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MORZINE, France -- Chris Froome allowed himself to smile as he crossed the finish line of the 20th stage of the Tour de France to all but shore up his third title.The Briton will no doubt save his celebrations for Sunday evening when the Tour officially finishes with the 113km trip from Chantilly to the Champs élysées in Paris.After Saturdays 146.5km stage from Megève to Morzine in the Alps, Froomes reaction as he finished another rain-stricken day in the saddle was understandable considering he crashed in similar conditions the previous day.Yesterday I was so mentally drained by it all, I actually slept quite well, Froome said. But my legs felt better today and it has felt like a rollercoaster, a mixture of emotions.It [Fridays crash] was in the back of my mind, just thinking, There is nothing really for me to gain by going any faster down this descent. I have a four-minute margin. Times like this, today, it was really nice having that margin. Even if my rivals were to have really gone for it on the descent I have four minutes here just to hit my own lines and get down this descent in one piece.It was quite a dangerous descent. I knew it quite well. It was [on] quite narrow windy roads. Especially with that weather, I dont think anyone really wanted to take that risk.The days honour went to the Spaniard Jon Izaguirre (Movistar) who beat two fellow breakaway companions -- Colombian Jarlinson Pantano (IAM) by 19 seconds and 2016 Giro dItalia champion and 2014 Tour winner Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) by 42 seconds.Froome finished 20th and in a group of seven riders along with four Sky teammates, Australian Richie Porte (BMC) and Portes Italian teammate Damiano Caruso. Ahead of Froome was his nearest two rivals who will now join him on the podium Paris on Sunday, Frenchman Romain Bardet (Ag2r) in 10th and Colombian Nairo Quintana (Movistar) in 11th.But their marginal time gains did not threaten Froomes overall led, now four minutes and five seconds on Bardet in second, four minutes 21 seconds on Quintana in third and four minutes 42 seconds on fellow Briton Adam Yates, who has secured the white jersey as best young rider.For Froome, Sundays final stage will be a chance for him savour his latest achievement, a Tour win that came with two stage victories -- on stage eight to Bagnères de Luchon in the Pyrénées and on the stage 17 mountain time trial to Megève. His penchant to surprise also came to the fore on the flat 11th stage to Montpellier where he gained six seconds after he finished behind Peter Sagan (Tinkoff).It feels like its been an absolute rollercoaster, like the attack on the descent, the crosswinds and riding with Sagan, you just cant script moments like that, Froome reflected. You can hardly even plan for them. It feels incredible to have been a part of that.Froomes defining act to shore up his victory came on Saturday, though, with his teammates shepherding him through every potentially vulnerable moment as heavy rain again fell. The rides by Sky henchmen Geraint Thomas, Sergio Henao, Wouter Poels and Mikel Nieve were crucial to Froome reaching Morzine intact and virtually assured of his overall victory.This is by far our strongest line up at the Tour d France, Froome said.Tour race director Christian Prudhomme was happy that a Frenchman in Bardet is set to be the runner-up, especially off the back his brilliant victory on Friday that put him in second.It is only the third time in 20 years that a Frenchman will finish second which is good, said Prudhomme.Bardet has every reason to feel proud with the outcome, especially as he was the rider who dared to take the race as he did in the Alps on Friday. Its a lot of emotion, Bardet said.Im going to repeat myself, but last night we took a lot of time to enjoy it and we were able to go back into it today to retain this second place. We managed the day well. Its an exceptional performance and we can be proud to have succeeded in these conditions.The view among Froomes other rivals was that their inability to attack on Saturday was due to accumulated fatigue, the rainy conditions and strength of Sky all being cited.Yates said: It was pretty dangerous. You [might] risk it, but then you might not even make the time up. I had the legs to stay there, Im fourth and the white jersey, Im pretty happy with that. Its the end of three weeks, everyones pretty tired.No doubt Yates, 23, will be one to watch for in years to come, with this being his second Tour and third grand tour, but first where he has raced for the overall classification.Every day Im learning, Yates said, Its more experience than learning [that he takes] ... to not lose concentration when you are tired. Ive ridden grand tours, but this is the first won for GC. Just coping with the pressure, even if I had some bad days, I managed it quite well.I see that Froomey is a big step ahead [than everyone], but most of the other guys are close. So its just about having the legs and looking for the ways to gain time on your rivals.Quintana, who finished second to Froome in 2013 and last year, is happy to settle for third.We came with a more ambitious objective, Quintana said. I must be happy with this third place. I suffered from allergies but I felt better in the last couple of days. Chris Froome was too strong. Its the third time I lose against him but Im still happy with our teams showing. Now its time for Paris and celebrations. Cheap Asics Shoes Online . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. New Asics Shoes Australia . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. http://www.wholesaleasicsaustralia.com/ . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. Discount Asics Australia . PETERSBURG, Fla. Asics Sale Australia . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. The day Rashan Garys finger went sideways was a turning point of sorts for Michigans understated, burgeoning star on the defensive line.It was a warm day in August when athletic trainers pulled Gary aside to pop his dislocated finger back into place before he returned to a training camp practice. His matter-of-fact reaction -- Thats football, he said to the trainer -- made an impression on coach Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines. This wasnt the coddled, entitled mentality that can come as a side effect of being named the best high school prospect in the county. And this wasnt the first time that Gary inadvertently let his team know that wasnt his style.More notable, though, is the person who knew nothing about his dislodged digit. Jennifer Coney, Garys mother, learned about her sons injury a few weeks later when Harbaugh mentioned it as a sign of toughness during a postgame press conference. When she heard, she was smacked with the contradictory mix of leaving-the-nest angst and pride to which most mothers can probably relate.You dislocated your what? And I didnt hear about it? Coney chided him later that night. He took it in stride, though. That was a beautiful thing. Not his finger, just the way he handled it.There was a steady stream of phone calls between Gary in Michigan and his mother in New Jersey from the time he arrived on campus several months earlier. She had served as a full-time gatekeeper and advocate for her youngest son, the No. 1 prospect, during a long and exhaustively covered recruiting process.Initially, Gary called to vent about the concerns that hit most college freshmen when they first arrive in a bigger pond. Football wasnt clicking as easily as it used to. Classes were hard. He needed advice at times and reassurance at others. Soon Coney noticed their conversations became more about what he was learning than what he was missing. The change could be measured in how often he mentioned two names in their talks: Taco and Chris.Chris Wormley and Taco Charlton, the Wolverines veteran starters at defensive end, first got to know Gary to some degree in April when he visited campus for Michigans spring game. Garys first impression of Wormley was hes big. Gary wasnt used to being eye-to-eye with peers during conversations, especially not anyone who could match his broad shoulders and thick build. Wormleys initial thoughts were a little more skeptical.This is the No. 1 recruit; he is probably going to think hes hot s--- , Wormley said. Hes going to want to start right away. But as soon as I met him, that was not it at all. He wanted to learn.Gary peppered the fifth-year senior with questions during their first meeting. He wanted to dive into the playbook and figure out how to wrap his head around the overwhelming pile of intricacies he was going to have to digest before he could start living up to his sky-high billing. The questions continued through summer workouts, where Gary quickly won over his new teammates by falling in line and picking the brain of anyone willing to listen.Wormley decided he would do his best to take Gary under his wing. One of the countrys deepest defensive lines could use another big body this fall. The faster Gary learned, the fresher Wormley could stay during games. But, man, the kid was going to have to learn to be patient.Gary credits his mom with instilling that inquisitive mindset in him from the very beginning of his days of dominatiing a football field in junior high.dddddddddddd She made sure her son knew he didnt have all the answers.Dont ever puff your chest, because theres somebody out there who is going to put you on your butt, she warned. You might be good, but youre going to get put on your butt and you dont want to be humiliated when you do. Never act like youve got it, like youre the man.The first couple weeks of training camp at Michigan, as promised, planted the freshman firmly on his backside. Football was difficult for the first time. He missed assignments. He got scooped out of running lanes and stood up on pass rushes. Each time he came up short, he dropped his head.I wasnt getting it as fast as I wanted to. I was starting to get mad, Gary said. Ive got to get it. Ive got to get it.High expectations turn into high pressure for prospects like Gary. In many ways, hes lived up to his considerable hype in the last few months. Hes made 25 tackles, five for loss, and logged five quarterback hurries through his first 10 games while serving as a regular contributor for the countrys top scoring defense. His path there has been slightly unorthodox.Most pass-rushing superstars have a tendency to show flashes of brilliant power and athleticism in the early stages of their development, leaving spectators to drool about the time when the pass-rusher has a full set of defensive tools. Gary has done more to build his foundation than to build his hype this season.Its things that maybe other people dont see, defensive line coach Greg Mattison said. Rashan now has become a lot more accountable to make sure he does what hes supposed to do and knowing what hes supposed to do, instead of relying on somebody to say make sure you do this, make sure you do that.Gary said his most significant growth this season has been learning that the mistakes that at first dragged him down are as much a part of the learning process as his steady stream of questions. The entire Michigan defensive line -- Wormley and Charlton, especially -- drilled those ideas into him on a daily basis during their first couple months in pads together.Coney assumed her son would learn how to pace himself from his coaches or a support staffer. As she and her son went through the recruiting process together, she said she hunted for schools where Gary wouldnt have a ton of pressure to perform right away. As much as she warned him that some humbling moments were inevitable, she didnt want him to face those in an exceedingly public way. What she didnt see coming was that it would be Garys teammates, as much as anyone, who helped to pace him.That was an unexpected pleasure, she said.Gary stood in Michigans football building earlier this week explaining how his teammates have helped him this year, and the attitude that convinced them to help, when Wormley wandered by to check on his mentee. Wormley, whom Gary has called big bro since late August, threw a big, thick arm around and told him he was watching him.Gary is used to being watched, but thanks to Wormley and a deep, experienced defensive line, the freshman has had a little extra room to grow outside the public eye this season.Hes matured a lot in these last 10 weeks, Wormley said. Im excited to see what he can do as the starter next year and in all the years after that. ' ' '