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5 things to know about the Tour de France

By WTOP Staff

GREG KELLER
Associated Press

LILLE, France (AP) — Giant-Shimano rider Marcel Kittel won yet again on the Tour de France, grabbing his third stage of four in the sprint into Lille on Tuesday.

With another sprint stage set for Wednesday, and other sprinters seemingly powerless to overtake the powerful German in a flat out race to the line, the peloton’s fastest man could equal his four stage wins last year before the race finishes its first week.

Here are five things to know about Stage 4 from Le Touquet and Lille:

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NO GEL NO PROBLEM: Marcel Kittel’s well-gelled quiff sets him apart from the crowd of shaved heads in the Tour de France. But the most distintive coiffure in pro cycling was a victim of heightened airport security on Monday when he tried to board a flight from London only to have his bottle of industrial-strength hair gel confiscated by airport security. Kittel, who won Monday’s stage from Cambridge to London, had to fly to France for Tuesday’s stage near the Belgian border without the offending haircare product, said Geert Broekhuizen, a spokesman for Kittel’s Giant-Shimano team. “I’m not worried, I’m sure he had more in his checked bag,” Broekhuizen said with a laugh. He must have, because Kittel won again.

NO LUCK FOR SCHLECK: Andy Schleck’s run of bad luck on the Tour continued on Tuesday when he was forced to withdraw after finishing only three stages. The Luxembourg rider, who was credited with the 2010 Tour win after it was stripped from Alberto Contador for a doping violation, collided with a spectator on the side of the road late in Monday’s stage from Cambridge to London. Schleck withdraw before Tuesday’s stage. He tweeted: “Very disappointed to let you know that i will not be able to start. My knee is too damaged from the crash. This is a huge blow for me.” Schleck has struggled to make a mark in cycling since his 2010 victory, missing the 2012 Tour with a fractured pelvis and finishing 20th last year. The Trek Factory Racing team rider was racing this week in support of his elder brother Frank, who is back in the peloton after a one-year doping suspension. Andy will undergo a scan to determine whether surgery is necessary.

HELL OF THE NORTH: Ever since the Tour route was unveiled last October, Wednesday’s fifth stage has been the most talked about day of the race. That’s because for the first time since 2010, the race will take riders over nine sections of rough cobblestones, or “pave” as they are called in French. “It’s going to be a nightmare, especially if it rains, it’s going to be like riding on ice,” Team Sky rider Gerraint Thomas said. “Especially with some of the corners on the cobbles, last man standing I think.” The stage has been described as a “mini-Paris-Roubaix” after the race across the north of France that each year takes in over 20 cobbled sectors, which are infamous for the battering they give to riders and their bikes. The difference on Wednesday is that none of the big Tour contenders is a regular competitor in April’s “Hell of the North,” as Paris-Roubaix is called. Yellow jersey wearer Vincenzo Nibali has never raced it, and neither has two-time Tour winner Alberto Contador. Defending champion Chris Froome attempted the brutal race only once in his career, in 2008. He didn’t finish. The stage includes 15 kilometers of cobbles, scattered over the last 60 kilometers. Peter Sagan, lying second overall, has ridden Paris-Roubaix three times, with a best of sixth this year. This year’s Paris-Roubaix winner, Niki Terpstra, and runner-up John Degenkolb will also be aiming for the stage win.

VOECKLER STILL AT IT: At 35, French rider Thomas Voeckler hasn’t lost his knack for attention-grabbing on the Tour. Voeckler, the last Frenchman to wear the yellow jersey, attacked early and went on a nearly 150-kilometer breakaway, accompanied by only Spanish rider Luis Mate. He was caught 16 kilometers from the finish. Voeckler, famous for his grimaces and tongue wagging while racing, said he “had a lot of fun.” ”It’s not a big disappointment, because it didn’t cost me too much energy,” Voeckler said. He wore the yellow jersey for 10 stages in 2011 before losing it to Andy Schleck in an epic race up the Alp d’Huez. He also wore the yellow jersey for 10 stages in 2004, and Wednesday marked 10 years to the day that Voeckler wore the yellow jersey for the first time. “My legs felt good and usually that doesn’t disappear overnight, so I hope to put that to good use on a stage that’s more favorable to breakaways,” he said.

WEATHER WATCH: Tour riders and their team directors spent Tuesday evening catching the World Cup semifinal at their hotels – as well as keeping an eye on the local weather. Wind and steady rain are forecast for Wednesday, which threatens to make an already devilishly hard cobbled stage even more unpredictable. “That was the talk in the peloton today, the forecast for tomorrow, nobody’s looking forward to it,” said Bernie Eisel, a Team Sky teammate of 2013 winner Chris Froome. “It’s going to be stressful and not enjoyable at all. But it’s the same for everyone so we’ll just get stuck in and hopefully stay out of trouble.”

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Follow Greg Keller on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Greg_Keller

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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