zgr123's blog
VAL MARTELLO, Italy -- Nairo Quintana moved into the overall lead in the Giro dItalia after winning a tough and controversial 16th stage, in difficult weather conditions across the legendary Gavia and Stelvio climbs on Tuesday. Luca Sbisa Canucks Jersey . Quintana, who is famed for his climbing skills, finished eight seconds ahead of Ryder Hesjedal. Pierre Rolland was third, 1:13 slower, on the 139-kilometre (86-mile) route from Ponte di Legno to Val Martello -- half of which was uphill. The 24-year-old Quintana -- one of the race favourites -- started the day 2 minutes and 40 seconds behind former leader Rigoberto Uran but beat his fellow Colombian by more than four minutes. Uran slipped to second, 1:41 behind Quintana, who showed he has recovered from a difficult opening two weeks, in which he suffered badly from a crash and also had to take antibiotics to fight a chest cold and fever. "It was raining a lot. We couldnt see any motorcycle. We all knew it was very dangerous," Quintana said. "We climbed the Stelvio together, and we all started to descend. There were four or five of us who pulled clear of the group. "I went at my rhythm. I gave everything today. I was climbing well in the end." Cadel Evans was third, 3:21 behind Quintana, and only five seconds ahead of Rolland, with other rivals also gaining time on the Australian. It was the first time both the Gavia and the Stelvio had been climbed on the same day and the stage was an exact copy of one of the legs in last years Giro, which had to be altered because of bad weather. There were fears the weather would again affect the stage this year and there was brief confusion as it was wrongly reported the route down the Stelvio had been neutralized with blizzards and rain making the technical descent even more treacherous. Some teams as well as the person responsible for the Giros official twitter account misinterpreted instructions to be careful on the descent, with riders slowing down at the top, wrongly understanding it to have been neutralized. "The communication was badly interpreted by some teams," race director Mauro Vegni said. "The indications only highlighted the danger of several curves in a risky part of the descent. It was never said that the race was neutralized or that they shouldnt race." Several team directors continued to insist they had been told by the race radio to tell their cyclists the descent had been neutralized. That came after the cyclists had already dealt with heavy fog and snow on the Gavia. There was a group of 10 cyclists in the break which led up up the Stelvio and although, they had a lead of over two minutes, that started to come down on the climb. Dario Cataldo attacked 2km (1.2 mile) from the summit and went on to claim the Cima Coppi prize, awarded to the cyclist who crosses the highest point of the race first. He sped down the descent, as confusion appeared to reign in the peloton, with some cyclists sitting up and taking time to put on warmer clothing. Quintana went clear of Uran, and his chasing group was 1:20 behind Cataldo as the latter started the final climb up Val Martello, with the maglia rosa group more than two minutes further back. The Colombian and Rolland attacked with 18km (11 miles) remaining and caught Cataldo shortly afterward. Hesjedal caught up with the leading trio and Cataldo was then dropped as the leaders upped their pace. They continued to distance the overall leaders and Quintana accelerated with 7.5km (4.6 miles) to go, as the gradient ramped up to 14%. Rolland and Hesjedal managed to stay with Quintana, but had no response when the Movistar rider upped the pace yet again on an equally steep part just inside the final kilometre. Bo Horvat Canucks Jersey . The 29-year-old German, the 2011 overall World Cup champion, says she has decided "to end my career now. Alexander Edler Jersey . Hattestad managed to avoid the carnage midway through the mens final, as a crash took out three skiers, essentially leaving two men vying for gold. The Norwegian posted a time of 3:38.39, outlasting Swedens Teodor Peterson, who took silver with a time of 3:39.CARSON, Calif. -- A reconstituted midfield helped give the Vancouver Whitecaps their longest unbeaten streak of the season, yet failed to score a goal. The Whitecaps have not lost in six successive games following a 0-0 draw with Chivas USA on Saturday night in front of 4,215 at the StubHub Center. Vancouver (7-4-12) also extended its span of consecutive minutes without allowing a goal to 321. Goalkeeper David Ousted made four saves for his seventh shutout this year. "Any time you get a clean sheet, its a good night," Whitecaps defender Steven Beitashour said. "Were doing a great job staying tight with each other, staying organized and talking a lot. It starts from the front and works its way down to the midfield and to the back line." Injuries to starting midfielders Pedro Morales and Gershon Koffee forced the Whitecaps to make changes. Nicolas Mezquida -- who had played just nine games this season and made only three starts -- replaced Morales as the playmaker. In just his second start, Omar Salgado took over on the right wing for Erik Hurtado. Meanwhile, Russell Teibert replaced Koffee as a defensive midfielder. "Russell Teibert, arguably, was the best player on the park," Vancouver coach Carl Robinson said. "He switched the play from side to side. He got around people. He won second balls. Bo Horvat Jersey. He put in a very mature performance for a young kid." Yet the Whitecaps managed just three shots on goal against Chivas USA (6-11-6), which entered the match with a four-game losing streak and a scoreless stretch of 276 consecutive minutes. Salgado had the Whitecaps best chance in the 28th minute. Salgado executed a leaping, seven-yard header off Teiberts corner kick from the right side. But Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy leaned to his left and deflected the shot with both palms around the near post. Chivas USAs Erick Torres almost put the hosts ahead in the 60th minute. Torres jumped between Beitashour and Andy OBrien to head Akira Kajis right-wing cross from 11 yards. But Ousted fielded the shot on one bounce. "We put a big emphasis on concentration," Robinson said. "If we had concentrated a little more in the final third (of the field), we probably shouldve gotten three points." Vancouver midfielder Matias Laba received a yellow card in the 37th minute and will be suspended for next weeks game against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Whitecaps forward Darren Mattocks left the game at halftime with a sore quadriceps muscle, Robinson said. Mattocks collided with Chivas USA defender Donny Toia in the 10th minute and grabbed his right knee after falling. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
The two most recent Stanley Cup winners highlight TSNs Second Round playoff schedule, as Canadas Sports Leader today confirmed its complete broadcast schedule for the Conference Semifinals of the 2014 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS. Ryan Suter Jersey . TSNs Second Round coverage features two highly-anticipated Western Conference series, as the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks take on the Minnesota Wild, and the Los Angeles Kings square off against the Anaheim Ducks in another clash of California-based teams. Along the way, TSN showcases some of the NHLs biggest stars, including Jonathan Toews, Ryan Getzlaf, Zach Parise, Jonathan Quick, and many more. Broadcast Coverage TSNs Second Round coverage of the 2014 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS gets underway on Friday with Game 1: Minnesota at Chicago at 9:30 p.m. ET. On Saturday, TSN delivers a battle of crosstown rivals with Game 1: Los Angeles at Anaheim at 8 p.m. ET. TSNs live coverage of the 2014 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS runs through the first three rounds, with all coverage also available live on TSN GO. Broadcast Team TSNs extensive post-season coverage features play-by-play announcers Gord Miller and Chris Cuthbert and game analysts Ray Ferraro and Mike Johnson. Fans can turn to the acclaimed NHL ON TSN panel for all the essential news and analysis from the 2014 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS. TSNs pre-game and intermission coverage is led by host James Duthie, alongside Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, and analysts Aaron Ward, Darren Pang, Jeff ONeill, and Jamie McLennan. TSNs coverage also features Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun contributing reports and analysis throughout the playoffs. SPORTSCENTRE, Canadas most-watched sports news program, continues to deliver ongoing coverage of all the breaking news, highlights, and reaction from the 2014 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS. As well, SPORTSCENTRE features an on-site panel of Ryan Rishaug, Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, analyst Martin Biron, and RDSs Francois Gagnon throughout the Montreal Canadiens-Boston Bruins series, with Montréal Bureau reporter John Lu also following the Habs throughout their playoff run. THATS HOCKEY with Gino Reda and THATS HOCKEY 2NITE with Steve Kouleas deliver daily in-depth analysis of each series. During the playoffs, THATS HOCKEY 2NITE will also air in the mornings on TSN2. TSN Radio TSN Radio 690 in Montreal is the official radio voice of the Montreal Canadiens and continues to feature live game coverage of the teams playoff series throughout the 2014 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS. Throughout the post-season, TSN Radio stations across the country deliver all the breaking news and analysis from around the league. Broadcast Schedule Chicago vs. MinnesotaGame 1: Minnesota @ Chicago - Friday, May 2 at 9:30 p.m. ET on TSNGame 2: Minnesota @ Chicago - Sunday, May 4 at 3 p.m. ETGame 3: Chicago @ Minnesota - Tuesday, May 6 at 9 p.m. ETGame 4: Chicago @ Minnesota - Friday, May 9 at 9:30 p.m. ET**Game 5: Minnesota @ Chicago - Sunday, May 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET**Game 6: Chicago @ Minnesota - Tuesday, May 13 at TBD**Game 7: Minnesota @ Chicago - Thursday, May 15 at TBD Anaheim vs. Los AngelesGame 1: Los Angeles @ Anaheim - Saturday, May 3 at 8 p.m. ET on TSNGame 2: Los Angeles @ Anaheim - Monday, May 5 at 10 p.m. ETGame 3: Anaheim @ Los Angeles - Thursday, May 8 at 10 p.m. ETGame 4: Anaheim @ Los Angeles - Saturday, May 10 at 10 p.m. ET**Game 5: Los Angeles @ Anaheim - Monday, May 12 at TBD **Game 6: Anaheim @ Los Angeles - Wednesday, May 14 at TBD **Game 7: Los Angeles @ Anaheim - Friday, May 16 at TBD Schedule subject to change (visit TSN.ca for confirmed schedule info)**If necessary Custom Minnesota Wild Jersey .ca. The NHL Play of the Year showdown kicks off with some slick moves going head-to-head with a combination of soft hands and endless patience. Erik Haula Jersey . The teams were scoreless for most of the first two periods before Canada scored three times in a span of less than four minutes. Sarah Potomak opened the scoring on the power play.