Aktionen » ling 1-0. Everybody does this, of cours

NANCY, France -- Matteo Trentin of Italy won Fridays seventh stage of the Tour de France in a photo finish, after two top American hopefuls went down in the latest spills of a crash-marred edition this year. Fellow Italian Vincenzo Nibali retained the overall leaders yellow jersey. U.S. rider Tejay van Van Garderen, who crashed within the last 17 kilometres, was the big loser on the day -- with his fall costing him more than a minute in the title chase. The sun finally broke through clouds that had dumped rain over riders in recent days for the 234.5 kilometre (146 mile) ride from Epernay, the capital of Champagne country, to the eastern city of Nancy. It was the second-longest stage of the three-week race this year. Trentin, a cheery 24-year-old who won a stage in the Tour of Switzerland earlier this year, beat Slovakias Peter Sagan by what looked like no more than a centimetre or two on the finish-line photo of the final sprint. The finish was so close that the Tours Web site initially declared Sagan the winner. Trentin patted Sagan on the back after crossing the line. The Cannondale star, who took home the green jersey given to the Tours best overall sprinter for the last two years, has finished in the top-5 of every stage this year -- and second three times -- but has yet to win. Frances Tony Gallopin was third. "Honestly I didnt know that I won. I told Peter that he had beaten me on the line. Cycling is nice because anything can happen," said Trentin, who won a stage in Lyon in his first Tour last year. "Its a good thing that I won two times." Trentin dedicated the victory to his Omega Pharma Quick Step team and its star sprinter Mark Cavendish, who crashed out in Stage 1. BMC leader van Garderen was not the only American to have a bad day. Andrew Talansky fell in the final sprint, rolling over and scuffing up his left arm and ripping his jersey on his shoulder after getting bumped by Australias Simon Gerrans. But under course rules, Talansky, the Garmin-Sharp team leader, didnt lose time in the title chase because his crash happened within the last three kilometres. He yelled in frustration after crossing the line. "Hes ok ... its not something thats going to affect him much," Garmin-Sharp team Jonathan Vaughters said of Talansky on French TV. "I dont know if it was Gerrans fault, but hes angry. Thats 100-per cent sure." Overall, Nibali has a two-second lead over Astana teammate Jakob Fuglsang and is two minutes, 37 seconds clear of two-time Tour winner Alberto Contador -- his main rival. Talansky is seventh, 2 minutes, 5 seconds back. With about 16 kilometres left, a Movistar team rider bumped the back wheel of van Garderen as he moved to the right in the pack. They tumbled to the asphalt. Van Garderen got rolled over by another riders bike. The BMC leader got up and back to the race, but lost time to Nibali, even after several of his teammates pedaled furiously in front of him to keep him out of the wind, trying to help him catch up. He shrugged off the damage, putting it into the long-term perspective of a three-week race that ends in Paris on July 27. "Its a tough blow, but the Tour is long, the race changes," van Garderen said of the time loss, calling the crash "nothing major. So Ill definitely be fine to start tomorrow." More significant for the BMC leader in the long-term, however, may be the withdrawal of Colombias John Darwin Atapuma, a good climber whom the team was grooming to help van Garderen. The race medical report said Atapuma was taken to a hospital for treatment of a broken femur just above the knee. "This is definitely not a good day for the team," said van Garderen. "To lose him ... I really just hope hes ok, I hear he banged his knee pretty hard." Overall van Garderen trails 3 minutes, 14 behind Nibali, in 18th place, after starting the stage only 2:11 adrift. "There have really been a lot of crashes this year, in the final sprints," Nibali said. "We all knew that Sagan wanted a win today ... The end of the stage was very hard." The biggest crash casualty this year was defending champion Chris Froome, who dropped out of the race with an injured wrist in Stage 5. Also falling in the finish-line crash, Swiss rider Mathias Frank, the leader of the IAM Cycling team, was undergoing a medical scan at hospital for a severely injured hip, the race medical report said. In an earlier crash, Dutch rider Stef Clement dropped out of the race and was taken to hospital after a blow to the head. In a possible preview of race action to come, Contador led a small attack along a low-grade climb with about 6-kilometres left, but he couldnt shake Nibali. The Italian says he expects the Spanish two-time champ to attack in the mountains ahead starting this weekend, culminating with a tough uphill finish on Monday. A shakeout among title contenders could be ahead in Saturdays eighth stage, which winds through medium-height mountains along a 161-kilometre (100-mile) run from Tomblaine to Gerardmer-La Mauselaine ski resort. Thorgan Hazard Jersey . -- John Senden never imagined it would take more than seven years to win again. Adnan Januzaj Belgium Jersey . Ramirez is still hitting behind Puig, only now they are in the third and fourth spots, and the change is starting to generate positive results for manager Don Mattingly. http://www.belgiumsoccerpro.com/Youri-Tielemans-Belgium-Jersey/ . Terrance Broadway threw for 227 yards and Hunter Stover kicked three field goals as the Ragin Cajuns won an unprecedented fourth straight New Orleans Bowl with a 16-3 triumph over Nevada. Axel Witsel Belgium Jersey .5 million, four-year contract with the Texas Rangers that could be worth $32. Mousa Dembele Belgium Jersey . Mauer struck out to end the inning, with a runner on third base in the seventh on Wednesday and the Twins trailing 1-0. Everybody does this, of course, in a sport with a 30 per cent success rate at the plate long proven to be a benchmark of excellence. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Steve Smith era in Carolina is over. The Panthers released their all-time leading receiver on Thursday after 13 seasons. Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman said it "was not an easy decision" in a press release. "Steve has been one of the NFLs finest receivers for over a decade and has been the face of the franchise for a large part of the teams history," Gettleman said. "As a team, we made a step forward last year; however we are also a team in transition, which is a part of the NFL." Smith said on radio Thursday hes not angry about the decision. "Its devastating to hear that you are getting fired, but its also exciting because that frees me up to be pursued by other teams," Smith told Taylor Zarzour of SiriusXMs Bleacher Report Radio." I have never become a free agent before so I will get a few free dinners out of it at some nice expensive restaurants. I want to enjoy the experience that, frankly, I will never experience again." Smith reiterated he wants to play in the NFL and that being released "awoke a sleeping giant" inside of him. The decision comes one day after Smiths agent, Derrick Fox, told The Associated Press that the 13-year NFL veteran "is not going to play for the Panthers next year, I know that." Fox said the Panthers never asked Smith, who turns 35 in May, to restructure his current contract. The Panthers were unable to trade Smith, who was set to cost $7 million under this years salary cap. The Panthers still owe Smith $3 million this season. The decision has not been a popular one among Carolina fans. Gettleman addressed that in his press release. "When I took this position I knew that difficult decisions would have to be made along the way," Gettleman said. "To move on from a storied veteran player is probably the most difficult of all. A decision not to be taken lightly. However, after much thought I feel very strongly its the right one." "As Ive stated many times, all decisions I make will be in the long-term best interest of the Carolina Panthers. Decisions, either popular or unpopular, have to be made for the greater good and it is imperative to take an unemotional global view. Sometimes it may appear that short term interests will suffer, and I can assure you we have no interest in taking a step back from our 2013 accomplishments." The Panthers also lost wide receivers Domenik Hixon and Ted Ginn Jr. to free agency on Thursday. Hixon signed with the Chicago Bears and Ginn with the Arizona Cardinals. Panthers cornerback Captain Munnerlyn told The Associated Press he has signed with the Minnesota Vikings for a deal that could pay him $15 million over three years with incentives.dddddddddddd One possible replacement at wide receiver is free agent Hakeem Nicks, a Charlotte native who played for New York Giants. The Smith move marks the end of an era for the Panthers. Smith joined the team as a third-round draft pick out of Utah in 2001. He made an immediate impact in the NFL, returning the opening kickoff of the season for a touchdown against the Vikings. He became the first Panthers rookie selected to the Pro Bowl, earning that honour as a return specialist. Known for his feisty behaviour on the field, Smith became a dominant receiver over the next 12 seasons. He is Carolinas all-time leader with 75 total touchdowns and has 836 receptions for 12,197 yards. "On the football field Steve had a competitive arrogance that (was) second to none -- second to none," said former Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme in a telephone interview. "That helped him be as good as he was. He made other guys step up their game. But off the field he was totally different. He loves his wife and his family. Hes a genuinely good person with a great heart." Panthers coach Ron Rivera said in the release: "He is a great competitor with Hall of Fame-worthy statistics and has made a great contribution to our community." Fox said Smith would have welcomed a chance to move inside to slot receiver, but the team never offered him that opportunity. As productive as Smith was, his fiery personality often rubbed people the wrong way, and some viewed him as a distraction in the locker room. Smith had run-ins with teammates on at least two occasions. He punched out fellow wide receiver Anthony Bright in a film room fight and later socked cornerback Ken Lucas on the field during a practice at training camp in Spartanburg, S.C. On both occasions, Smith was suspended by the team. Delhomme said that was a "humbling experience" for Smith, who apologized to Lucas and the teams fans after the incident. Despite the two incidents, Smith was immensely popular with the fan base, in large part due to his production on the field. He also worked hard to change his public image over the last several years and has been an active member of the Charlotte community. When asked if he was surprised Smith was released, Delhomme said, "It does surprise, but thats the NFL. I mean, look, Peyton Manning plays for the Denver Broncos -- that the way it goes." NOTES: Panthers backup quarterback Derek Anderson announced Thursday on Twitter he has re-signed with Carolina for a fourth season. Anderson tweeted: "Happy to be coming back to Charlotte next season!" 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