noticed when Jakeem got up there, he was like,

LIMOGES, France -- Hit by a virus, denied a place on the Tour de France and then parting company with his team, not much went right last season for German sprinter Marcel Kittel.Now hes back with a vengeance.Kittel claimed his ninth stage win at cyclings biggest race in a mass sprint on Tuesday, as the fourth leg of the Tour took the peloton from the medieval town of Saumur to Limoges in central France.For me the victory means a lot, because I know how hard my way back to this moment was, said Kittel, who was fighting back the tears at the podium ceremony.Kittel, who wore the race leaders yellow jersey in 2013 and 2014, joined the Etixx Quick Step team from Giant-Alpecin for this season, replacing the departing Mark Cavendish.The new partnership has been extremely successful so far. Kittel has been the dominant sprinter this year, claiming 11 victories including back-to-back stage wins at the Giro dItalia.At the Tour, he got off to a disappointing start, getting beaten by Cavendish in the opening stage and missing out on a chance to wear the yellow jersey. So when the German held off Frenchman Bryan Coquards surge in a photo finish in Limoges, it was a huge relief.Last year was a huge setback. But I tried to take action to make changes for my future and to be able to win stages again at the Tour, Kittel said. I live for my sport. I never did anything else -- contrary to what some critics said.Kittel began his final surge for the line a little too early for comfort. But he just managed to hang on and edge Coquard.I feel very emotional right now, it feels like my first stage win again, Kittel said. Im mega, mega happy. Im very proud, because the team was really fighting for this win. Things went wrong in the last days, and Im so happy to be back in the Tour and to win a stage like this.World champion Peter Sagan finished third on the 237.5-kilometer ride and kept the yellow jersey. Courtesy of a time bonus, he extended his lead over Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe to 12 seconds in the overall standings. Spaniard Alejandro Valverde is third, 14 seconds back.It was a very fast sprint, I started too early today, the same time as Marcel started, Sagan said. Coquard made a very nice sprint. He was patient and almost won.Coquards aggressive burst for the line almost paid off with his first stage win in cyclings showpiece event. He brushed shoulders with Kittel in the slightly uphill final stretch, but lost by a few millimeters.I think I belong with the greats now, Coquard said. There is no mistake in the sprints, the stronger wins. I was never as close to victory, but I havent won yet. Im young, but Im a winner... and I want to win this year on the Tour.After a first attack fizzled out soon after the start, a group of four riders managed to escape from the pack and build up a five-minute lead over the peloton.Tour debutants Oliver Naesen and Alexis Gougeard, alongside Markel Irizar and Andreas Schillinger, made their move near the 30-kilometer mark and quickly increased the gap, helped by a tail wind.Determined to defend Sagans yellow jersey, the Tinkoff team hit the front of the bunch to step up the pace in hot and sunny conditions. They organized the chase with sprint-specialist teams Lotto-Soudal and Etixx, and the gap was down to four minutes with 100 kilometers left.However, the pack was in no rush to rein in the breakaway riders on the winding roads of the lush green Limousin countryside.Gougeard was dropped from the leading group with 35 kilometers left, moments before the pursuit really started in the hilly finale to Limoges. The remaining trio was swallowed up during a short climb seven kilometers from the finish.On the eve of the first mountain stage, the races main favorites Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana enjoyed a quiet day. Froome, a two-time Tour champion, is in fifth position overall, 18 seconds behind Sagan. Quintana is seventh with the same time as Froome.Wednesdays Stage 5 features four difficult climbs including the second-category Pas de Peyrol, the highest road pass in the Massif Central with an average gradient of 8.1 percent. Cheap Nike SB . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. Nike SB Outlet Uk . White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. http://www.nikesboutletuk.com/ .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. Cheap Nike SB Uk . JOHNS, N. Nike SB Cheap Online . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. DAVIE, Fla. -- Its been 13 years since Shawn Jefferson played in the NFL, and he looked a little out of shape Tuesday in his helmet, shoulder pads and baggy sweat pants while taking part in blocking drills at Miami Dolphins training camp.Coach Adam Gase said Jefferson, the Dolphins receivers coach, seemed hesitant about fulfilling a pledge to show his players how to block a safety downfield.I went up to him before he did it, Gase said, and he kind of had this look in his eye like, `I might be getting a little too old for this.Those who cant, teach. The 47-year-old Jeffersons hands-on tutorial left him sprawled on a mat with players half his age. But he made his point and the receiving corps seemed to love it.Its exciting to see a coach who cares about his players, third-year pro Matt Hazel said. Hes got some game. Hopefully, we can do it again tomorrow.Dont expect the 38-year-old head coach to take part.Theres no chance Id ever do that, Gase said.Among the new assistants under first-year coach Gase, Jefferson has caused the biggest buzz in camp with his fiery approach. Hes a holler guy and then some, challenging players to match his energy. Jefferson runs routes in practice and goes nose to nose with players while talking trash.Gase has called Jefferson psychotic, meaning it as a compliment. But taking part in a full-contact drill was something new.At Gases urging, Jefferson used a padded blocking shieldd.dddddddddddd Even so, the collisions were jarring.Its all love, Hazel said. He brought a little thump. Hes got some game.Jefferson called a halt when eager rookie receiver Jakeem Grant lined up opposite him.I noticed when Jakeem got up there, he was like, `All right, were done, Gase said. He didnt want to go against Jakeem.Jefferson played from 1991 to 2003 for the Chargers, Patriots, Falcons and Lions, and made 470 career receptions. He has been an NFL coach since 2005 and was with the Titans the past three years.Now hes coaching a talented corps that includes 1,000-yard receiver Jarvis Landry, 2015 first-round draft pick DeVante Parker and speedy Kenny Stills.Jefferson didnt talk with the media Tuesday, but earlier in camp said he wanted the receiving corps to follow his lead.Im a go-getter, and I want my group to be go-getters, Jefferson said. They have to be the first ones to storm the beach. When the ship is listing, they have to right the ship. I put a lot of pressure on those guys, so when we get to the game, theres no pressure. We never want to feel it; we want to apply it.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Steven Wine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Steve-Wine. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/steven-wine ' ' '