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2B Daily News – Thursday, July 14, 2011 Cavendish wins 11th stage LAVAUR, France (AP) — Defending Tour de France Alberto Contador wants to show his rivals he is still the world’s best climber when the race hits the Pyrenees on Thursday. It just depends whether his troublesome right knee lets him. The three-time champion has been bugged by a swelling in his right knee since he crashed on last week’s fifth stage, and he banged the same knee again when falling of his bike on stage 9 last Sunday. With two mammoth climbs up the Col du Tourmalet and an uphill finish to Luz-Ardiden awaiting him on Thursday’s 12th stage, the Spaniard feels quietly confident his body will not let him down. It had better not, otherwise Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans, his main Tour rivals, will not hes- itate to try to knock him out of contention. Cruel, but that’s the Tour. After all, Contador did not wait around when Schleck’s chain came off last year. ‘‘My knee is responding well so I’m obviously very happy,’’ Con- tador said Wednesday’s 11th stage. ‘‘But keep in mind that I didn’t climb the Tourmalet today. I have to see how it responds and on that basis I will make a deci- sion how to do the race on the last climb tomorrow.’’ British sprinter Mark Cavendish won Wednesday’s 11th stage with a blistering late attack to clinch his third Tour stage win of the race, and Frenchman Thomas Voeckler kept hold of the race leader’s yellow jersey for another day. Evans is the best placed of the main Tour contenders and the Australian veteran currently leads Schleck by 11 seconds overall, and Contador by 1 minute, 41 sec- onds. Schleck, who lost last year’s Tour to Contador by just 39 sec- onds, now leads him by 1:30. But after Thursday’s stage, those times could well be very dif- ferent. Contador’s priority on Wednes- day was more about staying on his saddle and letting the rain mas- sage his sore knee on a 104.1- mile, flat and rainy route from Blaye-les-Mines to Lavaur. ‘‘The knee did not bother me at any time today,’’ a relieved Conta- dor said. ‘‘The rain was actually soothing my knee today as it almost felt like ice.’’ Contador, however, knows there is nothing soothing about the Pyrenees. Stage 12 is a 131.1-mile trek from Cugnaux to Luz-Ardiden and has three significant climbs which sprinters dread and climbers like Contador love. First up is a category 1 climb up La Hourquette d’Ancizan, fol- lowed by the biggest ascent of the day — 17.1 kilometers up Tour- malet at an average gradient of 7.3 percent. Exhausted riders then have an uphill finish to Luz-Ardi- den. Both Tourmalet and Luz-Ardi- den are known as Hors Categorie climbs, or HC — so tough they do not have a classification. With Evans and Contador fairly evenly matched in time trials, the onus is on Schleck to attack as he needs to gain more time on Conta- dor and Evans to give himself a cushion when the crucial time trial comes later. ‘‘At Luz-Ardiden, I think that everyone will be waiting,’’ Conta- dor said. ‘‘Someone has to open the race, especially the Schleck brothers.’’ Evans, the Tour runner-up in 2007 and ’08, also expects attacks, although he would not say whether they would come from him. ‘‘The first mountain stage always gives a pretty good indica- tor of who’s a real contender for Paris,’’ said Evans, who rides for the BMC team. ‘‘Someone has a bad day, someone has an extraor- dinarily good day. But it always gives some degree of an indica- tor.’’ Cavendish, meanwhile, nearly lost a shoe in the final stretch of Wednesday’s stage, but kept his cool to beat Andre Greipel of Ger- many at the line to take the lead- ing sprinter’s green jersey. The prolific Cavendish claimed the 18th Tour stage win of his career, crossing the line in 3 hours, 46 minutes, 7 seconds. ‘‘It’s incredible to have green jersey. It’s the most beauti- ful jersey in the world,’’ Cavendish said. Despite his impressive tally of stage wins, the coveted sprint champion’s jersey has so far elud- ed Cavendish. He was second last year behind Alessandro Petacchi of Italy, and second to two-time sprint champi- on Thor Hushovd in 2009. Cavendish pulled out before the Alpine stages in 2008 to save energy for the Olympics. Voeckler, meanwhile, said he expects to lose his yellow jersey in the Pyrenees. But it remains to be seen if Contador tries to take it off him, or waits for his chance with two more massive Pyrenean stages to follow. Friday’s 13th stage features an HC trek up Col d’Aubisque, fol- lowed by a hair-raising 24.8-mile descent to the line. Saturday’s is harder than the previous two — an intense day featuring two nasty category 1 ascents up Col de la Core and Col d’Agnes, and finishing with a long HC climb up to Plateau de Beille. 2011 high school football schedules Corning Sept. 2 Las Plumas Sept. 9 at Orland Sept. 16 Red Bluff Sept. 23 at Shasta Sept. 30 Oroville Oct. 7 at West Valley Oct. 14 Anderson Oct. 21 Yreka Oct. 28 at Central Valley Nov. 4 Winters Los Molinos Aug. 26 Williams Sept. 2 Portola Sept. 9 at Weed Sept. 16 at U-Prep Sept. 30 at Maxwell Oct. 7 Biggs Oct. 14 at Chester Oct. 21 Maxwell Oct. 28 at Biggs Nov. 4 Chester NEW YORK (AP) — When it comes to play- ing overseas during the NBA lockout, Billy Hunter has a simple message for the league’s players: Enjoy your trip, we’ll call you when it’s time to come home. In a memo sent to players on Tuesday night and obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, the union leader said the NBA Players’ Associa- tion supports all players ‘‘who are taking steps to continue to earn a living, stay in peak competitive shape, and play the game that we love while the unfortu- nate league-imposed lockout is in place.’’ ‘‘This lockout is intended to economical- ly pressure our players to agree to an unfavor- able collective bargain- ing agreement,’’ Hunter wrote. ‘‘It is important for the owners to under- stand that there may be significant conse- quences to their deci- sion to put their own players in these difficult economic circum- stances. ‘‘If the owners will not give our players a forum in which to play basketball here in the United States, they risk losing the greatest play- ers in the world to the international basketball federations that are more than willing to employ them.’’ Talks between the NBA and the union broke down June 30, and the owners decided to impose the league’s first lockout since the 1998-99 season was shortened to 50 games. Both sides say there are significant differences between their propos- als, raising the possibil- ity that all or part of next season could be canceled. The chasm between the league and union has led some players to consider other options. New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams WNBA EASTERN CONFERENCE WL Pct GB Indiana 10 3 .769 — New York 8 5 .615 2 Connecticut 6 5 .545 3 Chicago 7 7 .5003 1/2 Atlanta 3 9 .2506 1/2 Washington 2 9 .182 7 WESTERN CONFERENCE WL Pct GB Phoenix 9 4 .692 — Minnesota 7 4 .636 1 San Antonio 7 4 .636 1 Seattle 7 4 .636 1 Los Angeles 5 6 .455 3 Tulsa 1 12 .077 8 ————————————————— Wednesday’s results Chicago 72, Tulsa 54 Indiana 90, Connecticut 78 New York 91, Atlanta 69 Phoenix 112, Minnesota 105 Today’s game Seattle at San Antonio, 6 p.m. Mercy Sept. 2 at Champion Ch. Sept. 10 Herlong Sept. 23 at Redding Chr. Sept. 30 at Butte Valley Oct. 8 at Happy Camp Oct. 15 Dunsmuir Oct. 22 Big Valley Oct. 29 at Liberty Chr. Nov. 5 Hayfork is working on a deal with Turkish team Besiktas, and Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Amare Stoudemire of the New York Knicks have mentioned the pos- sibility of playing over- seas if the NBA lockout drags on. Any signed player who decides to go over- seas would need an opt- out clause in his foreign contract so he could return to the NBA if the lockout was lifted dur- ing the season. Then there’s the potentially tricky clearance from FIBA, basketball’s gov- erning body. But the union doesn’t think there should be any problems. ‘‘We do not believe NAL Northern Division WL Pct. GB Lake County 25 15 .625 — Edmonton 27 18 .600 .5 Calgary 27 20 .574 1.5 Maui 18 23 .439 7.5 OUTLAWS 17 25 .405 9 Southern Division WL Pct. GB San Angelo 28 14 .667 — R. G.Valley 24 20 .545 5 Edinburg 21 25 .457 9 McAllen 15 29 .341 14 Yuma 14 27 .34113 1/2 ————————————————— Wednesday’s