Allgemeines » le of play, Manhattan coach Steve Masiello said. So, you

PARIS -- Chris Froome has a chance to prove over the next three weeks what some suspected in 2012 -- that he could have won last years Tour de France if he hadnt had to give way for his teammate, Bradley Wiggins. Now Wiggins is out injured and that makes the Kenyan-born Briton the favourite to triumph on a particularly mountainous route this year, one that should suit his climbing skills. The 100th edition of the Tour begins Saturday in Corsica -- Frances "Island of Beauty" in the Mediterranean -- the first time cyclings greatest race has set wheel to road in the land of Napoleons birthplace. Another key plotline: the shadow of Lance Armstrong. This the first Tour since he was stripped of his record seven victories for doping, which he finally admitted after years of denials following a detailed report from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. While Armstrong will have no involvement in this years race, fans and media will have a close eye on performance-enhancing drug use in the peloton. That 198-rider peloton, or pack, is to cover 3,479 kilometres (2,162 miles) over three weeks -- 21 stages and two rest days -- before an unusual nighttime finish July 21 on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. The race spends three days on Corsicas winding, hilly roads then begins a counterclockwise run through mainland France along the Mediterranean, into the Pyrenees mountains, then up to Brittany and the fabled Mont-Saint-Michel island citadel before a slashing jaunt southeastward toward the Alps before entering the capital. Long before they knew Wiggins would be out, race organizers gave relatively short shrift to the time trial -- a race-against the clock in which last years champ excels. Theres no opening-day time-trial. The team time-trial returns to the Tour in Stage 4. Two individual time-trials in Stage 11 (33 km, 20.5 miles) and Stage 17 (32 km; 19.8 miles) will count, but the latter one comes before three days in the Alps, which may have more impact on the race outcome. Froome, the 28-year-old Team Sky leader, has ridden in two other Tours. His dazzling start to the season -- winning four of the five races he started -- and his second-place finish behind his British compatriot last year has put him on the top rung of Tour favourites. Last year, Froome was a dutiful, if not always respectful, sidekick to Wiggins. Froome injected drama into the race -- and fanned talk of rivalry -- after he repeatedly outperformed Wiggins in the mountains. At one point, he even gestured at his Team Sky leader to catch up. At the time, Wiggins acknowledged Froome had "talent," but also didnt know what it was like to feel the pressure of being the favourite. Now is Froomes chance, and so far he has seemed to manage the pressure: He won the Tour of Oman, the Criterium International, the Tour of Romandie and the Criterium du Dauphine this year. His only loss this season? Second place in the Tirreno-Adriatico. Two-time Tour winner Alberto Contador is seen as Froomes most likely challenger. The Spaniards career hit a speed bump in 2010 when he tested positive for the banned fat-burning, muscle-building drug clenbuterol at the Tour -- landing him a ban that forced him to sit out last years race. He hasnt yet revived the fear and admiration that his sharp uphill accelerations once inspired. American Tejay Van Garderen, who was a support rider for BMC leader Cadel Evans of Australia last year, will be among the rising stars to watch. The 24-year-old took home the white jersey awarded to the Tours best young rider last year. The question now is whether 2011 Tour champion Evans, now 36, will be in contention enough for Van Garderen to stay in a support role: If not, he could be cut loose. Froome, Contador and Van Garderen are potential contenders for the overall, general classification -- or GC -- victory because they fare well at both mountain-climbing and time trials, the two pillars of todays stage-race competitions. Other would-be contenders include Evans, Jurgen Van Den Broeck of Belgium, a two-time fourth place finisher, Ryder Hesjedal of Canada -- who crashed out last year -- and Joaquim Rodriguez of Spain. The route is among the most mountainous in recent years. Stage 15 on July 14 -- Frances national Bastille Day holiday -- features an uphill finish on the barren Mont Ventoux in Provence. The years "Queen Stage" comes four days later in Stage 18, with not one