Tour De France

News item: Cyclist Floyd Landis failed in his attempt to reverse a positive doping result and has been stripped of his Tour de France victory. He reportedly spent $2 million to wage his defense. My take: Let's review. Landis won the Tour de France, but has to give back the title. His lawyers lost the case, but get to keep $2 million. Conclusion: Next time, ride your bike to law school. News item: Steve McNair is set to return as starting quarterback when the Ravens play the Arizona Cardinals today at M&T Bank Stadium.

MARYLAND Shooting shocks community Grieving family members and neighbors of a Southwest Baltimore woman who police say was shot to death by her husband - a veteran correctional officer - remained shocked yesterday evening, questioning how her four sons will survive without her. Police said Cynthia Webb, 42, was shot multiple times during a dispute with her husband. pg 1B WORLD Hamas to pay ousted workers The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip will begin paying thousands of civil servants cut from the payroll of its rival, Fatah, officials said yesterday, further entrenching the divisions between the two Palestinian factions.

Good morning--Cyclists--Any chance this year's Tour de France could be a drug-free ride?

News item: The Orioles will give Cal Ripken Jr. a "Hall of Fame Send-off" at Camden Yards on Tuesday night, honoring him in advance of his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., next Sunday. My take: I'm hoping this one will be a lot better than the sendoffs they gave Jon Miller, Davey Johnson, Pat Gillick, Brooks Rob ... oh, forget it. News item: Erik Bedard took a no-hitter into the sixth inning Friday night in Oakland. He was removed from the game with a one-hitter after the seventh with the Orioles leading by five runs.

Colleges -- Ball State apologized to former basketball coach Ronny Thompson after an outside review found "unprofessional behavior" by an employee tainted the school's report to the NCAA on possible rules violations. Ball State also said yesterday that the school and Thompson had resolved a dispute surrounding his July resignation. Cycling -- American cyclist Floyd Landis cannot compete in France until 2009 even if he has his two-year doping ban lifted by the sport's highest court. The French Anti-Doping Agency said it had imposed its own ban against Landis, preventing him from riding in France until Jan. 31, 2009 - ruling him out of next year's Tour de France.

CORK, Ireland -- Chris Boardman, who wore the leader's yellow jersey for the first two days, crashed yesterday and fractured his left wrist, knocking him out of the Tour de France.About 90 minutes away from the finish of the 127-mile second stage, Boardman's front wheel clipped the rear wheel of teammate Frederic Moncassin's bike. Boardman's helmet hit a stone fence, cutting his forehead.Tour doctor David Curtis said Boardman, the gold medalist in the 1992 Olympics in pursuit, had a fractured left wrist, as well as cuts and bruises to his face.

PARIS -- Marco Pantani became the first Italian in 33 years to win the Tour de France, but it was a depleted and demoralized group of riders who crossed the finish line on the Champs-Elysees yesterday.After dominating his rivals in the Pyrenees and Alps, Pantani's lead was so secure that he was able to ride the final 91-mile leg from Melun to Paris in the middle of the pack and withstand a flat tire late in the leg. But his victory was accompanied by little of the usual clowning and antics by fellow riders, because of the ever-present drug scandal that enveloped the three-week race even before it began in Dublin, Ireland, on July 11.In a normal year, this Tour would be recalled for some wonderful racing, including what could become a legendary stage in the rainy and foggy Alps in which Pantani crushed his main rival, Jan Ullrich, the defending champion from Germany.

PAU, France -- After nine days and more than 1,050 miles of racing, the Tour de France arrived at its real starting point yesterday.Forget Cedric Vasseur, the man wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey. Forget Erik Zabel, Nicola Minali and Jeroen Blijlevens, the sprinters who have dominated the first week along with Mario Cipollini, now a dropout because of knee problems. Forget the tumultuous charges to the finish line by several dozen riders.Starting today, the tour enters the mountains, where the favorites will take charge.

COLMAR, France -- The Tour de France riders tried to crack leader Jan Ullrich yesterday. Ullrich struggled, but he didn't break.So, with three days left in the Tour, Ullrich leads by 6 minutes, 22 seconds and is almost certain to become the first German winner, barring an injury or an accident.Ullrich retained his commanding advantage despite a 1-2 finish by Festina riders Didier Rous of France and Pascal Herve.The Festina team, winning its second straight stage, worked hard to detach itself from Ullrich, who weakened slightly in the rolling hills of eastern France.

GAP, France -- By 11: 30 a.m. yesterday, when the Tour de France left Turin, Italy, the temperature was in the 70s and the forecast for the next two days called for more sun and more heat.For Miguel Indurain, this marked the real start of the Tour, in which he is seeking his sixth successive victory. The Spaniard flourishes in the sun and wilts in the cold, the rain and the snow in which the race has been run so far.At long last, the sun. No wonder then that Indurain looked enthusiastic when he arrived with the rest of the Banesto team at the sign-in for the Tour's 10th stage, 129 miles from Turin to Gap.He was not alone in his jubilation.

