Vincenzo Nibali put his lungs and legs to work one last time, marching up to the winners podium of the Tour de France and sighin

Vincenzo Nibali put his lungs and legs to work one last time, marching up to the winners podium of the Tour de France and sighing deeply before the Italian anthem echoed over the Champs-Elysees. Dwight Clark Youth Jersey . Chants of "Vin-cen-zo!" rang across the famed avenue for the Sicilian, who dominated the race nearly from the start three weeks ago and on Sunday became the first Italian to win cyclings greatest race since Marco Pantani in 1998. Marcel Kittel of Germany won Stage 21 in a sprint, his fourth victory this year. Nibali cruised in 24 seconds later, easily retaining a lead of more than seven minutes on his closest rival. He received pats on the back, kissed his wife and infant daughter and was mobbed by cameras. "Now that I find myself on the highest step on the Champs-Elysees podium, its more beautiful than I ever imagined," Nibali, the Arc de Triomphe behind him, told the crowd. "Ive never been this moved in all my life." Nibali, likened by some as the emperor of the pack, conquered where others did not: notably Chris Froome of Britain, the 2013 Tour winner, and two-time champion Alberto Contador of Spain. Both crashed out with injuries before the halfway mark. As if mountain climbs, bone-jarring cobblestones, crashes and rain-splattered rides werent enough, Nibali faced the scrutiny that comes with the yellow jersey in a sport long damaged by drugs. Nibali, who calls himself "a flag-bearer of anti-doping," noted that his success came through pinpoint focus on this race as the season began and opportunistic attacks in which he was able to nibble seconds on his rivals. There were no eye-popping performances, as was the case when doping was so prevalent. The Astana team leader is only the sixth rider to win all three Grand Tours -- France, Italy and Spain. His win comes 10 years after Pantani, a flamboyant rider, died from a drug overdose. Nibali won four stages -- a feat not equaled by a Tour winner since Lance Armstrong won five a decade ago. The Italian wore the yellow jersey for all but two stages since Stage 1. His 7-minute, 37-second margin over runner-up Jean-Christophe Peraud equals that of Armstrong over Swiss rider Alex Zulle in 1999 -- a result nullified because of doping. Before that, the biggest margin was that of Germanys Jan Ullrich: He beat Richard Virenque by just more than nine minutes in 1997. In one of the subplots of this race, Peraud and third-placed Thibaut Pinot became the first Frenchmen to reach the Tour podium since Virenque in that year -- a fact not lost on many homegrown fans. Pinot was 8:15 behind. Armstrong, Ullrich and Virenque were caught in nearly a generation of doping scandals. Armstrong, in cyclings biggest scandal, admitted to doping and was stripped of his record seven Tour titles. Nibali and many others in the peloton say that era is past. But his own victories in the 2010 Vuelta and the Italian Giro last year were tarnished by doping involving other riders. Cyclings governing body has made great efforts to halt drug use, but few cycling experts believe the pack is fully clean. Authorities in Italy and France have been among the most aggressive in cracking down on doping, and the victory of an Italian, followed by two Frenchmen, could be a sign the peloton is getting cleaner. Some suggested that Nibali was just the best among the riders still in this Tour. Colombias Nairo Quintana, who won the Giro dItalia in May, didnt ride. Bradley Wiggins, the 2012 Tour winner, was passed over so his Sky Team could focus on Froome. Then Froome and Contador pulled out. But even before they left, Nibali had a two-second lead on them by winning Stage 2. Then, in Stage 5 after Froome crashed out, the Italian excelled on cobblestone patches that slowed Contador, who lost more than 2 1/2 minutes to Nibali. The Spaniard felt compelled to attack. On a downhill in Stage 10, Contador fractured his shin. But Nibali -- known as "The Shark of the Strait" in a nod to the waterway near his hometown of Messina, Sicily, and his attacking style -- didnt stop there. He went on to win that stage, up to the super steep La Planche des Belles Filles. It was the first of three stages with uphill finishes that he won, adding one in the Alps and another in the Pyrenees -- each time dealing small but cumulatively significant blows to contenders. This 101st Tour began in Yorkshire, England, and guided riders over 3,664 kilometres (2,277 miles), with high-mountain rides in the Vosges, Alps and Pyrenees. Tejay van Garderen, the top U.S. rider, said on Twitter this was the hardest of his four Tours. He finished fifth overall, 11:24 behind Nibali, after climbing a spot in Saturdays time trial. Nibali said the Tour layout was "almost made to measure for me." He also noted that crashes are part of the race, and hes been such a victim in the past. As he stepped down from the podium, Nibali hurled the winners bouquet into the crowd, and a fan handed him an inflatable shark. Many waved French and Italian flags. "I think its very important for cycling in Italy because at the moment there isnt a lot of trust," said spectator Massimo Solaroli, a 47-year-old physical education teacher from the Italian town of Imola. "We dont believe an Italian champion can win an important race without doping." But Nibali, he added, gives reason for hope. "I think he can be a good champion for all the people, not only for Italian people, because hes very humble," he said. Ronnie Lott 49ers Jersey . Neither side would publicly confirm or deny any discussions were taking place, until the near unexpected happened. On Saturday night sources confirmed to TSN, the league and players agreed to terms on a new, tentative CBA, pending ratification by the unions players. A league source confirmed the CFLs board of governors must also ratify any potential agreement. George Kittle Womens Jersey . With Washington teammate Nene drawing double-teams coming off his big game against the Lakers, Gortat scored 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Wizards to a 100-92 win in overtime over Milwaukee on Wednesday night. http://www.49ersrookiestore.com/49ers-Nick-Bosa-Jersey/ . On Sunday, head coach Patrick Roy said the teams leading scorer will skate at Mondays morning practice and the club will make a decision on his status for Game 6 at that point.TORONTO -- After taking a sip of water at the start of his news conference, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis made sure to thank the players who were around last season and left on the first day of free agency. "I just wanted to thank them for what they attempted to do over the last 12 months and wish them all the best going forward," Nonis said. Attempted might be the most important word after the Leafs went from being almost surely playoff bound to collapsing with an eight-game losing streak. Gone from that group are centres Dave Bolland and Mason Raymond, who signed elsewhere Tuesday. In come defenceman Stephane Robidas, signed to a US$9-million, three-year deal, and forward Leo Komarov, signed to an $11.8-million, four-year deal, along with forward Matt Frattin, re-acquired in a trade that sent winger Jerry DAmigo to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Its Noniss hope that those players change the Leafs mix back to more of what it was like in the lockout-shortened 2013 season, when they made the playoffs. "The compete level that we had two years ago, I think was at or near the top of the league," Nonis said. "We got more out of our players, the coaches did, the players themselves did in terms of pushing each other, than we did last year -- no question about it. Some of the players that were talking about either were here and will help us get that back or have a history of doing that. That was a focus for us." Robidas at 37 brings 885 games of experience to Toronto, along with a right-handed shot. He broke his leg while playing in the playoffs for the Anaheim Ducks but started skating last week and expects to be ready for Day 1 of training camp. Komarov returns from the 2013 Leafs after a year with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL. He had four goals and five assists in 42 games that season, but the 27-year-old Finn is expected to have a much bigger role this time around. "Leo offers a lot more than I think even we got out of him two years ago," said Nonis, who met with Komarov in Finland and "laid that out so that he knew that he wasnt just a fourth-line guy that was playing six minutes a night, that we feel that he cann do more. Joe Montana Jersey. " Komarovs return could help fill the void left by the departure of Bolland, who signed for five years and $27.5 million with the Florida Panthers. Bolland said on a conference call with local media that the Leafs were close to bringing him back. "We were getting there," the 28-year-old Toronto native said. "We were just a little bit apart." Nonis did not begrudge Bolland for taking the more lucrative deal with the Panthers. "We feel our offer was very fair, very strong, it reflected his value to us," he said. "He chose to go somewhere else, thats his right. Hell be a good player for them ... The only way to prevent that from happening was to spend more than we felt was appropriate, and I dont think thats something we wanted to get into." Raymond also got more money than the Leafs were willing to pay: three years and $9.5 million from the Calgary Flames. Being closer to home was part of the Cochrane, Alta., natives decision to go there. Even before signing in Calgary, Raymond expected changes around the Leafs under new president Brendan Shanahan and after the teams late-season collapse. "I think we all wouldve loved to finish a lot better," Raymond said in a phone interview. "When you have new management or different changes within the organization, that (roster moves are) susceptible to happen." What Bolland and Raymond have in common is they werent around for the Leafs somewhat-expected 2013 season that Nonis seems to want to replicate. Komarov and Frattin, who was sent to Los Angeles a year ago in the deal that brought goaltender Jonathan Bernier to the Leafs, were. "We talked a little about the chemistry that we had two years ago and the work ethic and i think players playing outside their comfort zone," Nonis said. "Those are two players that played a big part in it." Notes -- Nonis said if a trade for restricted-free-agent goaltender James Reimer was there and made sense, the Leafs would make it. Otherwise, he reiterated, Reimer could be back next season. ... The process of hiring assistant coaches is still ongoing with no resolution as of Tuesday. ' ' '