bryce Harper.It was one of those things where I thought it was going to be my first triple, Swanson said. Theen as I kept going, judging by the reaction in the dugout and the crowd, I thought, Maybe Ill get an inside-the-parker.dddddddddddd I just kept going.Swanson was selected by Arizona in the draft, traded to Atlanta in December and made his big league debut Aug. 17. He entered the night with a .236 batting average and four RBIs in 55 at-bats.Atlantas last inside-the-park home run was by Wes Helms on Oct. 7, 2001.The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '