Saturday, July 5, 2008
The Tour de France, cycling's most prestigious race, begins today, trying to shake its history of drugs and cheating. The turmoil has left this year's race without many of the sport's biggest names. The loss of glamour, however, gives a new crop of riders a chance to step forward.
Cadel Evans, Alejandro Valverde, Carlos Sastre, Denis Menchov and Damiano Cunego are among the most likely to prevail in the 2,175-mile trek.
"I'd rate myself as a pretty good chance to win," said Evans, who was runner-up in 2007.
The race begins with a 123-mile flat ride through Brittany. For the first time since 1967, the Tour will begin without an opening-day prologue.
It also starts without a defending champion for the second straight year. The team of 2007 winner Alberto Contador, Astana, wasn't invited because of doping scandals it faced in the past two years. Floyd Landis was stripped of his 2006 title after testing positive for synthetic testosterone.
Other big names out are Kazakhstan's Alexandre Vinokourov, who was removed from the Tour last year for a positive test for a blood transfusion, and Astana rider Levi Leipheimer.
· PRO BASKETBALL: Michael Beasley slightly cracked his sternum in a collision with a teammate on Wednesday, but he still could be with the Miami Heat when the team opens summer league play Monday. But Miami announced that Daequan Cook separated his left, non-shooting shoulder Thursday night and will be sidelined two to four weeks.
· HOCKEY: Jaromir Jagr signed with a Russian team a day after his split with the New York Rangers, leaving the NHL after nearly two decades and returning to the club he joined during the 2004-05 lockout.
The Russian League team Avangard Omsk announced the signing of the winger on its Web site.
"It was the toughest decision in my life, hockey-wise. No question about it. I hate making changes," Jagr said. . . .
The San Jose Sharks acquired defenseman Dan Boyle from Tampa Bay, trading defenseman Matt Carle and prospect Ty Wishart to the Lightning.
The Sharks, who received defenseman Brad Lukowich in the deal, also gave up a first-round pick in 2009 and a fourth-round choice in 2010. San Jose then traded defenseman Craig Rivet to Buffalo for two second-round picks.
· ROWING: Three Temple Challenge Cup quarterfinals in the student eights were all-American affairs at the Henley Royal Regatta in Henley-on-Thames, England.
Trinity College of Connecticut took an early lead over Grand Valley State of Michigan and won by two-thirds of a length. Trinity advanced to a semifinal today against Stanford, which defeated Cornell by one length.
In a quarterfinal between Massachusetts schools, Williams College kept up with Harvard for a quarter mile before the Crimson earned a three-quarter-length win. Harvard will face Canada's University of Western Ontario in the other semifinal.
· TENNIS: In their first match in franchise history, the Washington Kastles earned a 23-19 victory over the Philadelphia Freedoms at King of Prussia (Pa.) Mall. Washington's marquee players, Serena Williams and Justin Gimelstob, did not play because they are at Wimbledon.
· LACROSSE: The United States improved to 2-0 in pool play at the under-19 world championship with a 21-7 win over Australia in Coquitlam, B.C. Georgetown rising junior Craig Dowd led all scorers with four goals. The Americans play Japan today.
-- From News Services and Staff Reports
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