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Talansky’s tenacity on show in Tour Stage 11

By WTOP Staff

JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press

OYONNAX, France (AP) — Sitting on a roadside guard rail, wincing and rubbing his lower back, Andrew Talansky looked ready to quit the Tour de France in the middle of Stage 11. The Tour’s Web site and French TV commentators said his race was over. So did some English-language Twitterati.

The “Pit Bull” proved them wrong.

With a show of tooth-grinding grit and determination to repay his Garmin Sharp teammates who had ridden hard to help him, the 25-year-old Miami native got back up on his bike, wiped his eyes and pedaled on to the finish far behind the pack — and just in time.

Two days earlier, the pain and damage from two recent crashes had already ended Talansky’s outsider hopes of victory. He began Wednesday’s 187.5-kilometer (116.3-mile) hilly ride from Besancon to Oyonnax in eastern France in 26th place — nearly 15 minutes behind race leader Vincenzo Nibali. The Italian retained the yellow jersey Wednesday by finishing right behind France’s Tony Gallopin, who won Stage 11 in a bold late breakaway.

Talansky, nursing a sore back, had bad luck compound his misery early in the stage: He blew a tire and got left behind. Because he was no longer in contention to win the Tour in Paris on July 27, his teammates didn’t wait up.

Straining, he couldn’t make up the difference alone, but pressed on anyway.

When Talansky, clearly in agony, stopped on a roadside and sat down with about 60 kilometers left, Garmin-Sharp sporting director Robert Hunter — who as a rider became the first South African to win a Tour stage — and other two other staffers pulled up in a team car.

“He thought that maybe it was time to stop the Tour. He sat down … thought about it, and decided to continue,” said Hunter. “If he wants to fight on and get to the finish, the only way we’re going to get there is by fighting. That’s his character and the way the team works as well.”

Hunter continued to pour on encouragement from the car as Talansky resumed riding.

Under race rules, Talansky — who would’ve liked to be a journalist if not a cyclist — faced a deadline: Because it was a hilly, relatively long stage, he had to finish with a time no more than 14 percent greater than that of Gallopin. It added up to roughly 37 minutes, race officials said.

He finished 32:05 back, with a 20-second penalty for taking too long a pause.

Other riders might have calculated that it would be wiser not to risk worsening an injury so early in a promising career. But Talansky was running on determination, and wanted to make it through the stage.

“I just wanted to make it to the finish … for my team and the work that they’ve put into this Tour for me,” he said at the team bus after straggling to the finish. “I didn’t just want to stop and go home that way after everything they’ve done for me.”

Talansky was the last of the 179 remaining riders in a pack already depleted of its two biggest stars to crashes. Now, he’s 44th in the overall standings — more than 47 minutes behind Nibali. Because he made it, he and the team were able to think over whether it’s really worth it for him to carry in a similar Stage 12 on Thursday.

“Now we can sit down tonight and make a proper decision and see where we can go with this,” said Hunter. Similar to Wednesday’s ride in length and layout, Stage 12 is a 185.5-kilometer (115-mile) ride over four small- to mid-sized climbs from Bourg-en-Bresse to Saint-Etienne.

The “Pit Bull” — so dubbed by sharp-tongued Garmin-Sharp team boss Jonathan Vaughters — had already flared his fighting spirit after Stage 7, when he tumbled to the asphalt after bumping into Australia’s Simon Gerrans while trying to get out of the way of a frenzied final sprint: Not the American’s forte. Talansky demanded an apology, which he didn’t get publicly.

Talansky had come in fresh off an impressive win in last month’s Criterium du Dauphine stage race — a key Tour warm-up — notably defeating 2013 Tour champion Chris Froome and two-time Tour winner Alberto Contador. They both crashed out of this Tour due to injury, meaning this Tour will have a first-time winner.

Astana leader Nibali took another step toward becoming it, finishing right in the pack trailing Gallopin. Overall, the Italian has a 2-minute, 23-second lead over Australian Richie Porte in second. Alejandro Valverde of Spain was third, another 24 seconds back.

With such a margin and the strong form he has shown so far, Nibali is looking well-positioned for possible victory on the Champs-Elysees. But tough days lie ahead: in the Alps later this week, and the Pyrenees mountains in Week Three.

Gallopin, who wore the yellow jersey for a day before Nibali recaptured it, first tried to break away with about 13 1/2 kilometers (8.4 miles) left, but got reeled in. Then, in a late flurry, with less than 3 kilometers to go, the Lotto-Belisol rider tried again. This time, it worked.

The Frenchman chiseled out a lead of several seconds and, desperately pedaling, held off a surging pack in the final several hundred meters to win by several bike lengths — just enough for him to have time to lift his arms in celebration, panting.

“Incredible,” said Gallopin. “It’s really a victory that feels good.”

___

AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire contributed to this report.

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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