but two runs up the famed Alpe-dHuez. Froome said Tour planners were "bordering on sadistic" with the selection of the Alpe dHuez stage. Before then, race contenders must emerge unscathed and in contention after the Pyrenees -- including an uphill finish at Ax-3-Domaines ski station in Stage 8 -- and avoid crashes that often bedevil the flat stages. Look for nervous, jostling, and adrenaline-fueled finishes on those days, when sprinters will shine. This years sprinter crop is among the best among recent Tours, headlined by British superstar Mark Cavendish. The 28-year-old native of the Isle of Man, garnering him the "Manx Missile" moniker among fellow Britons and cycling buffs, is the best sprinter of his generation. Cavendish already has 23 Tour stage victories, putting him fourth on the all-time list. Even as cycling tries to get past the doping legacy embodied by the Armstrong saga, the plague of drugs cheats continues. In May, the Italian Giro was marred by three doping cases. Danilo di Luca, who won that race in 2007, tested positive for banned blood booster EPO -- long the designer drug for riders. Fellow Italian Mauro Santambrogio, who won a stage this year, also tested positive for EPO. Frances Sylvain Georges tested positive for Heptaminol, a banned stimulant. Froome said the Armstrong revelations were "a big hit" to both fans and riders, who are now "all being painted with the same brush" -- even if the sport is among the groundbreakers when it comes to anti-doping controls. "I am confident in the testing thats in place," Froome said. "Its up to us to use this as an opportunity to show that the sport has changed and that this is a completely different cycling to that (Armstrong) era." Custom Nike Tampa Bay Rays Jerseys . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Custom Nike Washington Nationals Jerseys . 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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia set a school record for forcing turnovers, putting the loss to Temple behind them.Esa Ahmad scored 19 points to lead No. 25 West Virginia to a 108-61 victory Monday night in the final game of the NIT Season Tip-Off.The Mountaineers (5-1) surpassing the school record of 34 by VMI in 2014-15.I thought we did a pretty good job but I think a lot of it was they didnt have a long time to prepare, West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins said. They came down from beating Detroit in double-overtime. I know that they had a workout yesterday and a shootaround today. I think thats why we should be better the second night although we werent against Temple.The game was a much needed psychological boost after a failed comeback against Temple at Barclays Center on Friday.(We) dont take anyone for granted, Ahmad said. We wanted to come out and go 100 percent right out of the gate and thats what we did.West Virginia started the game on an 8-0 run over the first 3 minutes, then both teams essentially traded baskets through the next 12 minutes. In the final 5 minutes of the half, James Long and Nathan Adrian led a 22-5 scoring run, giving the Mountaineers a 60-27 halftime lead.Adrian had 15 points for West Virginia, while Daxter Miles Jr. added 11 and Long had a career-high 10.Zavier Peart led the Jaspers (2-4) with 111 points.dddddddddddd Manhattan outrebounded the Mountaineers, 41-40.(When) youre playing on the road, at West Virginia, thats tough in itself, then add on their style of play, Manhattan coach Steve Masiello said. So, you have three things against you right there.BIG PICTUREManhattan is impressive off the glass, averaging around 40 rebounds per game but also averages 23 turnovers per game.West Virginia averages around 27 forced turnovers per game, but is shooting 63 percent from the free throw line.PARAMOUNT PRESSWest Virginia had only 11 turnovers, as opposed to Manhattans 40. The Mountaineers remain on top of the NCAA in turnover margin at 16.1.BENCHMARK DEPTHHuggins played eight players off the bench for more than 10 minutes. West Virginias reserves scored 62 points, the most this season for the Mountaineers.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Mountaineers win over Manhattan should have virtually no effect on their placement in the AP Top 25 but their game against No. 6 Virginia will likely decide where they will finish next Monday.UP NEXTManhattan hosts Canisius on Friday.West Virginia plays at No. 6 Virginia on Saturday.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. ' ' '