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Kwiatkowski wins road race world title

By WTOP Staff

PONFERRADA, Spain (AP) — Michal Kwiatkowski of Poland pulled away from a star-studded field to win a grueling road race at the cycling world championships on Sunday.

Catching the race favorites eying one another, Kwiatkowski slipped away from the peloton near the end to join a breakaway group of four riders and didn’t stop, staying ahead of the chasers on the final descent.

The 24-year-old Kwiatkowski had time to stop pedaling and lift his arms in celebration of his country’s first gold medal in the event. The Pole finished the rainy 254.8-kilometer (158.3-mile) ride that started in the midst of heavy fog in six and a half hours.

“I was feeling right on the last lap,” Kwiatkowski said. “I was just going for the win and I tried to risk it because I saw that some of the riders were still calculating. I didn’t and I won. This is incredible.”

Simon Gerrans of Australia edged ahead of four others for the silver, one second behind Kwiatkowski. Spaniard Alejandro Valverde was third for the third straight year.

Gerrans said it was hard to watch Kwiatkowski cross first.

“Honestly, I wanted to cry when I crossed the finish line,” Gerrans said. “To be so close and see it slip away is very disappointing.”

The 14 laps of the 18.2-kilometer route on well-paved roads took riders by a Templar castle in the city of Ponferrada and through its hilly surroundings in northern Spain. The course featured two short climbs, but the trickiest part was its long descent back into the city because of the wet surface.

The course was long but not very demanding, meaning that most of the strongest riders arrived in position to challenge for the title.

Even so, former Tour de France winner Chris Froome withdrew with less than three laps to go after falling behind the peloton. The British rider also failed to finish last year’s race in Florence, Italy.

Just when the sun had started to shine after a rainy morning, Tour winner Vincenzo Nibali fell in a low-speed crash involving a handful of riders. The Italian appeared unhurt and was able to join the peloton, but couldn’t contend for the win.

An early group of four escapees opened up an advantage of almost 15 minutes, but it was slowly reeled in by a peloton led for a long stretch by the Polish team.

“I am really thankful for my mates for what they did at the beginning,” Kwiatkowski said. “We decided to continue riding and stay at the front. I said right from the start that there is no time to wait, we have to lead the peloton because that was our best chance.”

Germany’s Tony Martin, dethroned as time trial champion by Bradley Wiggins, tried a solo effort with three laps to go. He too was caught by a small group that then relented and let the rest catch up.

Seeing Kwiatkowski speed away, Joaquim Rodriguez attacked on the last climb to try and catch him. Nibali couldn’t keep up, but Valverde, Gerrans and Philippe Gilbert quickly joined in, forming a formidable pack of pursuers.

But even though Kwiatkowski never opened up a gap of more than nine seconds, it was enough time for him to pull off the surprise.

“I knew that it was possible to arrive in a smaller group, especially in the rain, because it was really risky,” Kwiatkowski said.

It was Valverde’s record sixth medal in the event. The 34-year-old veteran now has two silvers and four bronzes, but he again came up short of winning an elusive gold.

“(The course) wasn’t hard enough for me to be able to fight for the win,” said Valverde. “It was very difficult to get a medal and although I would have liked the gold, I had a mission and I accomplished it.”

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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