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Homer Bailey finally beat the Philadelphia Phillies -- and he has nobody but himself to thank. Bailey pitched eight effective innings and drove in the go-ahead runs as the Cincinnati Reds came from behind for a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. "The bullpen has picked me up so much this year that the big thing I wanted to do today was give them a day off," he said. Manager Bryan Price was happy to see his starter rewarded. "What an effort," Price said. "What impressed me most was he went out in the eighth with 108 pitches against the middle of their lineup. He wanted to be the guy. He was all in. He did what we needed him to do. He tastes the finish line. Theres something in that. Certainly, his two-run single was big." Billy Hamilton added a two-run homer for the Reds, who won their second straight against the reeling Phillies after a three-game losing streak. Bailey (7-3) allowed just six hits and one run with three walks and seven strikeouts while matching his season high in innings and picking up his first career win in five decisions over 10 games against Philadelphia. He threw a season-high 121 pitches, four short of tying his career high. The Phillies had at least one runner on base in six of those innings, but they couldnt capitalize enough to avoid their eighth loss in nine games. Manager Ryne Sandberg blamed a lack of "execution and focus." "I see potential now and then, but we need to be consistent," the first-year manager said. "Its all about chipping in and doing something every day." Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the ninth for his ninth save. Rookie right-hander David Buchanan (1-3), making his fourth career start since being called up by Philadelphia on May 24, allowed six hits and four runs with six strikeouts in six innings. He also hit a batter while losing his third consecutive start. Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, Todd Frazier led off with a bloop single to centre field and went to third on Zack Cozarts opposite-field double down the right-field line. Against a drawn-in Phillies infielld, Bailey grounded a two-run single up the middle, just out of reach of diving shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Mikko Koivu Wild Jersey. . "I think a starting pitcher should at least be able to handle a bat," Bailey said. "At least put the ball in play -- get a fly ball or a seeing-eye single." Hamilton, hitless in his previous 12 at bats, followed with his second home run of the season, a 348-foot drive into the right-field seats on what he said was a full-count changeup. He wasnt sure it was going out. "I dont hit home runs," he pointed out. "Didnt you see me running? I was rolling. I looked up and Homer was right there." Buchanan wouldnt change either one of the pitches, he said. "I got the ground ball I wanted," he said about Baileys hit. "I left the changeup (to Hamilton) up. If its down and away, he doesnt hit it. I had conviction with that pitch. It was the right pitch." Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead in the third. Ben Revere and Jimmy Rollins singled with one out. Revere stole third and scored on Chase Utleys sacrifice fly. The Phillies, who saw two innings end with runners thrown out at the plate on Saturday, lost another runner at home in the fourth inning on Sunday. Domonic Brown was on third base with Carlos Ruiz on first and one out when Cesar Hernandez hit a chopper to third baseman Todd Frazier, who easily threw out Brown at the plate. Buchanan followed with an inning-ending fielders-choice grounder. Notes: Jimmy Rollins needs five hits to pass Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt for the Phillies career record after going 1-for-3 on Sunday. ... Cincinnatis Devin Mesoraco struck out three times while extending his career-long hitless streak to 17 at bats. ... Philadelphia wrapped up a stretch of 20 games in 20 days with a 6-14 record. After a day off on Monday, the Phillies open a stretch of 21 games in 20 days with the first of a three-game home series against San Diego. ... The Reds are scheduled to continue their 10-game home stand, their second-longest of the season, on Monday with the first of four games against the Dodgers. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
TORONTO - With his teammates primed to go their separate ways after Wednesdays game, many of them playing like it in the first half, DeMar DeRozan took one final opportunity to validate his upcoming trip to New Orleans. Bill Barber Flyers Jersey Authentic . For the better part of the opening 24 minutes, the Raptors played like a team that was ready to start its long weekend one day early by succumbing to a popular pre All-Star break pitfall; the letdown game. "I think both teams were on vacation before the game started," Dwane Casey said of his teams flat start, hitting just one of 12 field goals at the outset of a crucial meeting with the Hawks and trailing by eight early, until DeRozan sparked the Raptors slumbering offence. Were the Raptors looking ahead to some much needed time off? "I wouldnt say that necessarily, we probably thought they (were)" replied DeRozan, who scored 14 of his game-high 31 points in the first seven minutes of the third quarter, spearheading a lopsided second half and leading Toronto to a 104-83 win over Atlanta. "We picked it up," he continued. "We understood they were going to come out play hard because we are neck-and-neck in the race in the conference. We understood how much this game meant." The Raptors overtook Atlanta for third place in the Eastern