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5 things about the Tour de France 9th stage

By WTOP Staff

JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press

MULHOUSE, France (AP) — Tony Martin of Germany took stage-win honors and Tony Gallopin of France swiped the leader’s yellow jersey in an up-and-down ninth stage of the Tour de France in the Vosges mountains on Sunday.

Martin, an Omega Pharma Quick-Step rider better known as a time-trial expert, has shown skill in the hills in recent months — notably with a fourth-place finish in the Tour de Suisse last month. He put it on display again in Sunday’s 170-kilometer (105.4-mile) trek from Gerardmer to Mulhouse.

Meanwhile, Gallopin took a ride in a bunch that chased Martin and left behind Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali and other top favorites to win the three week race. By overcoming his deficit to the Italian in the overall standings, the French rider snatched the yellow jersey.

Here are five things to know about the Tour de France on Sunday:

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DON’T MENTION MENCHOV…

Martin declined to react to the International Cycling Union’s announcement late Saturday that Denis Menchov, a Russian former rider, was stripped of his results in three Tour de France races and given a two-year ban — even though he’s already retired — for an anti-doping rule violation.

“Can we maybe speak about the victory today? And not about David Menchov, or Denis Menchov — or whatever…” said Martin, who competed against the Russian in the Tour in 2009, 2010 and 2012 — the three years for which Menchov was stripped of his Tour results.

Tour boss Christian Prudhomme had no immediate comment.

Menchov was second in the 2010 Tour.

But Menchov’s last team, Katusha, had a reaction. In a statement posted on its Web site late Saturday, the team twice expressed “serious disappointment.”

Katusha, a Russian team competing at this Tour, said Menchov was fired last year under a team policy stipulating that a doping offense ends a rider’s contract. The statement said the team was informed of the case last year and decided “to cease its contractual relationship” with Menchov — in part for the anti-doping proceedings, and partly for his “chronic and persisting knee problems.”

Katusha said it hadn’t spoken earlier about the case “in order to preserve his right to privacy until a final decision had been rendered.”

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A SHOUT-OUT TO JOHAN

Johan Bruyneel, the longtime coach of dethroned former Tour winner Lance Armstrong, got some kind words from Gallopin after the French rider captured the yellow jersey on Sunday.

Gallopin, who was with Bruyneel’s RadioShack Leopard Trek for a year and competed with it at the 2012 Tour, called Bruyneel “a great figure of cycling,” and said he had “really learned a lot with this team” — notably on race tactics.

At the time, Gallopin’s uncle Alain Gallopin was a RadioShack Leopard Trek team sporting director.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has said that Bruyneel “was at the apex of a conspiracy to commit widespread doping” at Armstrong’s U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams for many years.

Bruyneel was given a 10-year ban in April. The World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed for a longer ban, arguing that that’s too light.

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THE FRENCH CONNECTION

Often at the Tour, team solidarity is the No. 1 priority for riders. But sometimes, national pride kicks in too.

Gallopin, a Lotto Belisol rider, said he felt the impact of “French solidarity” during Sunday’s stage — even from riders on other teams who were in a breakaway from the pack with him.

The Frenchman expressed pride that he’ll be wearing the yellow jersey on Monday, the national Bastille Day holiday in France.

Gallopin said he discussed possibly capturing the yellow jersey with Europcar’s Pierre Rolland, during the ride, and felt “a show of support” from riders on two French teams: Cofidis and AG2R La Mondiale.

“I felt a lot of support, and it makes me happy,” said Gallopin.

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A PROUD PRESIDENT’S CALL

Frenchman Blel Kadri was relaxing on the massage table when he checked his telephone and saw an unexpected text message.

French President Francois Hollande, who is a big sports fan, sent a message to congratulate Kadri for having won Saturday’s hilly eighth stage to become the first Frenchman to win a Tour stage this year.

Hollande asked Kadri to call him, and they spoke for a few moments.

“That was Francois Hollande, our president,” a flattered Kadri said on national television. “It’s good for us, for cycling, to have a president who likes our sport.”

However, the message did little to boost his chances in Sunday’s ninth stage. Kadri started the day in the best climber’s polka dot jersey, but had an early mechanical failure and lost his jersey to Martin.

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GERMAN PRIDE TOO

Martin became the third German to win a stage at this year’s Tour, after sprint specialists Marcel Kittel — who has won three — and Andre Greipel, who won stage 6.

The Omega Pharma Quick-Step rider said his victory might be “an omen” for Germany’s match against Argentina in the World Cup final.

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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