BERNE, Switzerland -- The prospect of a third Tour de France title firms with every pedal stroke for Chris Froome. But the Briton and his teammates realise it only takes one slip up for a campaign that has been near perfect apart from the Mont Ventoux fiasco to fall apart.It was a point that Team Sky Principal Sir David Brailsford was quick to stress after stage 16 of the Tour, 209 kilometres from Moirans-en-Montagne to Berne in Switzerland, saw Slovakian world road champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) claim his third victory of this Tour.Sagan won the stage in a sprint, beating the Norwegian pair of Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) and Sondre Holst Enger (IAM Cycling) in a reduced peloton that numbered 33 riders. The Tour will stop in Berne on Tuesday for its second of two rest days, after which it will resume with stage 17, 184.5km from Berne to Hinhaut-Emosson in the Alps.The race remains in the Alps on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and finishes in Paris on Sunday. After Mondays stage, Froome still leads by one minute 47 seconds over Dutchman Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) and two minutes 45 seconds over compatriot Adam Yates (Orica-BikeExchange). Behind them are as many as seven other riders who could stull vie for a podium place.The danger at this stage [is] if people start thinking towards the end of the race, What happens if this, what happens if that, Brailsford told ESPN.It is like a hurdles race ... if you start thinking about the eighth or the ninth hurdle when you are jumping the third you are going to trip up. We are going to take one hurdle at a time and go on from there.Braislford realises that while Froome has a strong lead, behind him there are riders who, even if they dont believe they can win the Tour, will be fighting in the Alps for the best possible position in four-day block of mountain racing that includes on time trial on Friday.That in turn could lead to riders taking risks which always present potential dangers. The onus will be on Froome and Sky to cover any positional threatening moves, but it will also be vital that he remains alert to the possible hazards from other riders taking risks.Its always a measured decision if you like, a calculated risk ... in terms of what are you going to risk against what you might lose, Brailsford said, but then indicated Froome might be more cautious than he has been so far in the Tour now that he is in the lead.You do become a little more conservative as the race goes on ... [If] you are racing in the front and trying to be as close to the front as possible on the descents that is the best place to be. That is what will be everybodys strategy ... I dont think there are any secrets there.Brailsford is more than pleased with where Froome and the team is this late in the race, after tackling it with more aggression than in the past when Froome won in 2013.We have got to the second rest day in good shape and team performing very well and Chris has been leading he team very well, Brailsford said. Ive loved the way he has raced this race in terms of opportunities he has taken on the descents and downhill, the cross winds and when he got some more seconds [in] the time trial.Asked what has stood out so far from this Tour from the others Sky have won with Froome, Braislford said: We [have] raced more aggressively. That is very much the defining factor for me.He then said the teams mindset from the start was to go into the Tour: Alright, we are going to go off the front. We are not going to wait. We are not going to do the classic what-we-have-done-before ... [which was] wait until the key first Pyrenean stage, get a gap and then just defend all the way through. We very much decided with the group of guys we have got [that] we [will] change our tactics, we [will] go and try and use the element of surprise and try and do the unexpected, catch people out a little bit.Froome, meanwhile, finished 14th in Mondays stage, alongside his key rivals. The main thing was to get me to the finish in one piece and not take any gaps to my rivals.All in all, thankfully we can tick [the stage] off now and be grateful we have a rest day tomorrow and definitely soak that up and look forward to the Alps in next few days.However, Froome scuppered talk that he has all but won the Tour, saying: I dont agree. I think other teams have said they are going attack in next week in the Alps, and I expect they will do. To say the Tour is won and I dont have any rivals ... thats rubbish. A lot can happen in four days. In the mountains all you need is one bad day and you can lose minutes.This next block ... its four very tricky days. Each day is different and has its own challenges. The time trial is quite important. Each day is extremely challenging. It is a four-day block, as opposed to picking one day above the other ones. Fake Nike Air Vapormax . The International Olympic Committee released the official list of bid cities on Friday after the deadline for applications had passed. The candidates -- all previously announced in their own countries -- are: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm. Nike Air Vapormax Sale . -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. https://www.fakevapormaxwholesale.com/ . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. Cyber Monday Nike Air Vapormax . -- Hunter Smith scored the winner with just 12 seconds remaining in the third period as the Oshawa Generals edged the host Sarnia Sting 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Nike Air Vapormax China . Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. SPRINGFIELD, N.J. -- Two weeks removed from the round of a lifetime, Henrik Stenson was asked to ponder if he left all he had on the west coast of Scotland, a 10-birdie, final-round 63 just 14 days earlier that produced a major championship trophy and memories to be savored.The Claret Jug will forever be part of his trophy case, but it was almost unfair to have to gear up for another major championship so soon. With barely any time to rest or recharge, Stenson, 40, gave it a run Sunday at the PGA Championship, a back-nine double bogey finally derailing his hopes of a second straight major championship.Of course the week took a lot of energy out of me, said Stenson, who shot a final-round 71 to tie for seventh, 6 strokes back of winner Jimmy Walker. We havent got time to recharge. Given all that, Im pretty pleased that I was one of the guys who was up there contending this week. Going to take a lot of positive out of that.Mental fatigue or just not my day ... its hard to say. But I didnt play my best today and I needed to bring a better game today to have a chance.It didnt help that Stenson was unable to play any of the third round on Saturday, which was suspended due to heavy rain and dangerous conditions. He never got on the course after opening the tournament with consecutive 67s, and said it was a missed opportunity.He had to play 36 holes on Sunday -- as did all of those in contention -- and struggled too find any form, even though he shot 67 in the morning to trail Walker by just 2 strokes.ddddddddddddI didnt bring my game and I didnt make a putt all day, I felt like, Stenson said. Despite that, I thought I was hanging good. I was trying to push, which I had to. I was two or three behind coming into the last five or six holes. ... Probably the best shot of the day, a three-quarter 9-iron, I just overcooked it and went long and I made double and that was the end of it for me.That occurred at the par-4 15th, where Stenson was still in the mix, a couple of birdies away from making it interesting. But the double-bogey dropped him back and he played the last three holes in even par.Stenson won his first major two weeks ago then barely had time to enjoy it, as he went home to Sweden for a few days but was besieged with media requests.He came to New Jersey feeling that perhaps the momentum would carry over, and it did for a time. All in all, Im pretty pleased to come off the win at The Open and then be right up there contending the week after, he said.Now it is back to his home in Orlando for the first time since the win at Royal Troon for a few days before heading to Rio de Janeiro, where he will play in the Olympic golf tournament and participate in the Opening Ceremonies on Friday. ' ' '