News item: Terrell Suggs has signed a six-year deal with the Ravens worth a reported $63 million, making him the highest-paid linebacker in the history of the NFL. My take: I know that sounds like a lot of money to pay a guy for running into people, but Suggs is the real deal, and the Ravens are smart to lock up the nucleus of their strong defense. Bonus take: And I give both sides a lot of credit for getting through the long negotiating process without a lot of public rancor. News item: Orioles center fielder Adam Jones delivered a sacrifice fly to drive in the winning run in the 80th All-Star Game on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

Lance Armstrong's return to the race that made him a superstar reintroduces one of the touchier cases of fan-athlete rapport, the occasionally prickly interplay between the cyclist who once dominated a revered 106-year-old race in a foreign country and the citizens of the country with the revered 106-year-old race. As Tour de France participants and oglers gathered in Monaco, fans reportedly cheered Armstrong while Armstrong told the Associated Press in a telephone interview that he had seen "thousands" of supportive French fans as he made pre-race preparations in the Alps.

A speed record might topple soon in an epic cross-country bike race that is arguably tougher than the Tour de France. Adam Driscoll and Patrick Blair intend to snag first place in the two-man division of the legendary Race Across America, a 3,000-mile ultra-marathon that begins for teams June 20 in Oceanside, Calif., and ends in Annapolis on or about June 26. But as undeniably thrilling as winning would be, it is not the primary motivation for the two local contenders as they prepare to embark on six or more grueling days and nights of round-the-clock cycling.

Murder charges filed in Adenhart crash baseball A 22-year-old man was charged with three murder counts and drunken driving Friday in the crash that killed Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others. Andrew Thomas Gallo had nearly triple the legal blood-alcohol level when he allegedly ran a red light in his minivan early Thursday and broadsided a car carrying Adenhart and three friends, police said. Gallo could get almost 55 years to life in prison if convicted of all charges, Orange County (Calif.

Armstrong slow, steady in his first race back cycling Lance Armstrong made a cautious return to professional cycling yesterday, finishing 64th among 133 riders in a 30-mile criterium in Adelaide, Australia. More than 138,000 people watched Armstrong, 37, return from three years of retirement and begin a campaign to win his eighth Tour de France title. He stayed well back in a tight field throughout the race downtown on a winding circuit around leafy Rymill Park, following team instructions to avoid any chance of crashing.

Conception the natural way for Armstrong and his girlfriend Lance Armstrong's new baby was conceived naturally, a spokeswoman for his cancer foundation confirmed yesterday. Armstrong, who won the Tour de France seven consecutive years after overcoming testicular cancer, and his girlfriend, Anna Hansen, are expecting the baby in June. "The baby was conceived naturally," Lance Armstrong Foundation spokeswoman Rae Bazzarre said in a statement e-mailed to the Associated Press. Armstrong had three children with his ex-wife Kristin using in vitro fertilization with sperm he had banked before undergoing chemotherapy.

Armstrong says he'll ride in 2009 Tour de France cycling Lance Armstrong will ride in the 2009 Tour de France, marking the first time he will compete in that race and the Giro d'Italia in the same year. "I'm committed to riding for the best guy," Armstrong said yesterday, acknowledging the taxing schedule could leave him riding in a supporting role in France. The Giro runs May 9-31, and the Tour begins July 4. With such a quick turnaround between two grueling races, the seven-time Tour champion acknowledged his body might not perform at the same level it did when he won his last Tour in 2005.

It might be true that it doesn't matter how virtuous Lance Armstrong really is. He has been a force of good, legitimate or not. Even if all of this has been done for the Glory of Lance, something larger has been achieved along the way. I'll pump my fist when I catch a glimpse of the 2009 Tour de France on television, fully embracing the idea, if not the man. ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/lifeofkings)

Armstrong expresses doubts about 2009 Tour cycling Lance Armstrong has expressed doubts about racing in next year's Tour de France. The American, who agreed Monday to ride in next year's Giro d'Italia, said in an interview published yesterday that he might not go for an eighth Tour de France title after all. "Everyone knows its importance, but the problems that I have with the organizers, journalists and fans could distract me from my mission - focusing...

Cassell says he'll retire after 2008-09 season nba Baltimore native and three-time NBA champion Sam Cassell said yesterday that he plans to become an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics after playing one more season. A guard who was part of the Celtics' title run this past season, Cassell, 38, told a reporter about his plans shortly before speaking at a City Hall news conference. "This is my last year playing with the Celtics," he said. "Next week, I'll sign the contract." After finishing the 2008-09 season, he plans to exercise an option to join the coaching staff.