Conference standings last month and the Hawks have been knocking on the door ever since. With the victory, Toronto handed the Hawks - who now hold the fifth seed - their fifth straight loss and padded their own cushion over fourth-place Chicago going into this weekends All-Star festivities. At 28-24, the Raptors sit atop their division at the break for the second time in franchise history and first since they won the Atlantic in the 2006-07 season. "It means a lot to be where were at right now," DeRozan said, "but it really dont mean nothing unless we keep it up. Weve got to keep it growing, we cant be comfortable with it because teams in our division (are) definitely still coming." Leading by one at intermission, the Raptors outscored the struggling Hawks 59-39 in the second half, holding them to 30 per cent shooting and forcing eight turnovers while committing just one themselves. DeRozan made seven of his 10 field goal attempts, and all four of his free throws, in the half. Most importantly the Raptors executed their game plan defensively, rotating and closing out hard, limiting one of the better three-point shooting teams in the league to four treys on 20 attempts from beyond the arch. "We had to make sure we were there and the way the game started I (didnt) think we got the memo before the game," Casey said. "We continued to grind it, stuck with the game plan, guys stuck together and grinded it out." It wasnt their most ascetically pleasing victory but its one that fell right into the Raptors wheelhouse, one that played into the identity and personality Casey has urged his team to carry into the seasons unofficial second half. "Like I told our guys," he said, "the second half is going to be a grind. Its not going to be pretty (but) we dont want it to be pretty. Its going to be hard and everybody has to be committed in the locker room." The break comes at a perfect time for the Raptors. Although they go into it with confidence having won two straight, both at home - overall theyve won 10 of 12 at the Air Canada Centre - many of them could use the rest and relaxation time. For the second straight game Amir Johnson was a spectator - fashioning a personalized Raptors jersey on the back of his vest as he watched from the bench - still nursing a sore right ankle. Hell have over 10 days of rest before the team reconvenes in Washington for Tuesdays game against the Wizards. For the rest of the team this five-day layoff is an opportunity to heal various aches and pains that accumulate over a long season and refocus heading into the stretch run. "Me personally I need the rest," said Kyle Lowry, who had another double-double - 16 points and 13 assists - on Wednesday. "I know everybody needs the rest. You get to mentally relax and physically relax also and its always important to take care of your body at this time (of year). You rarely get a five-day stretch in the season so (we have to) take advantage of it." Michael Raffl Flyers Jersey Authentic . Solomon Elimimian did not make the trip with the team after suffering what appeared to be a right leg injury in the teams regular season finale against the Calgary Stampeders. Philadelphia Flyers Gear .Y. -- It was as if Matt Moulson never left the New York Islanders.Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Goran Dragic posted 20 points in the Phoenix Suns 106-98 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. Isaiah Thomas had 18 points off the bench, Markieff Morris scored 16 and P.J. Tucker went for 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns, who snapped a two-game losing streak. P.J. (Tucker) doesnt get a lot of opportunities, but late in games he really gets tuned in, Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. Marcin Gortat and Otto Porter each netted 14 points in the loss, while Kris Humphries tallied 11 points and 15 rebounds. The Wizards had their two-game winning streak halted. Washington, which overcame a 19-point first-half deficit in Tuesdays win over the Los Angeles Lakers, tried all it could to perform an encore against the Suns. Down 88-70 early in the fourth, the Wizards ripped off a 17-3 run to cut their deficit to four with under seven minutes left. The Suns weathered the surge by scoring the next eight points, but Washington had one last rush in them as Porters 3-pointer trimmed the deficit to 101-97 with 1:17 left. Dragic committed a turnover on Phoenixs ensuing possession,, but John Wall was off on a 3 and Morris made a clutch jumper at the other end with 23. Jakub Voracek Flyers Jersey Authentic. 5 seconds left to seal it. First half, good defense. Second half, not so much, Hornacek added. Phoenix closed the final five-plus minutes of the first quarter on a 17-4 run. Marcus Morris and Thomas capped it with 3-pointers to give the Suns a 29-17 lead entering the second. An 11-0 run midway through the second stretched Phoenixs lead to 47-25 and it led by 17 at the break. Bradley Beal hit two 3s during an 11-2 run in the third that brought the Wizards to within five, 62-57. You can say they beat us up on the boards in the first half. They were denying us everywhere on the offensive end, Beal said. Eric Bledsoe followed with a three-point play that kicked off an 11-1 spurt for the Suns as they regained a double-digit lead. Game Notes The Suns have won three straight in the series ... Washington had a 22-9 edge in second-chance points ... Wall had 11 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in the loss ... Phoenix scored 21 points off 13 turnovers. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '