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GERARDMER, France -- In a solo breakaway, Blel Kadri gave France its first stage winner at the Tour de France in the entree to the Vosges mountains on Saturday. Meanwhile, Vincent Nibali extended his lead over his biggest rivals except an important one: Two-time champion Alberto Contador. Over two minutes back, an attacking Contador duelled with Nibali to capture second place at the uphill finish of a rainy 161-kilometre (100-mile) ride from Tomblaine to Gerardmer La Mauselaine ski resort. Contador gained only seconds on Nibali, and was still 2 1/2 minutes behind him, but the threat was loud and clear. The overall standings changed after Stage 8, with mostly strong climbers at the top. Kadri, sensing his looming victory in the last kilometre, clasped hands in joy with a staffer of his AG2R Mondiale team, who was alongside him in a team car. He kissed his fingers to the crowd and smiled broadly at the line. "Today was my day, and Im really, really, really happy," he said after his maiden Tour stage win. "We work all year for good performances in this race. ... Today it paid off." Kadri emerged from a five-man breakaway that chiselled out a lead of as many as 11 minutes. None of the breakaway riders threatened Nibalis yellow jersey: The highest-placed among them started the stage nearly 26 1/2 minutes back. Contador attacked as he and Nibali passed under the red flag marking one kilometre to go. But the Italian couldnt be shaken -- hewing right on the Spaniards back wheel except for Contadors final surge at the line. "Im not explosive, but I held my own," Nibali said. "I tried to respond as best I could to his attack ... he moved a lot, I really wanted to stick close to him ... in the last 100 metres he accelerated a lot." The ride featured three mid-grade climbs in the first of three days in the mid-sized Vosges range near the German border. 90. Christian Meier of Langley, B.C., was 90th, finishing in a peloton that clocked in at 4:7:19. Svein Tuft, also from Langley, was in the same group, finishing the stage 110th. Meier is 143rd in the overall standings, while Tuft is 146th. American Andrew Talansky had trouble and lost time in the title chase to other contenders. In the final ascent, he skidded off the wet road and fumbled -- with help from a fan -- to repair what seemed to be a problem with his bike. A race medical report said he had multiple contusions. Talansky, the Garmin-Sharp team leader, finished more than two minutes behind Nibali and Contador, and trailed the leader by 4 minutes, 22 seconds in 16th place overall. He started the ride in eighth, 2:05 down. Overall, Nibali led Astana teammate Jakob Fuglsang of Denmark in second by 1 minute, 44 seconds. Australias Richie Porte of Team Sky, who finished fourth on Saturday, was 1:58 back in third. Spains Alejandro Valverde was fifth, 2:27 adrift, and Contador was sixth, 2:34 behind. The breakaway five chiselled out their maximum lead with about 50 kilometres (30 miles) left, and the pack began to accelerate. With around 25 kilometres left, the lead dwindled to 4 1/2 minutes. Frances Sylvain Chavanel pressed the pace among the five in front, then Kadri overtook him, pedalling alone up the final climb. There were fewer crashes than in recent days. Before the stage, Swiss rider Mathias Frank, the leader of the IAM Cycling team, withdraw because of broken left femur in a crash on Friday. Frank, who was runner-up in the Tour de Suisse last month, underwent surgery in Geneva on Saturday. The toughest ride in the Vosges will come on Monday when cyclists face seven ascents, including an uphill finish to the storied ski resort La Planche des Belles Filles. The pack faces six ascents on Sunday with a 170-kilometre (106-mile) ride from Gerardmer to Mulhouse. Chris Chelios Jersey . -- Phil Hughes ended a personal losing streak that dated to last July, pitching into the seventh inning Sunday and helping the Twins top the Kansas City Royals 8-3 to avoid a three-game sweep. CM Punk Jersey .The Hamilton Tiger-Cat defensive back always has the required receipt. But he also walks around with a tangle of metal screws, rods and plates after breaking his neck in 2006 playing high school football in Louisiana. http://www.officialblackhawksfanstore.com/authentic-bobby-orr-blackhawks-jersey/ . It all would have been for naught, however, had it not been for some clutch shooting in the fourth quarter by Kobe Bryant and a couple of equally critical hustle plays by Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol in the final minutes. Stan Mikita Jersey . Billy Hamilton finished off Cincinnatis biggest comeback of the season for a doubleheader sweep. Glenn Hall Jersey . "There are a lot of things that are going very well in this organization. Im not coming in here to rip things apart," Nicholson told reporters Friday. "I know what Hockey Canada was when I started, and I know where this (Oilers) organization is today.Knicks President Phil Jackson was expecting a decision from Carmelo Anthony on Thursday. "But I expected one yesterday and the day before yesterday," Jackson said. "But no, were waiting." And hoping. Jackson said he was still expecting good news, although he said he hadnt heard from Anthony since meeting with him a week earlier. Speaking to reporters at the Knicks summer league practice in Las Vegas, Jackson said he has texted Anthony a couple of times since then, but hasnt gotten a response. But he felt confident about keeping the All-Star forward after their last discussion. "I felt really good about my conversation with Carmelo. We really struck a chord," Jackson said. "The two of us, I think feel really passionately about what were trying to get accomplished. Its his ability to stay, be patient, lead and watch us develop a winner." The Knicks offered Anthony a maximum level contract, worth nearly $130 million over five years, at thheir meeting in Los Angeles.dddddddddddd Anthony had previously met with Chicago, Houston, Dallas and the Lakers. Jackson added that he had made perhaps five contract proposals to Anthony. He has said he hopes the NBAs leading scorer in 2012-13 would be open to taking less than the max to allow for more future spending flexibility. Jackson also confirmed that he had reached out to one of his former players, Pau Gasol. The Lakers star is a free agent and Jackson is interested, even while acknowledging the Knicks have far less money to offer than Gasol is worth. But Jackson is trying to pitch him on the value of being in New York, even noting the importance to the Spaniard of being in the same city as the United Nations. "He knows what he has here and what is possible and I think hed like to play with Carmelo and I think hed like to play for a winner," Jackson said. "And we cant guarantee that but with him, wed guarantee a much better chance." ' ' '