results Chico at Lake County, late Edmonton at Calgary, late McAllen vs. Edinburg at McAllen, late San Angelo at Rio Grande Valley, late Yuma at Maui, late Thursday’s Games Chico at Lake County, 5:05 p.m. San Angelo at Rio Grande Valley, 4:05 p.m. McAllen vs.Edinburg at McAllen, 5:05 p.m. Edmonton at Calgary, 5:30 p.m. San Angelo at Rio Grande Valley, 6:35 p.m. Yuma at Maui, 10:05 p.m. Red Bluff Sept. 2 Pleasant Valley Sept. 9 Shasta Sept. 16 at Corning Sept. 23 Chico Sept. 30 at West Valley Oct. 7 at Lassen Oct. 14 at Paradise Oct. 21 at Foothill Oct. 28 Oroville Nov. 4 Las Plumas NBAunion memo supports players going overseas that FIBA or the NBA will stand in the way of any players pursuing international opportuni- ties, whether you are under contract or a free agent,’’ Hunter wrote in the memo, which also was sent to agents. ‘‘You and your agent should secure appropri- ate protection to guard against any injury or unforeseen circum- stances.’’ FIBA has said it is working on a statement to be sent to its mem- bership and clubs to clarify the legal situa- tion. The New York Times was the first to report on the union memo. MLB West Division Texas East Division American League WL Pct GB 51 41 .554 — Angels 50 42 .543 1 Seattle 43 48 .473 7.5 A’s 39 53 .424 12 WL Pct GB Boston 55 35 .611 — New York 53 35 .602 1 Tampa Bay 49 41 .544 6 Toronto 45 47 .489 11 Baltimore 36 52 .409 18 Central Division WL Pct GB Detroit 49 43 .533 — Cleveland 47 42 .528 .5 Chicago 44 48 .478 5 Minnesota 41 48 .461 6.5 Kansas City 37 54 .407 11.5 ————————————————— Today’s games Cleveland (Masterson 7-6) at Baltimore (Guthrie 3-12), 4:05 p.m. New York (Colon 6-4) at Toronto (Jo-.Reyes 4-7), 4:07 p.m. Kansas City (Chen 5-2) at Minnesota (Liriano 5-7), 5:10 p.m. Texas (D.Holland 7-4) at Seattle (Vargas 6-6), 7:10 p.m. Star QBs say it’s time for NFL deal NEW YORK (AP) — Calling the players’ offer ‘‘fair for both sides,’’ star quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees — plaintiffs in an antitrust suit against the NFL — said Wednesday ‘‘it is time’’ to wrap up negotiations on a deal to end the league’s lockout. At the bargaining table, though, it wasn’t that easy. On the day Brady, Manning and Brees spoke as a group publicly for the first time, players and owners spent nearly 11 hours meeting at a Manhattan law office. About two hours after players’ association chief DeMaurice Smith left, NFL Commissioner Roger Good- ell walked out with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the league’s lead negotiator Jeff Pash at 10 p.m. Other owners including Pittsburgh’s Art Rooney and Carolina’s Jerry Richardson departed around then, too. Negotiations were scheduled to resume Thursday morning. With each passing day, the need to strike a bar- gain and end the first NFL work stoppage since 1987 becomes greater. the Deadlines are coming up next week to get training camps and the preseason started on time. Although it seems the sides have agreed on the basic elements of how to split more than $9 billion in annual revenues, among the key sticking points recently have been how to struc- ture a new rookie salary system and what free agency will look like. In a statement released to The Associated Press via the NFL Players Association, New England’s Brady, Indi- anapolis’ Manning and New Orleans’ Brees said: ‘‘We believe the overall proposal made by the players is fair for both sides and it is time to get this deal done.’’ They continued: ‘‘This is the time of year we as play- ers turn our attention to the game on the field. We hope the owners feel the same way.’’ In response, the NFL issued a statement saying: ‘‘We share the view that now is the time to reach an agreement so we can all get back to football and a full 2011 season. We are working hard with the players’ negotiating team every day to complete an agreement as soon as possible.’’ Brady, Manning and Brees are among 10 players who are named plaintiffs in an antitrust suit that is pending in federal court in Minnesota. That class-action lawsuit was filed March 11, hours after federally mediated negotia- tions to arrive at a new collective bargaining agreement broke down, and the old labor contract expired. The NFLPA immediately dissolved itself, meaning players no longer were protected under labor law but instead were allowed to take their chances under antitrust law. On March 12, the owners imposed a lockout on the players, a right management has to shut down a business when a CBA expires. During the lockout, there can be no communication between the teams and current NFL players; no players — including those drafted in April — can be signed; teams won’t pay for players’ health insur- ance. A series of court rulings followed, including one last week from an appeals court that said the lockout could continue. Talks gained steam in May, overseen by a court- appointed mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boy- lan, who is on vacation this week. Boylan ordered both sides to speak with him in Minneapolis next Tuesday, and the owners have a special meeting set for July 21 in Atlanta, where they could vote to ratify a new deal if one is reached. That means there’s intense pressure on Smith and Goodell to keep things moving in a positive direction. Disruptions to the planned preseason schedule would decrease the overall revenue pie. In an added complication, a federal judge has set an Aug. 8 hearing for NFL retirees, who claimed Wednes- day that the league and NFLPA ‘‘have conspired’’ to set low retiree benefit and pension payments in the negotia- tions. The retirees also say they have been illegally and intentionally excluded from the talks. Smith and Goodell were joined at Wednesday’s meet- ing by a half-dozen team owners: Jones, Rooney, Richardson, Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, John Mara of the New York Giants and Clark Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs. On the players’ side were Jeff Saturday of the Indi- anapolis Colts and Tyson Clabo of the Atlanta Falcons. DEVILS (Continued from page 1B) On July 7, they beat the Shasta Lake Bass 10-6. Zach Wiegand went 2-for-3, Matt Hambly 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs and Evan Sinclair homered. Garrett Ott picked up the win. In the second game of the doubleheader, Taylor Angley went 2-for-5 with an RBI, Kaelan Crisosto went 2-for-5 with a pair of stolen bases and Hambly went 2- for-4 with a double and a MLB West Division National League WL Pct GB GIANTS 52 40 .565 — Arizona 49 43 .533 3 Colorado 43 48 .473 8.5 Dodgers 41 51 .446 11 Padres 40 52 .435 12 East Division WL Pct GB Philadelphia 57 34 .626 — Atlanta 54 38 .587 3.5 New York 46 45 .505 11 Washington 46 46 .500 11.5 Florida 43 48 .473 14 Central Division WL Pct GB Milwaukee 49 43 .533 — St. Louis 49 43 .533 — Pittsburgh 47 43 .522 1 Cincinnati 45 47 .489 4 Chicago 37 55 .402 12 Houston 30 62 .326 19 ————————————————— Today’s games San Francisco (Bumgarner 4-9) at San Diego (Harang 7-2), 7:05 p.m. Florida (Ani.Sanchez 6-2) at Chicago (Garza 4-7), 5:05 p.m. Milwaukee (Gallardo 10-5) at Colorado (Jimenez 4-8), 5:40 p.m. RBI. Wiegand picked up the win and Sinclair got the save. On Friday, the Sun Dev- ils lost their opener to Orland as Angley went 2- for-3 with an RBI. Charles Edwards took the loss. The Sun Devils bounced back for Game 2, beating Orland 12-1 behind a strong pitching performance by Angley. Charles Edwards went 4-for-4 with a double and a 2-run homer and Crisosto went 2-for-3. MLS WESTERN CONFERENCE WL T Pts GF GA Galaxy 10 2 9 39 27 16 Seattle 9 4 8 35 28 20 FC Dallas 10 5 4 34 26 19 Salt Lake 8 3 6 30 23 12 Colorado 6 5 9 27 22 23 Chivas USA 5 7 7 22 24 23 QUAKES 56 7 22 22 21 Portland 5 9 3 18 21 31 Vancouver 2 10 8 14 19 28 EASTERN CONFERENCE WL T Pts GF GA Philadelphia 7 4 7 28 21 16 New York 6 4 10 28 34 24 Columbus 7 5 6 27 21 19 Houston 5 6 8 23 23 22 Kansas City 5 6 7 22 23 24 D.C. 5 5 7 22 24 29 Chicago 2 5 12 18 20 24 Toronto FC 3 9 9 18 17 36 New England3 8 7 16 16 24 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie. ————————————————— Saturday’s games San Jose at Columbus, 4:30 p.m. Colorado at Seattle FC, 1 p.m. Real Salt Lake at Vancouver, 1 p.m. D.C. United at FC Dallas, 5:30 p.m. Portland at Chicago, 5:30 p.m. Sporting Kansas City at Houston, 5:30 p.m. New York at Chivas USA, 7:30 p.m. NFL NBA