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Alberto Contador climbed into a wall of sound, legs ticking out a quick rhythm, face calm in the midst of a frenzied crowd. When his pace dropped, he stood up and accelerated. Pressing fans roared their support, clanging cowbells, banging sticks together, and screaming at top volume – often blocking the road ahead and moving clear just at the last second to reveal the pavement ahead. When they came too close, he threw two warning punches into the air – one to the left, and one to the right. In the midst of the mountain-top chaos, the Spaniard pedaled smoothly away from his competition, winning the Tour’s first stage of the Alps 42 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Andy Schleck (Saxo-Bank). It was a performance that put an end to any doubt about who will lead the Astana squad (Armstrong is now second overall, but at 1’37” off the pace, it would be a tall order for him to overtake his teammate in the coming stages) and also established that he is the man t

Full use of new ball gives England the edge on final day at Lord's.

Former New York Yankee great Lou Gehrig once said 'I am the luckiest man on the face of this earth'. Well that is how I feel because I get to write about the lessons I learned about the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry. I also was privileged to write about the lessons learned from the 2008 Open Championship and coincidentally there were many similar story lines. The Open Championship is larger than any one golfer...even Tiger Woods. Like last year when Tiger was absent due to his surgery this phenomenal Open Championship was contested for the final 36 holes sans Tiger Woods. The Championship didn't bat an eye. Greg Norman was the story that week leading most of the way until Padraig Harrington captured his second Open in as many years -- another phenomenal story.

Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath made it to Cricinfo's all-time Australian XI but Ricky Ponting was deemed good enough only for the 12th man's slot.

Stewart Cink claims the British Open title with an emphatic playoff victory over 59-year-old fellow American Tom Watson who was bidding to become the oldest man to win a major golf title.

He scores all of the Dodgers' runs and hits the tie-breaking homer as L.A. salvages a series split with the Astros. A cursory look at the box score would indicate that Matt Kemp was a one-man wrecking crew Sunday, scoring all four runs in the Dodgers' 4-3 win over the Houston Astros.

Turnberry, Scotland - Stewart Cink ended Tom Watson's hopes of becoming the oldest man in history to win a golfing major when he prevailed in a play-off over his fellow American to win the 138th British Open at Turnberry. Both players finished tied o...

T.O. is the brash, mercurial athlete, a polarizing teammate for 13 NFL seasons. Terrell is the man, shy and sensitive by nature.

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP Taped-up fingers and all, Sori hits another homer. Maybe THIS is the start of his hot streak! Browse more photos » WASHINGTON -- I almost feel sorry for them. Almost. The Nationals are so far from being a good team that the fans there -- outnumbered again by blue-shirted Cubs fans -- have to have faith almost beyond any that the fans of a modern baseball team need. In talking to a few people today, I heard that Manny Acta had been promised by ownership that they'd spend money to become a winner. Hmmm. Sounds like the reason Lou Piniella left Tampa Bay. Manny Acta is a good baseball man and will probably find another managerial job. Meanwhile, every time Jim Riggleman trudges out to the mound to make another pitching change, his body language cries out, 'What the heck am I doing here?' Today, the Cubs rested aramis ramirez and Milton Bradley, and the taped-fingered Alfonso Soriano hit his second homer in two days along with a double. J

Today's British Open finale was (almost) one for the ages. NPR's Guy Raz recounts the story of 59-year-old Tom Watson, who was just one putt away from becoming the oldest man to win one of golf's majors. He missed that putt and lost a playoff to Stewart Cink.