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LE GRAND-BORNAND, France -- Half the height of Mount Everest, climbed on a bike, in a single day. Even by Tour de France standards, Stage 19 was hard. "At times, you just feel like youre being tortured," was how American rider Andrew Talansky described Fridays ordeal, arguably the toughest stage of this 100th Tour, which started with two monster climbs as riders were still digesting breakfast. "Youre just like, What is this? But you dig in and keep going." The GPS mini-computer the Garmin rider carries on his bike did the sums: 4,419 metres ridden uphill -- close to the height of Western Europes loftiest peak, Mont Blanc, and half of Everest, the roof of the world at 8,850 metres. The riders also zoomed 4,239 metres downhill. Talanskys gizmo showed he burned 5,670 calories during the six-hour suffer-fest. And they call this "sport." The difficulty of Stage 19 made Chris Froome "quite nervous." Once he got through it with his big race lead intact, the British rider finally started to allow his mind to fast-forward to the finish on Sunday. Victory is so close he can almost taste it. The last Alpine stage on Saturday -- 125 kilometres in the mountains towering above the limpid waters of Lake Annecy -- wont be enough for second-place Alberto Contador to puncture Froomes cushion of more than five minutes. In all but name, the 28-year-old is champion of the 100th Tour and knows it. "One more day to really stay concentrated and to stay up front and look after the yellow jersey and then looking forward to taking it to Paris," Froome said. "Its going to be very hard for someone to take more than five minutes in 125 kilometres. But having said that, I dont want to be complacent." No, that can wait until Sunday evening -- when Froome and the other survivors of this three-week, 3,404-kilometre clockwise trek around Western Europes largest country will clip their feet into the pedals for the final 133 kilometres to Paris. Traditionally, that last stage is a relaxed lap of honour, at least until the pack hits the cobbles of the Champs-Elysees. There, Mark Cavendish and other sprint-finish specialists will battle for the bragging rights of the stage win on that leafy boulevard the French modestly call the most beautiful avenue in the world. The unique dusk finish for this 100th Tour, just as the sun sets behind the Arc de Triomphe, should be extra special. While the top spot is taken, podium places next to Froome are still very much up for grabs. Just 47 seconds separate second-placed Contador from Joaquim Rodriguez in fifth. Sandwiched between those Spaniards are Colombian Nairo Quintana, in third, and Contadors Czech teammate Roman Kreuziger, in fourth. They are all more than five minutes behind Froome. With Froome so dominant and his lead so large, Saturdays penultimate stage might have been devoid of all suspense were the battle for podium places not so close and intense behind him. Places arent just for honour. There are financial incentives, too. Second-place prize is 200,000 euros ($263,000). Third gets half that. Froome will get 450,000 euros. With a succession of six climbs, getting harder and ending with a steep uphill, Stage 20 offers a fine arena for the contenders to land their final punches. The last climb on Saturday is HC or Hors Categorie, meaning its considered too hard to classify. Riders can lose or gain big time on such ascents, but surely not the more than five minutes they would need to dethrone Froome, not unless he crashes or has a similar mishap. Quintana, who is just 21 seconds behind Contador, wasnt giving away his strategy, "We have to wait and see how the stage develops. Sometimes you visualize it one way, and the stage doesnt develop how you think it will. Well decide during the stage," he said. "Itll be a very difficult and challenging stage, well have to be very alert." Saturday will be Froomes 12th day in the race leaders yellow jersey. He took it in the Pyrenees and has worn it through Britanny, across to the Alps, in baking sunshine and, on Friday, a cold storm that doused riders up the days final climb. The 204.5-kilometre trek from Bourg-dOisans wound past peaks so high that their snows have resisted the July sun. It started with two HC climbs and ended with two still tough Category 1 ascents before a long downhill to Le Grand-Bornand. The Alpine town swathed its church tower in cloth canary yellow like Froomes jersey to welcome the riders. Rui Costa won the stage -- the Portuguese riders second of this Tour -- with a solo breakaway on that final ascent to the Col de la Croix Fry, catching Frenchman Pierre Roland on the way up. For the second stage in a row, Victorias Ryder Hesjedal went on the early attack. Hesjedal and Spaniard Jon Izaguirre opened up a lead of more than seven minutes over the yellow jersey group once they went over the top of Col du Glandon. As Hesjedal and Izaguirre reached the second HC of Col de Madeleine, the peloton was 10 minutes behind. Hesjedal forged ahead before being caught and overtaken by Frenchman Pierre Rolland. Hesjedal ended up finishing the stage in 136th spot, but after taking Glendon and almost winning the Madeline climb he moved from 18th to seventh overall in the climber classification. Hesjedal remained the top Canadian in the overall classification despite falling seven spots to 69th. David Veilleux of Quebec City was the top Canadian in Fridays stage, finishing 74th. He was 129th overall. Svein Tuft of Langley, B.C., was 162nd in the stage and 170th overall. Froome braced himself for a big Contador attack that never materialized on any of Fridays climbs, nor in the final downhill made especially hairy by the wet roads. Having pushed Froome and his Sky team hard in the past weeks, Contador now seems largely spent. With Quintana breathing down his neck for second place, Contador chose Friday not to take risks. "There was a moment when I wanted to attack and thought about it," said the 2007 and 09 winner, who was stripped of his 2010 victory for a failed doping test. "But then I thought it was best to reach the finish line." That suited Froome just fine. "I am excited, but quietly excited," Froome said. "One final big effort, then we can start relaxing on the ride into Paris." Freeman Williams Jersey .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. Corey Maggette Jersey . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. https://www.cheapclippersonline.com/750h-ken-norman-jersey-clippers.html . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases. Rodney McGruder Jersey . PAUL, Minn. Moses Malone Jersey . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. ERIE, Pa. -- Julia Potter won the U.S. Womens Mid-Amateur for the second time in four years Thursday, beating Shannon Johnson 2 and 1 at The Kahkwa Club.Potter, a 28-year-old reinstated amateur from Indianapolis, also won the 2013 event for players 25 and older and finished second in 2014.When you get to the sixth day of championship play -- the eighth day, counting practice rounds -- you are starting to get tired, Potter said. Thats when you fall back on that short game. I was lucky enough to be able to do that.The only female left-handed champion in USGA history, Potter is the fifth multiple champion in the event, joining Sarah LeBrun Ingram (1991, 1993, 1994), Ellen Port (1995, 1996, 2000, 2011), Meghan Stasi (2006, 2007, 2010, 2012) and Carol Semple Thompson (1990, 1997).Potter played at the University of Missouri and is the director of marketing for the Indiana Golf Office. The 33-year-old Johnson, from Norton, Massachusetts, played at New Mexico and Indiana and works as a sales representative for Ping golf equipment.Johnson won four consecutive holes -- all with pars -- to square it with three holes to play on the Donald Ross-designed course. On the par-3 15th, Potter made a double bogey after hitting into a bunker and Johnson two-putted for par.I said to myself, `Now is the time, Johnson said. I love the back nine, and I knew coming in I could definitely win some holes. I felt pretty good momentum at that point.Potter won the par-4 16th with a 10-foot birdie putt. The match ended on the par-4 17th when Johnson missed a 3-foot par putt aand Potter made a 2 1/2-footer for par.dddddddddddd tried to be confident over every putt, Johnson said. Donald Ross got me in the end.Potter and Johnson were co-medalists in stroke-play qualifying and the first two top seeds to meet in the final in the history of the event. Potter also won as the medalist in 2013.I really feel like I have run the gauntlet, said Potter. Ive had two matches go into extra holes. Against Audrey (Akins), I thought for sure I was done on 17. Its nice because next year when Im in match play, these are the instances that I can pull from and say, `Hey, you are not out, you are not down. I think a lot of people in that crowd would have thought that Shannon had the momentum going into 16 and the next thing you know I win 16 and 17 and the championship.Potter is 18-2 in match play in four appearances in the events. Her boyfriend, Kiel Bobb, has taken over caddie duties from Potters father, Phil.Kiel is that calm in the storm for me, Potter said. Even when I missed putts on 13, 14, 15, he said, `You put a great stroke on it. It just didnt happen. Dont get down on yourself. When you have someone like that out there supporting you and believing in you, you start believing that you can really do it, too.Johnson and Potter are fully exempt into the 2017 U.S. Womens Amateur at San Diego Country Club. Potter received a 10-year U.S. Womens Mid-Amateur exemption, and Johnson got a three-year exemption. ' ' '