Sports in brief: Armstrong’s experience proves handy
If age is Lance Armstrong’s enemy, then experience is his friend.
With a savvy sense of the pack and a touch of luck, the 37-year-old Texan surprised some of the younger Tour de France contenders Monday to move within striking distance of the yellow jersey.
He made up for what his legs lack in power with road smarts during the breezy third stage along the Mediterranean, rising from 10th to third place.
Armstrong hitched a ride with a breakaway group led by old sidekick George Hincapie’s Team Columbia. Mark Cavendish, a Columbia rider from Britain, won the stage for the second straight day.
Race leader Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland kept the yellow jersey for a third day in a row. The Swiss rider with Saxo Bank extended his lead and is ahead of Columbia rider Tony Martin of Germany by 33 seconds and Armstrong by 40.
Most of the favorites were trapped by the wind during the 122-mile ride from Marseille to La Grande-Motte. Sensing the gusts were playing havoc ahead of a turn with about 18 miles to go, Armstrong simply stayed in front, outfoxing riders like Alberto Contador of Spain, the 2007 Tour winner and favorite this year.
“Good positioning, experience, a little bit of luck,” Armstrong said. “Just before that corner I was 20 guys back and I decided just that idea to move up enough to be on their wheel. And there it went.”
“Whenever you see a team lined up at the front like that, you have to pay attention,” he added. “You know what the wind’s doing, and you see that a turn’s coming up, so it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that you have to go to the front.”
Today’s fourth stage is a 24.2-mile team time trial in Montpellier. Armstrong’s Astana team, Saxo Bank, Columbia and Garmin are considered the main contenders on a technical course.
Cougars aid in U19 World Championship
Basketball: Both the United States and Australia, featuring Washington State University men’s basketball team members, remained undefeated as Australia (4-0) defeated Kazakhstan (1-3), 87-54, and the U.S. (4-0) defeated Greece (2-2), 85-69, at the FIBA U19 World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand.
Incoming WSU freshman Brock Motum led the Australian squad with 17 points, five rebounds and two assists. The Brisbane, Australia, native finished 7 for 11 from the field.
Meanwhile, in the Americans’ win, DeAngelo Casto (Ferris) and Klay Thompson scored six and three points, respectively. Casto started the game, adding five rebounds.
•Locals perform on world stage: University of Washington forward Quincy Pondexter put up 13 points to go with two assists, a blocked shot and a rebound to help Team USA beat Greece 108-77 to improve to 3-0 at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia.
Also, Washington State University’s Nikola Koprivica had two points, two assists and two rebounds to help host Serbia beat Finland 82-70 and improve to 3-0.
The Canadian team was not as fortunate, however, losing to Croatia 83-77, despite 22 points and and five rebounds by incoming Gonzaga freshman Mangisto Arop. Arop is averaging 19.3 points per game.
Woman owned gun used in McNair death
Miscellany: Though many questions remain, investigators in Nashville, Tenn., now know that Sahel Kazemi bought the gun that ended her life and killed former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair.
Kazemi bought the semi-automatic pistol Thursday evening from a person Metro police are not naming. She made the purchase just hours after she was bailed out of jail by McNair for a DUI charge. Both were found dead less than 48 hours later, in a condo McNair rented.
Police still aren’t classifying the deaths as a murder-suicide.
•Man pleads not guilty to killing Iowa coach: Mark Becker, the man accused of killing Ed Thomas, an Iowa high school football coach, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in Parkersburg, Iowa.
•Mickelson gets more bad news: Six weeks after Phil Mickelson announced his wife had breast cancer, his mother, Mary Nickelson, was diagnosed with the disease and is to have surgery Friday in San Diego.
•U.S. names track coaches: Harvey Glance of Alabama and Chandra Cheeseborough of Tennessee State will coach the U.S. track and field team at the world championships in Berlin next month.
•WSU swimmer makes splash: Washington State University swimmer Rugile Mileisyte competed for her native country, Lithuania, in the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia.
The junior finished fourth in her heat and 23rd overall with a time of 57.21 seconds.
•Ovechkin named ambassador: Russian-born NHL MVP Alex Ovechkin will be an “official ambassador” for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games, organizers announced.