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5 things to know about Tour de France Stage 18

By WTOP Staff

GREG KELLER
Associated Press

ARGELES-GAZOST, France (AP) — The Tour de France’s final day in the mountains saw both of France’s podium hopefuls rise in the overall standings, while Vincenzo Nibali won atop the punishing Hautacam climb to leave the peloton even further in his slipstream.

The 145.5-kilometer (90-mile) Stage 18 over two hors categorie climbs from Pau to Hautacam left three riders within fifteen seconds of each other and fighting for a spot on the final podium when the Tour reaches Paris on Sunday: Thibaut Pinot, Jean-Christophe Peraud and Alejandro Valverde.

Here are five things to know about the Tour on Thursday:

DIRTY LAUNDRY: Vincenzo Nibali has won 16 yellow jerseys after his latest victory atop Hautacam in the Pyrenees. But the man almost certain to become the first Italian in 16 years to conquer cycling’s most difficult race has kept his laundry team busy by repeatedly reusing two of the jerseys that he holds in especially high regard. Nibali wears one of the same two jerseys every day – the first one he won with a victory on Stage 2 in Sheffield, and the other he won on the epic Stage 5 run across the cobblestones of northern France, according to French sports daily L’Equipe. Astana team press officer Chris Baldwin said there was nothing superstitous about Nibali’s reusing the jerseys every day, or his preference for matching his yellow tunic with his regular team-issued sky-blue cycling shorts, rather than a full yellow ensemble like that worn by Stage 1 yellow-jersey winner Marcel Kittel. “He’s not superstitious, he’s just respectful of the yellow jersey,” Baldwin says. “If he’s still in yellow on the last day, then he’ll be in all yellow – the shorts, the bike, everything.”

GREY JERSEY: Peraud, of French team AG2R, could become the oldest first-time finisher on the podium. The 37-year-old Frenchman jumped into third place overall by riding away with a select group of top climbers including compatriot Pinot near the summit of Hautacam, and leaving Alejandro Valverde, who fell from second overall to fourth, 44 seconds behind. Peraud is a transplant from professional mountain biking who rode his first Tour in 2011, when he was that year’s oldest Tour rookie. No rider older than Peraud has ever finished on the final podium for the first time, according to Cillian Kelly, a cycling blogger who runs the popular Irish Pelton website. The winner of this year’s Criterium International in Corsica says he has his sights on leap-frogging climbing specialist Pinot to reach the podium’s second-highest step when the Tour finishes on Sunday. “It’s clear that now I’m targeting the second place,” Peraud said in Pau before the stage. “I need to take time, why not today or in the time trial?” Peraud is considered much stronger in time trials than Pinot, whose 13-second lead on Peraud could easily melt over the course of Saturday’s long 54-kilometer rolling course between Bergerac and Perigeux.

CA-NIBALI: In a feat not seen in pro cycling since the days of Eddy “The Cannibal” Merckx, Nibali has racked up four in-line stage victories on the Tour. Cycling historians have to go back to 1970 to find the last time that was equalled. By comparison, last year’s winner, Chris Froome, won two in-line stages, and Australia’s Cadel Evans one in 2011. Bradley Wiggins won no in-line stages in 2012, only time trials. “Today I was good. But my team did great work, they didn’t let the breakaway get too much time,” Nibali said. “I felt good at the end but the last kilometers were very difficult.”

TOW-AWAY ZONE: Spain’s Alejandro Valverde lost more than his second place overall atop Hautacam – he also lost teammate Jose Joaquin Rojas. Rojas, a Movistar rider and four-time Tour finisher, was ejected from the race by the Tour jury after he used a tow from one of his team cars on the 2,115-meter Tourmalet. Rojas was also fined 200 Swiss franc ($220), and the team car was banned from the rest of the race. TV cameras didn’t appear to have caught the infringement, but the tow must have been prolonged to earn such a harsh penalty. Rafal Majka of Poland received only a 50 Swiss franc fine and a 10-second penalty for briefly grabbing onto a motorbike antenna at the foot of Wednesday’s final climb. Valverde will not be significantly hurt by the loss of Rojas, as only Saturday’s individual time trial remains as a chance to regain time. Valverde was distanced by Nibali, Pinot and Peraud on the climb to Hautacam, and sits in fourth place, 7:25 back.

POLSKA-DOT JERSEY: Majka continued to draw accolades as perhaps the revelation of the Tour. He locked up the polka dot jersey for best climber with his third-place finish. The Tinkoff-Saxo rider is also assured of winning the red-and-white spotted jersey when the race finishes on Sunday, as Stage 18 was the last in the mountains. Majka also has two stage wins to go with his climbers’ jersey – not a bad haul for his first Tour. “In Paris, for sure, we’ll celebrate,” Majka said. Teammate Michael Rogers picked up a stage as well, giving Tinkoff-Saxo three stages so far. Team boss Bjarne Riis described his young rider’s first Tour as “sensational.” Riss said: “He’s probably considered the surprise of the race but I’ve known his potential for quite a while now and it’s unfolding for everyone to see.”

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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