gs.Gonzaga: A good early-season test for the Bulldog | Forum

MONT-SAINT-MICHEL, France -- Going down a row of television cameras, answering one question after another, the wearer of the Tour de Frances yellow jersey never veered off message. Jaire Alexander Youth Jersey . Yes, said Chris Froome, he was delighted to have increased his race lead with a super-fast ride in the time trial. But, no, he added, the Tour isnt over yet because the road to Paris is still long. Froome is right about the long part -- Paris is still 1,661 kilometres away. But if Froome really believes there is any doubt that he will be standing on top of the podium on the Champs-Elysees on July 21, then he is part of a quickly shrinking minority. After Wednesdays time trial race against the clock to the medieval abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel -- among the most beautiful backdrops ever visited by the 110-year-old Tour -- the Briton has a lead that now appears unassailable. Looking like spacemen in their aerodynamic teardrop-shaped helmets and riding special go-fast bikes to better slice through the air, the 182 riders set off one after another from the Normandy town of Avranches, which the forces of U.S. Gen. George S. Patton liberated in World War II. Froome, as race leader, set out last. His skin-tight racing suit was yellow, so was his saddle, parts of his bike frame and a thick stripe down the middle of his otherwise black helmet. He puffed out his cheeks and licked his lips. The race starter held up five fingers and counted down. When the fingers were folded away, Froome raced off, powering past crowds several rows deep. Through a patchwork of fields green and gold he rode. Through tidal marshlands where sheep graze, giving their meat a tang of saltiness from the sea. Through picture-postcard villages of cottages built of dark granite. Not that he noticed. "During the race, you cant really take any of that in at all," he said. "You go into tunnel vision, and its just a blur of noise and colour around you." But with each push on his pedals, Froomes lead over his rivals grew. By the end, with Mont-Saint-Michel rising majestically in front of him from an islet off the Brittany coast, Froome wasnt far from catching Alejandro Valverde, even though the Spaniard set off three minutes earlier than him from Avranches. As Valverde was crossing the line in front of the abbey called the "Wonder of the West," the crowds could already be heard cheering for Froome, who zoomed in just one minute later. Although Valverde is still Froomes closest rival, its really no longer close. Froomes lead over the Spaniard more than doubled to three minutes 25 seconds. At the Tour, that might as well be light years. Froome would have to crash, suffer some other mishap or get sick and melt down on the towering Mont Ventoux and in the Alps next week for his rivals to catch him. "Once we get into the Alps, theres a run of a few days, back to back, which are going to be very hard," he said. "Im sure other teams are really going to test us." Svein Tuft of Langley, B.C., a time-trial specialist, finished sixth in Wednesdays stage in 38:04. Victorias Ryder Hesjedal remained the top Canadian in the overall classification in 41st place, 32:38 behind Froome. Quebec Citys David Veilleux was 130th overall, while Tuft was 178th. For the moment, two-time champion Alberto Contador still isnt ready to surrender to Froome -- even though hes essentially racing for second place. The time trials at this 100th Tour were shortened from those last year to try to maintain suspense in the outcome. But Contador still lost more than two minutes to Froome on the 33-kilometre course. He is now 3:54 behind Froome in fourth place. Dutch rider Bauke Mollema is third, 3:37 behind Froome. "No ones won the Tour de France yet and no ones lost it. We have to get to Paris yet," Contador said, perhaps more in hope than conviction. "Chris Froome is in impressive form and is a great climber, but there are still many stages left." The winner of Stage 11 was time trial world champion Tony Martin. The German collapsed exhausted after crossing the line and lay face-up on the asphalt, a towel covering his eyes, before slowly climbing back to his feet. A kid immediately got him to cough up an autograph. Martins white world champions jersey with rainbow stripes was so drenched with sweat that it turned translucent, revealing underneath scabs on his skin from a terrifying crash on Stage 1. Martin looked like he had been attacked by a vegetable peeler after that pileup, because he lost so much skin on his back from scrapping along the asphalt. The pain robbed him of sleep. His mother, Bettina Martin, said she was "very shocked, very worried." But because the Tour isnt just any old race, Martin said he felt compelled to continue after doctors gave the OK to do so. It also helped that he had conditioned himself before the race to expect a crash. "I kept in mind before the Tour that I would crash one or two times in the first week. Its more or less usual to crash. So if you are ready for it, I think with a lot of morale, I think you can survive this." The only ugliness on this otherwise spectacular stage was that a roadside spectator apparently sprayed urine at British rider Mark Cavendish as he was riding the course, said Patrick Lefevere, manager of his Omega Pharma-Quick Step team. Froome noted that one of the attractions of cycling is that spectators get close to the athletes. The Cavendish incident "ruins the whole atmosphere." Bart Starr Womens Jersey . -- PGA TOUR Canada member Steve Saunders took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Web. Dave Robinson Jersey . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. http:///...gers-Packers-Jersey/ . LOUIS -- Attorneys for the St. SPOKANE, Wash. -- Jordan Mathews missed a couple of shots early in No. 14 Gonzagas game against San Diego State.The guys said keep shooting, Mathews said.So he did.Mathews scored 17 points, going 5 of 7 on 3-pointers, and the Bulldogs beat San Diego State 69-48 while holding the Aztecs to 28 percent shooting Monday night.We executed our game plan, made them do what we wanted them to do, Mathews said.Zach Collins added 15 points and Nigel Williams-Goss 10 for Gonzaga (2-0) in the ESPN College Hoops Marathon game.Trey Kell and Jeremy Hemsley each had 14 points for San Diego State (1-1).The teams, which last played in 2010, have been among the most successful in the West in recent years. But on this night the Aztecs had trouble scoring, making only 16 of 56 shots and going long periods without a basket.Weve been working on that zone for a while, Mathews said about Gonzagas defense. It makes it really hard for anybody to score on us.Gonzaga won despite shooting just 39 percent.The defense was awesome, coach Mark Few said. They were flying around and anticipating, helping each other.Mathews is a graduate transfer from California who did not arrive on campus until September.On game night he raises his game up, Few said.San Diego State coach Steve Fisher thought the Aztecs hurt themselves.We lost our mental capacity to think at the offensive end, Fisher said.Everything we did was too fast, he added. It looked like we were trying to score 10 points in one possession, and you cant do that. We helped do ourselves in.The Aztecs made only five of their first 21 shots and fell behind 23-12.Mathews had a dunk and a 3-pointer during a 9-0 run to lift Gonzaga to a 344-17 lead. Elgton Jenkins Youth Jersey. Gonzaga led 36-21 at halftime after holding the Aztecs to 20 percent shooting. They did not have a field goal in the final 6:27 of the first.We played a team tonight that is just as good as any team in the country, Fisher said. So in order for us to hang tough, you have to be able to shoot better than 20 percent.After San Diego State got within 10, Mathews sank a trio of 3-pointers in the span of a couple of minutes to push Gonzagas lead to 45-29.The Zags followed that with a 16-0 run, getting three baskets from Collins, for a 61-31 lead. The Aztecs were scoreless for more than 9 minutes, missing 11 shots from the field, and did not threaten again.POLL IMPLICATIONSSan Diego State was receiving votes in The Associated Press Top 25, but likely will get fewer now. ... Gonzaga has been No. 14 for two straight weeks and might move up.NO ASSISTSSan Diego State did not have an assist in the first half and wound up with only five in the game on 16 field goals. Gonzaga had 16 assists.BIG PICTURESan Diego State: The Aztecs came in with three straight victories in Spokane, beating Gonzaga in 2010 and winning two NCAA Tournament games here in 2014. But they couldnt muster much offense against the Zags.Gonzaga: A good early-season test for the Bulldogs, who proved they can beat a strong defensive team. Their 2010 loss to San Diego State was only their fifth home loss in the McCarthey Athletic Center since it opened in 2004.UP NEXTSan Diego State hosts San Diego Christian on Wednesday.Gonzaga hosts Bryant on Friday. ' ' '