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OROPA, Italy -- Enrico Battaglin sprinted to victory on a tough uphill finish to claim the 14th stage of the Giro dItalia on Saturday as the race hit the first of the high mountains. The Italian came from behind to overtake Jarlinson Pantano in the final 50 metres and edge out Dario Cataldo on the line after a climb to the sanctuary of Oropa, the scene of Marco Pantanis memorable victory in 1999. Pantano finished seven seconds behind. "I didnt believe I could do it until the last kilometre. My legs were at their limits, I was tired too," Battaglin said. "Then I saw that others too were breaking down. Then I gained some meters immediately, I gritted my teeth and I passed them in the last 20 metres. It is a superb win for me, what a fight." Rigoberto Uran of Colombia retained the overall lead but saw his advantage cut on the 164-kilometre (102-mile) route from Aglie. Cadel Evans -- who wore the pink jersey earlier in the race -- gained five seconds and is now 32 seconds behind Uran. Rafal Majka is third overall, 1:35 behind. "We lost a few seconds, but its no worry," Uran said. "The team is doing well, Im calm. But the Giro is still very open." It was the second of three stages dedicated to Pantani, the Italian cyclist who won both the Giro and Tour de France in 1998. He was found dead in a hotel room on Valentines Day in 2004, and a coroner ruled he died from cocaine poisoning. As the Giro entered the final week, the race entered the mountains and Fridays route had four categorized climbs including the steep final ascent. The breakaway of the day was formed of 21 riders but the peloton were happy to let them go, with none of the escapees less than half an hour behind Uran in the overall standings. The first two weeks of the Giro had been littered with crashes on wet roads, and even though the day was dry there was another crash with around 102K (63 miles) remaining as the peloton went through a roundabout. No one was seriously injured but Kanstantsin Siutsou later quit the race. Pieter Weening -- who won the ninth stage -- also retired during the day. The gap to the breakaway group went up to more than 10 minutes because of the crash but was back down to 9:29 at the start of the category 2 climb up to Alpe Noveis. And the peloton had gained more than two minutes at the top of the ascent after a gradient of up to 16 per cent. Nicolas Roche escaped from the break on the highest climb of the day, up the Bielmonte, which has a ski station at the summit. As he crested the top, he had 10 seconds on the remainder of the original break, which was down to 12 cyclists. The Irish cyclist was caught on the descent and Albert Timmer and Manuel Quinziato took over the lead before the latter had a mechanical problem at the start of the final climb. Timmer made an attempt to stay in front but was caught with 2K (1.2 miles) remaining by Cataldo and Pantano and dropped shortly after. Battaglin powered to catch the lead group inside the final kilometre and he surged forward again on the cobbled ramps up to the finish. Strong climbers Nairo Quintana and Domenico Pozzovivo will be looking to gain more time on Uran as the Giro stays in the mountains. Sundays 15th stage is mainly flat before another tough climb up to the finish of the 225K (140-mile) leg from Valdengo to Montecampione. Nike Shoes Clearance . For one, he still gets to crank the intensity to the max. "I push pretty angry. I ran pretty angry too though, but I have fun doing it," Lumsden said. Wholesale Nike Shoes China . The St. Louis Cardinals were scheduled to arrive in Boston in time for a workout on Tuesday afternoon. Much of Mondays discussion focused on Bostons lineup considerations as the series progresses, specifically when the venue shifts to St. http://www.nikeshoesclearance.com/ . Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse will reunite at this weekends season-opening World Cup at Canada Olympic Park as they begin their buildup to the Winter Games in Sochi. Cheap Nike Shoes Free Shipping . Setting United on its way to a 2-0 victory, Rooney sent the ball high from inside the halfway line over goalkeeper Adrian after just seven minutes. "Its just instinct, Ive turned and had a quick look and seen the goalkeeper off his line," Rooney said. Cheap Nike Shoes . Not because it was right, but because referees werent allowed to determine it was wrong.This is going to be a good team. I realize I tend to say that about almost every team in my CFL previews this year, but with Montreal it is easy to express analytical optimism for many reasons. First is quarterback Troy Smith. There is nothing really physically outstanding about Smith; he is 60, 224 pounds with a good arm and good mobility. I sum him up as thick and quick. But there is something about him, a genuine confidence expressed through experience in football at a high level. An articulation and intelligence that you "pick up on" when he is in front of a camera talking about himself and the league. And a unique level of humility that says in order to perform, I have to learn; not the other way around. I have always looked at humility as a strength and maturity; arrogance as a weakness and insecurity. When you consider the short amount of preparation time Smith experienced last year, his solid on field performance in yes, limited games, was very impressive. You have to feel good that as the teams starter from the outset, improvement is inevitable. I know of the other Alouettes QBs, but I would be immensely surprised if, outside of injury, Smith is not the No. 1 quarterback wearing No. 1. And with Anthony Calvillo retired, I am sure Smith looks at this training camp as a career opportunity, not a wait-and-see situation. On the defensive side of the ball, the Alouettes have an exceptional unit with just one unknown: who will play middle linebacker now that Shea Emry is an Argonaut? This issue is more a ratio adjustment problem than a personnel problem. It would be great if you could replace a Canadian with another good Canadian but if not, you will have a market of linebackers ready throughout the United States. The two positions of numeric wealth in NCAA football are running back and linebacker; simply said there are a lot of them. Last year Montreal was first in some significant defensive categories: fewest yards allowed at 314 per game, fewest rushing yards allowed at 88 per game; fewest 2nd down conversions allowed, most two and outs forced, most quarterback sacks with 59, and a key one, most takeaways with 56. All they need is to find or develop a new middle llinebacker.ddddddddddddThats a manageable situation. On offence, Brandon Whitaker will be back and with Jamel Richardson and SJ Green it is hard to argue that the two best slot receivers are anywhere but Montreal. The Chad Johnson experiment will be an interesting one. Hes closer to 40 than 30 but the bottom line is can he still move like he is 20? Answers will be given early but if he is competing for a roster spot with someone younger and equal in talent, the younger guy will get it. The single biggest mediating factor in athletic performance is age. You know it is coming but you cant stop it, you can only slow it down. Special teams will improve with Larry Taylor and Duron Carter as returners, but also a rededication to blocking effectively for the returners as a priority. And finally there is Tom Higgins, the new Alouettes head coach. More than a few years removed from coaching, Higgins is about as much a polar opposite from the previous full-time head coach as you can get. And that is a good thing. Higgins is pragmatic and calculated; hes an administrator and no one knows the rules better. Hes been named CFL coach of the year and is a Grey Cup-winning coach. He is not the next youthful flash of success, quite the opposite. This decision comes from the experience of decades being the front man of the organization. This one is logical and safe compared to last years decision, which was risky and a novelty. It does not happen very often but every now and then games are determined by experience or inexperience with CFL rules. This year, thats an advantage with Higgins in Montreal. In the East, Toronto has to keep Ricky Ray healthy for 18 games because assuming the next Zack Collaros is on the roster is unrealistic. Hamilton has to continue to improve and may be the team to beat early. Ottawa is brand new, if they make the playoffs it will be a successful season. So where does that leave Montreal? With a new coach, new quarterback, new receivers, and maybe more adversity than any CFL team last year, they still finished 8-10, only three games out from first place. Another 8-10 finish this year is very unlikely; expect Montreal to surprise come November in BC. ' ' '