Dein erstes Forum » aid the Titans gave players chances

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Greg Van Avermaet of Belgium out-sprinted Jakob Fuglsang of Denmark and Rafal Majka of Poland on the long run to the finish at Copacabana Beach on Saturday to win the mens Olympic road race.Van Avermaet threw his arms in the air and let out a roar when he crossed the line, blowing a kiss to the sky after the biggest victory of his career. Fuglsang followed him to take silver, while Majka appeared content with bronze.Van Avermaets victory came after Italys Vincenzo Nibali, one of the prerace favorites, and Colombian counterpart Sergio Henao crashed while trying to navigate a corner on the final harrowing descent of the 6-hour race.The riders were going so fast that TV cameras on motorbikes couldnt keep up, so it was unclear what caused them to crash. Both were still on the pavement when the cameras reached them -- just in time to see Majka slicing through the shadows and riding away.Known more for his climbing chops, Majka was eventually reeled in as the race neared the finish, where a sun-splashed crowd that had spent the day on the beach gathered to welcome them.It was unclear whether Nibali was seriously injured, though he will no doubt reflect painfully on his squandered chance. The hard nature of the course offered a rare opportunity for the Giro dItalia winner and former Tour de France champion to compete for gold.The long course was tightly guarded by police, no small challenge in a host country that has been dealing with spikes in crime. The only incident occurred a few hundred meters from the finish line, where a bomb squad detonated an unattended bag hours before the riders arrived.The race rolled off to the soundtrack of crashing waves and under clear, sunny skies buzzing with helicopters -- some carrying TV cameras, others from the military to provide security.Riders headed along the brilliant beaches of high-end neighborhoods Ipanema and Leblon, then began attacking each other on their way south. The days break quickly formed when six riders slipped away and built a gap of nearly 8 minutes, among them former world champ Michal Kwiatkowski of Poland.The brutality of the course became evident over the cobblestone sectors.Ahmet Orken of Turkey was rattled off of his bike. Tour de France champion Chris Froome needed a bike change after a mechanical issue. Richie Porte of Australia had his chain bounce off.The break stayed clear through four laps of the Grumari Circuit, a 25-kilometer loop that began stringing out the field. The riders then headed back toward Rio and began three climbs of Vista Chinesa, a tough uphill slog on forest-lined roads that splintered what was left of the peloton.So hard was the course that reigning world champion Peter Sagan of Slovakia chose to try his luck in the mountain bike race. No doubt many rivals thought it was the right decision.One by one, a pack driven by Britain, Spain and Italy pulled back the break, though Kwiatkowski made them work for it. His jersey flapping open in the midday heat, the Polish star was finally caught by six riders after nearly 200 kilometers spent at the front.Time trial favorites Porte and Nelson Oliveira of Portugal crashed during one of the fast descents, and Porte spent several minutes sitting beside the road before getting to his feet.There was more carnage on the final march over Vista Chinesa.The images of Nibali and Henao lying on the road caused a gasp among fans watching on a big screen at the finish line. Geraint Thomas of Britain joined them on the ground moments later in a race that left plenty of riders with scrapes, bruises and road rash.One that left a Belgian hearing his national anthem, too. Custom Seattle Seahawks Jerseys . Cuban testified Thursday that he was upset when the companys CEO told him news that would reduce the value of his shares, for which hed paid $7.5 million. But he said he did nothing improper when he sold those shares over the next two days. 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CTV Edmonton also says Pocklington gave a $100,000 cash deposit as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he will be out on bail until his appeal is heard. NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Marc Mariani feels like hes back home again, and the Tennessee Titans feel much more confident about whos catching kicks and punts for them.The Titans announced Monday they signed Mariani and waived wide receiver Tre McBride.Mariani spent his first four NFL seasons with the Titans, though he spent two of those on injured reserve. He spent the last two seasons with the Chicago Bears, who waived him on Saturday. Mariani, who kept his house in Nashville, was at practice Monday and said it feels good to be back with the Titans who drafted him in the seventh round out of Montana in 2010.I didnt want to leave the first time, and Im excited to be with a team and an organization that I love and that has treated me so well and also a team that I really think I can help and wants me to help and contribute, Mariani said. It feels good to be wanted down here, and Im excited to get things rolling.Mariani was a Pro Bowl returner as a rookie but was on injured reserve for both 2012 and 2013. The Titans released him in the final cuts of August 2014, and Chicago signed him in November that year. Titans coach Mike Mularkey was coaching tight ends on Ken Whisenhunts staff in 2014 and said Tennessee brought Maariani back for his return skills.ddddddddddddReally it gives us somebody in both areas that we can use as a returner that has been to the Pro Bowl because of it, Mularkey said. Hes had a lot of success. It was good for this team. This team is excited to have him back. I think the fans will be, as well. Hes one of these guys weve been talking about -- tough, dependable and team-first. He fits right in with us right away.Mularkey said the Titans gave players chances to win the job as returner. They also released Dexter McCluster, who had returned punts, on Friday.We gave guys chances, Mularkey said. We attempted to develop. You can say that about a lot of guys. Thats your job, and sometimes it doesnt work that way. No, I havent given that a second thought.The 29-year-old Mariani has career averages of 9.5 yards per punt return and 25 yards per kickoff return. He has scored on two punt returns and one kickoff return. He also has 27 career catches, with 22 of them coming last season.---Online:AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '