"Slovenian Bozic Wins Sixth Stage "

Slovenian Borut Bozic landed the best stage victory of his career by winning the 176.8-km sixth leg of the Tour of Spain on Friday.The Vacansoleil rider crossed the finish line well clear of American Tyler Farrar and former race leader Daniele Bennati of Italy.The sprinters are dominating the overall standings with German Andre Greipel in first place, six seconds ahead of Belgian Tom Boonen and nine seconds in front of Bennati in third."This is a major breakthrough," Bozic told reporters. "The key to winning was being well positioned behind Farrar and Boonen and then accelerating away 250 metres from the line."Nobody expected me to start my move so far from the finish and I was able to take the biggest victory of my career."The 29-year-old Bozic said cycling in Slovenia was a minority sport, which made it tough to carve out his career path."I've only ever raced in smaller teams and that means you have to fight harder and win more in order to succeed," he said.

"Chelsea Ignored Warnings About Poaching Talent"

When Chelsea dangled its wealth and star players in front of him, Gael Kakuta did what any teenage footballing prodigy from a modest background might do: He lost his head. The contract he had signed with the French club that nurtured him from age 8 was cast aside. For that, Kakuta and Chelsea are now paying a very heavy price.''He cracked, as one would crack for a pretty woman,'' says Eric Assadourian, who coached the preciously talented and swift Kakuta before Chelsea snapped him up at age 16. ''He fell -- quote, unquote -- in love. It was a bolt of lightning.''''Meeting (Michael) Ballack, (Didier) Drogba and the others, it was his dream,'' adds Assadourian, referring to Chelsea's star-studded lineup. ''It was very tough to hold him back.''In punishing Chelsea for allegedly luring the youngster away from French side Lens, football's guardians at governing body FIFA are sending a powerful warning to the giants of the game in England and elsewhere that their wealth and clout doesn't give them license to do whatever they please.However harshly Chelsea feels it has been treated, the more important principle is that teams -- from the grass roots up -- must be adequately rewarded for the time and money they invest in rearing football's players of tomorrow. Lens, a modest first-division club in France's industrial north, spends richly on training young players and can't afford to see them simply walk out the door.

European Countries Focusing On World cup Finals

World champions Italy could lead a procession of as many as seven European countries into next year's World Cup in South Africa over the next few days.Netherlands are the only European side certain of a place in the finals and Italy, Denmark, Slovakia, Germany, Spain, England and Serbia are well placed to join them.All nine group winners qualify for the finals with the eight best runners-up entering the two-legged playoffs in November.But Italian coach Marcello Lippi, whose side visit bottom-placed Georgia Saturday and host Bulgaria in Turin next Wednesday in Group Eight, is taking nothing for granted

Barcelona Wins Champions League Final

With an incessant attack and a focus on possession, Barcelona defeated the defending champion, Manchester United, 2-0 to win the European Champions League title, Europe's most prestigious club soccer tournament. Samuel Eto'o drew first for Barcelona, scoring in the 10th minute off the left hand of Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, giving Barcelona the only goal it would need

Penguins Win the Stanley Cup

The Pittsburgh Penguins won their third Stanley Cup in franchise history, defeating the defending champion Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. The win avenged last year’s finals loss in six games to Detroit.

Knicks’ Long-Term Plans for 2010 Foil Free-Agent Signings

Donnie Walsh’s summer social calendar was scorched with ink. He feted Jason Kidd and Grant Hill. He chatted up Andre Miller and Ramon Sessions. Madison Square Garden was a virtual way station for wandering free agents.
But the Knicks’ checkbook never left his hip pocket, and Walsh, the team president, summed up his summer with three words: “Busy, but restricted.”It has been an awkward off-season for Walsh, whose short-term goals were repeatedly short-circuited by his long-term agenda. He is committed to clearing salary-cap space in 2010, making it difficult to sign players in 2009. He has yet to re-sign his own top free agents, David Lee and Nate Robinson (although that will probably happen soon).

Florida’s Star Yearns to Make a Difference

More than 9,000 miles and a world away from Florida’s campus, Uncle Dick’s, a home for 48 orphans, is the best place to gauge Tebow’s reach as a college star and what it is he wants to accomplish with the platform his athletic success has afforded him.Tebow has inspired the orphans personally — they easily break into Florida’s signature cheer, the Gator Chomp, despite not understanding football. One young boy is called Richard, after Tebow’s middle name.Tebow has also helped them financially. Some of the more than $300,000 Tebow has helped raise while at Florida has enabled the children to get their own beds, drink clean water and stock their shelves with groceries.“It’s such tangible things,” Tebow said. “Like getting a chain saw so they don’t have to cut down everything with an ax.”Tebow, 22, has a chance during his senior year at Florida to establish himself as one of the most accomplished and recognizable athletes in collegiate sports history. But when Tebow talks about the long-term future, his ultimate hope is that football will provide a way for him to run a charitable empire.