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Nibali now strong favorite to win Tour de France

By WTOP Staff

JEROME PUGMIRE
AP Sports Writer

BESANCON, France (AP) — With defending champion Chris Froome and two-time winner Alberto Contador out of the race, the path is wide open for Vincenzo Nibali to become the first Italian to win the Tour de France since the late Marco Pantani in 1998.

The French have waited even longer for a champion — the last was Bernard Hinault way back in 1985 — but with three riders in the top six places, hopes are growing of at least a first podium place since climber Richard Virenque finished second in 1997.

After Tuesday’s rest day, the race resumes with Stage 11 on Wednesday, followed by arduous mountain stages on Friday and Saturday which will reveal the genuine contenders.

These are where Nibali’s climbing skills could set him apart, and give him a chance to fully stamp his authority on the race.

There are five days of hard climbing ahead, starting with Friday’s 197.5-kilometer (122.4-mile) trek from Saint-Etienne to Chamrousse, which ends with a huge ascent of 18 kilometers (11.2 miles).

As for Nibali’s rivals, Contador broke his shin in a violent fall in Monday’s 10th stage and Froome pulled out on stage 5 with a broken wrist.

“I’m not happy about what happened to Alberto and Chris,” the 29-year-old Nibali said. “The climbs would have been better and more spectacular for everyone.”

Nibali, who won the Spanish Vuelta in 2010 and the Giro d’Italia in 2013, is 2 minutes, 23 seconds ahead of Australian Richie Porte and 2:47 clear of Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, who won the Vuelta five years ago.

Three Frenchmen are within four minutes of Nibali — Romain Bardet, Tony Gallopin and Thibaut Pinot. None has come close to a podium place on a Grand Tour, although the 23-year-old Bardet and the 24-year-old Pinot have strong climbing skills.

“We’ve got to stay calm and study the situation,” Nibali said. “The danger can come from anywhere.”

Porte rode as a key support rider for Froome last year on the Sky team, but now has free reign to attack.

“Porte goes well in the climbs, he goes well in time trials, you have to keep a good distance on him,” Nibali said. “You have to watch Valverde, he can attack at any time.”

The 34-year-old Valverde was handed a two-year suspension in 2010 for his involvement in the Operation Puerto doping plot, which involved dozens of riders over secretly stored blood bags.

Like Nibali, Pantani was a courageous cyclist who loved to attack in the tough climbs.

Pantani was found dead in a hotel room on Valentine’s Day in 2004 and a coroner ruled he died from cocaine poisoning. Nibali has one of Pantini’s yellow jerseys at home, a gift from Pantini’s mother to mark the 10th anniversary of his death.

“It would be a great honour to follow on from him,” said Nibali.

Friday’s stage will also be special for Nibali because it marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of two-time Tour champion Gino Bartali, who died in 2000 at the age of 85.

“As an Italian, it’s a huge privilege to be asked about Bartali. I grew up watching documentaries on the big riders, the big wins of (Felice) Gimondi, Bartali and (Fausto) Coppi,” Nibali said. “They’re all in the encyclopedia of cycling. There are others like Hinault, too. They’ve written the history of cycling.”

The last French heyday came in the 1980s when Hinault, a five-time champion, competed against Laurent Fignon, who won in ’83 and ’84.

Wednesday’s stage is a 187.5-kilometer (116.3-mile) route in eastern France from Besancon to Oyonnax and features four small climbs.

Veteran Fabian Cancellara won’t be among the starters.

The 33-year-old Swiss cyclist has pulled out to focus on the Road World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain, from Sept. 21-28.

Cancellara withdrew prior to the start of the 11th Tour stage in 2012.

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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