Stars und Sternchen! » glimpses of it now; his skating a

MONTE ZONCOLAN, Italy -- Nairo Quintana virtually clinched the Giro dItalia title Saturday with a strong ride up the demanding Monte Zoncolan, while Michael Rogers benefited from a fan interruption to post his second stage victory of the race. Quintanas 3:07 lead ahead of fellow Colombian Rigoberto Uran remained unchanged entering Sundays final stage. "Its 99 per cent done," said Quintana, who shed some tears during the podium celebration. "They were tears of happiness. Ive achieved one of the big goals in my life." Francesco Manuel Bongiorno was right on Rogers wheel with three kilometres (two miles) to go when a fan pushed him hard enough on the back that he had to break to avoid hitting Rogers and took his left foot off the pedal. "Im very bitter," Bongiorno said. "On a climb like that when you lose your balance its impossible. ... Maybe this incident will be good for the future. The fans give us strength but they need to (learn)." By the time Bongiorno got going again on a stretch of road where the gradient was 15 per cent, Rogers had already opened up a significant lead. "I wasnt aware," Rogers said. "Im sorry for Bongiorno. Hes a good kid and rode hard. I tried to drop him many times. ... Unfortunately this happens often." Rogers, an Australian with Tinkoff-Saxo, clocked 4 hours, 41 minutes, 55 seconds over the 167-kilometre (104-mile) leg, which started in Maniago. Franco Pellizotti finished second, 38 seconds behind, and Bongiorno crossed third, 49 seconds back. Quintana finished 17th in the stage, 4:45 back, with Uran right behind him. Quintana was runner-up to Chris Froome in last years Tour de France and this would be his first Grand Tour victory. "This year I dont think Ill be at the Tour but next year well probably try it," Quintana said. The Movistar rider was then asked if he would consider riding both the Giro and Tour next year. "Its possible," he said. "Weve talked about it with the team manager. Well evaluate both options." Rogers, a three-time time trial champion, was recently cleared after a doping accusation and also won the 11th stage. Last month, the UCI accepted that meat Rogers ate in China probably caused his positive test last year. Clenbuterol is widely administered to Chinese livestock to build muscle and reduce fat. Days later, Rogers tested positive at the Japan Cup. The UCI disqualified Rogers from the Japanese race but consulted the World Anti-Doping Agency before deciding he should not be sanctioned any further. "The last kilometres were a dream," Rogers said. "Ive always dreamed of winning an uphill stage like this and this is the first time Ive been able to." The race ends Sunday with a mostly flat 172-kilometre (107-mile) leg from Gemona del Friuli to Trieste. Nike Air Force 1 Australia Womens .ca! 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Nike Air Force 1 Australia Mens .C., won gold in the womens 200-metre backstroke, and Dominique Bouchard of North Bay, Ont. Cheap Air Force Ones . But Paul Osbaldiston, Hamiltons assistant special teams and kicking coach, said the team still relished the championship game workout.TORONTO – It was early December and Morgan Rielly was pretty sure hed soon be traveling to Sweden for the World Junior Championships. The 19-year-old, who had been scratched in four straight games, had plans to fly back to B.C. over the three-day Christmas break, but sensing the increasing likelihood of a stint for Team Canada, he told his father Andy he might have to cancel those plans. "When we made the decision to not send him to the World Juniors that in our minds was when he proved to us that he had to play," said Leafs coach Randy Carlyle, "and so weve been committed to the kid." It was the latest in a series of hurdles Rielly has gracefully overcome for the Maple Leafs this season. There was the lofty challenge of cracking the NHL roster out of training camp, sticking around beyond the 10-game mark and finally doing enough to convince those within the organization that his development was best served in North America rather than with the Canadian juniors in Malmo this holiday season. Now for the first time all year, Rielly is standing on solid ground in Toronto. The clouds of those earlier distractions have cleared and his sole focus can be on the ice. "It is a bit of a change," he told the Leaf Report, "but I think its a change in a good way. Im happy that I dont really have any worries right now. Im just trying to keep playing well and just trying to keep in the lineup." Rielly has not left the lineup since that four-game stint in early December. And with each passing game he offers growing glimpses of the potential which made him the fifth overall selection in the 2012 Draft. Those daring drives up the ice, with puck in tow, are becoming increasingly frequent, too eemphatic to miss and a glaring reminder of why the Leafs decided to keep him in lieu of a trip back to Moose Jaw or a stint with the junior team.dddddddddddd "He continues to grow," Carlyle said of Rielly, tied for fifth among rookie defenders with 11 points. "He makes mistakes as young players do – and old players do also. But we think theres a lot more potential in Morgan Rielly and you see glimpses of it now; his skating ability; his ability to move the puck; his ability to get up on the rush; his ability to read the game. Its all improving. And thats a great sign." Much of it, Carlyle says, is an increasing sense of comfort and confidence. And if theres one piece of advice Rielly has garnered above all others in his acclimation to the NHL, its to play with confidence. That was the wisdom passed along from Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf, who, in addition to 26-year-old Cody Franson, has been the most influential voice for the rookie defender. "I could be back in junior or you know over in Sweden, but Im not so [I] just try to have confidence and play like I can," said Rielly, averaging exactly 18 minutes nightly this season. "And thats all been Dion. Hes been great with that. Hes been really trying to help me with that." Still just a teenager, Rielly and fellow rookie Jerry DAmigo were fit with shovels as the official portion of practice wrapped on a quiet Saturday afternoon. They were called upon to clean the ice of snow for shootout work, the Leafs heading to the skills aspect of extra time in each of the past four games. It was the predictable grunt work of a first-year player trying to earn his keep. And it was exactly where he wanted to be. ' ' '