Skip to main content

Van Garderen on home ground at USA Pro Challenge

By WTOP Staff

JAMES RAIA
Associated Press

ASPEN, Colo. (AP) — Three weeks after finishing fifth in the Tour de France for the second time, Tejay van Garderen returns to racing Monday in the weeklong USA Pro Challenge.

Van Garderen, who rides for BMC, is the defending champion and favorite in the 16-team race. The 128-rider field features three riders who finished among the top 12 in this year’s Tour de France. Five of the top six finishers in the 2013 USA Pro Challenge are entered.

“To race in front of my family and friends is always special,” said van Garderen,” who lives in Aspen and last year beat Mathias Franck, the former BMC rider of Switzerland, by 1 minute, 30 seconds.

Australia’s Michael Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo), a former three-time world time trial champion who won two Tour of Italy stages this year, and American Tom Danielson (Garmin-Sharp), who took the Tour of Utah one week ago, are expected to challenge.

The revamped course of some 525 miles begins with a 61-mile circuit race that starts and ends in Aspen.

“The course looks to be more intense,” said California rider Ben Jacques-Maynes (Jamis Hagens Berman), who has finished each of the three editions of the USA Pro Challenge.

Slovakia’s Peter Sagan (Cannondale), who won four stages of the race last year, is not entered, likely creating a more open field.

“Every day could be an opportunity to change the race,” said Jacques-Maynes. “Stage 3 finishes at more than 10,000 feet at Monarch Mountain, and our team will be looking for breakaways, hunt for stage wins and hopefully repeat last year’s victory in the mountain competition.”

Following the opening stage, the field will ride 105 miles Tuesday from Aspen to Crested Butte. The hilly Stage 3 on Wednesday is a 96-mile trek from Gunnison to a steep finish at Monarch Mountain, elevation 11,663 feet.

Danielson, who finished third overall last year, and Colombian teammate Janier Acevedo, a climbing specialist who was fourth overall in 2013, are expected to compete with van Garderen in the race’s key mountain stage.

Van Garderen, who hasn’t won a race this year since March, was predicted as a top-three candidate in the Tour de France. But he crashed four times in the first week and contracted bronchitis before equaling his 2012 overall finish.

“We are bringing a really motivated team and with a summit finish this year, it promises to be another hard race,” said van Garderen, who had four wins last year, including the time trial and overall title at the USA Pro Challenge.

Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo) of Poland, a double stage winner last month at the Tour de France and the recent Tour of Poland winner, is expected to ride in support of Rogers.

Czech Leopold Konig (NetApp-Endura), who finished seventh at the Tour de France and German veteran Jens Voigt (Trek) also are riding. Frank Schleck (Trek) of Luxembourg, 12th in the Tour de France, and two-time Giro d’Italia winner Ivan Basso (Cannondale) could be in the mix as well.

For Voigt, who turns 43 next month, this is his last race in an 18-year career. Voigt, who has about 100 career wins, including a stage of the USA Pro Challenge in 2012, is a two-time Tour de France stage winner. He rode in the Tour de France 17 times and finished 14 times, including this year’s edition.

The seven-day race ends with a 78-mile stage from Boulder to Denver.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote