theyre out to get the Eastern Conferences

The first stage of the 100th Tour de France ended in chaotic scenes with riders crashing and a bus parked on the finish line until moments from the end on Saturday. Greg Millen Jersey . German rider Marcel Kittel escaped the mayhem to win the first ever stage on Corsica, beating Norwegian sprinter Alexander Kristoff in a sprint finish. "This is by far the greatest day in my whole life," Kittel said. "I hope I can sleep, Im going to be pretty excited about tomorrow." What happened behind them was far more incidental. The decision was initially taken late on to shorten the flat stage by three kilometres because a bus from the Orica Greenedge team was stuck on the finish line. But organizers managed to move the colossal vehicle just in time. "This was a really unfortunate situation," Greenedge sporting director Matt White said. "The bus was led under the finish gantry, and we took it for granted that there was enough clearance." Kittel was lucky to avoid the crash to win the flat 213-kilometre trek from Porto Vecchio to Bastia in just under 5 hours. Kristoff and third-place Danny van Poppel clocked the same time. "It feels like I have gold on my shoulders," Kittel said about wearing the yellow jersey. "I didnt know about the bus. Im glad they were able to move it." Because of the unforeseen circumstances, all 198 riders got the same time. "We wouldve preferred a nice finish like the one wed planned. But in exceptional situations, you have to take exceptional decisions," race events director Jean-Francois Pescheux said by telephone. "Were not going to stop the riders, and ask (them) what decision we should take." Kittel would have faced stiffer competition if more than a dozen riders hadnt fallen close to the end, among them two-time former champion Alberto Contador and sprinter Peter Sagan. They got back up, with Contadors left shoulder cut and bruised. "I knew that Mark and Andre (Greipel) were no longer in contention and it was a good chance for us," said Kittel, who also finished the day with the best sprinters green jersey. British sprinter Mark Cavendish was stuck behind those who fell and could not challenge for his 24th stage win on a day he was hoping to wear the prestigious yellow jersey for the first time. "Im lucky I didnt come down," Cavendish said. "What caused the problems was changing the finish. Like, we heard on the radio with literally 5K to go that the sprint was in 2k and then a K (kilometre) later, they were like No, its at the finish. Its just carnage." Francaise Des Jeux team manager Marc Madiot was furious. "The president of the (race jury) didnt do his job," he said. "When we (managers, riders) make a mistake we get a fine. Well, he should get a huge fine." Cavendishs Omega Pharma-Quick Step teammate Tony Martin fell and was taken to hospital after losing consciousness, while Contador had a bad day, too. Returning from a doping ban which also cost him his 2010 Tour victory, the Spaniard grimaced in pain as he crossed the line. "I am fine," Contador said through a translator. "Someone didnt brake in front of me." Johnny Hoogerland, who sustained cuts to his legs on the 2011 Tour after being hit by a Tour car, was sent tumbling after hitting a crash barrier near the end. He was helped back onto his bike and able to continue. Last years Giro dItalia winner, Victorias Ryder Hesjedal, was caught in another crash moments later but continued. David Veilleux of Cap-Rouge, Que., finshed in 84th with Hesjedal seven back in 91st. Svein Tuft from Langley, B.C., finished the first stage 167th. With the finish line in sight and as the nerves jangled, some 20 riders hit the tarmac. "It was just a complete disaster," Greipel said. It proved to be an incident-packed day from the outset. Before the stage, French Sports Minister Valerie Fourneyron met with a delegation of riders unhappy about pre-race media reports that they thought focused too heavily on doping stories. The day before, Lance Armstrong hogged headlines when he told Le Monde he couldnt have won his seven Tours without doping. Once the race began, tour favourite Chris Froome stopped to get a new rear wheel early on and stopped for a second time to get a new bike. "Its a reminder that this tour is about so much more than just having the form," Froome said. "Its about staying out of trouble." Sundays second stage is shorter but features four climbs along the 156-kilometre (97-mile) ride from Bastia to Ajaccio. Eddie Shack Jersey . Chris Heisey followed with a two-run triple and Billy Hamilton added an RBI double, all but sealing Cincinnatis fourth straight victory and seventh in eight games. Brandon Phillips, celebrating his 33rd birthday, hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth for the Reds before pinch-hitter Buster Posey tied it with an RBI double off hard-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman in the bottom half. Casey DeSmith Jersey . On Thursday, they signed former Browns linebacker DQwell Jackson. Terms of the deal were not immediately available. https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/2001q-matthew-barnaby-jersey-penguins.html . The Reds will host the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight in the opener of a four-game series at Great American Ball Park, and the debut matchup will feature a pair of pitchers whose recent resumes have included a fair number of bases-clearing hits.INDIANAPOLIS -- Detroit beat Indiana at its own game Monday night. The Pistons were tougher inside, tougher on defence and tougher at fending off challenges. On a night the Eastern Conferences best team looked like anything but, Josh Smith scored 30 points and Greg Monroe had 13 points and 12 rebounds to help Detroit send Indiana to a 101-96 loss -- the Pacers first at home this season. "Its impressive the way we came in and competed with the way the Pacers have been playing," Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said. "We have a good basketball team." Detroit (12-14) proved it with a nearly perfect game. The Pistons dominated on the glass with a 55-40 overall advantage and a 20-9 edge on offensive rebounds. They matched the Pacers shooting percentage of 43.2 per cent, had one more 3-pointer and nearly an identical shooting percentage on 3s (35.3 to 35.0), outscored Indiana 44-38 in the paint and 22-14 on second-chance points. For a Pacers team that prides itself on defence and rebounding, it wasnt even close to their best. Detroit also finished with nearly as many blocks (seven) as turnovers (eight) and made five of six free throws during the final minute to hold off Indianas last charge. The most surprising element was that Indiana never tied the score in the second half and never took the lead on its home floor, where it had gone 11-0 before Monday night. The loss leaves the Pacers (20-4) with the second-best record in the league, percentage points behind Portland (21-4). The Pistons knew that to end their six-game losing streak in this series and their nine-game losing streak at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, they needed to execute the game plan flawlessly. They did. "Were forming an identity ourselves," said Smith, who went 13 of 29 from the field after meeting with Cheeks about getting more opportunities. "That has to be being a physical team, try to dominate the paint." Indianas uncharacteristic certainly helped the cause. Paul George was 4 of 14 from the field, finishing with 17 points, nine rebounds and four turnovers. Roy Hibbert had six points and four rebounds. Even the energetic Lance Stephenson couldnt get his flustered teammates righted. Stephenson scored a career best 23 points and Luis Scola added a season high 18 points. What went wrong for the usually unflappable Pacers? George said the offensive rebounds got Indiana out of sync. Others wondeered if the Pacers may have been looking past Detroit, which has won just two of their last six games, and ahead to Wednesday nights rematch with Miami. Luc Robitaille Jersey. Indiana beat the two-time defending NBA champs on their home court 90-84 last week and have made no secret that theyre out to get the Eastern Conferences No. 1 seed. Indiana coach Frank Vogel quickly discounted that notion, calling Detroit a good team. "I dont think we were looking ahead at all," Vogel said. "Weve got to lick our wounds and see what we need to do better." Whatever the explanation, these Pacers didnt even resemble the team that set one franchise record with its perfect 9-0 start and another by opening the season 11-0 at home. Oklahoma City is the last unbeaten team at home this season. Detroit took charge quickly, using a 10-3 first quarter to take a 23-14 lead -- a lead it never relinquished. Even in the second half, when the Pacers typically dominate, the Pistons refused. Detroit scored the last eight points of the first half, turning a 49-49 tie into a 57-49 lead. Then Smith scored Detroits first eight points in the second half, and the surging Pistons took advantage of Indianas growing frustration by extending the lead to 72-61 on Brandon Jennings layup with 5:20 left in the third quarter. Jennings finished with 18 points and eight assists. Indiana rallied again, getting within 79-73 after three, but the Pistons answered with a 7-2 spurt that made it 89-79 with 7:01 to go. Scolas layup with 4:55 remaining ended an 8-0 run that got the Pacers as close as 89-87, but the Pistons ran off five straight points. Stephenson gave it one final push, hitting a 3 with 1:17 to go to cut Detroits lead to 96-94, but the Pistons closed it out at the free-throw line. "We had a lot of confidence coming in here tonight. We played Portland (Sunday) night in a game we should have won," Jennings said. "Tonight we knew were playing the best team in the Eastern Conference and we were able to give them their first home loss." NOTES: Indiana is the NBAs only team that has not been in a game decided by fewer than five points. ... Guard Chauncey Billups was inactive for the Pistons. ... Vogel said swingman Danny Granger is on track to return to the lineup Friday night against Houston. He has not played this season because of a strained left calf. ... Indiana fell to 10-3 when trailing at halftime. ' ' '