A funny thing about the Tour de France is that it can give its competitors the most fabulous terrain to ride over, but it cannot force them to race. Instead of being the very tricky day full of traps and surprises that Tour teams feared and organizers hoped for, Stage Three of the 100th edition proved to be a bit of a dud: 10 out of 10 visually, with some of the most stunning coastal scenery ever visited by the 110-year-old race, but barely 2 out of 10 for drama. In fact, as pretty as Corsica -- Frances "island of beauty" -- was, riders were just as happy to whiz past it. "Twisty roads like that along the coast, stunning scenery, and Im sure it made for great shots from the helicopter," said race favourite Chris Froome. "But thats not what we were interested in." So be it. In a three-week test of endurance, its simply physically impossible for every stage to be a classic and provide great excitement. There are days, like on Monday, when the peloton decides the priority is to get from A to B safely, get back to the hotel, massage, eat and sleep. To have success at the Tour, you first have to survive it. "The race is always what the riders make of it," the Tour director, Christian Prudhomme, said philosophically. Jan Bakelants was happy. The Belgian rider started the day in the yellow jersey that he won with a clever and gutsy spurt of riding on Sunday, and he will wear it again for at least another day, during the team time trial on Stage Four on Tuesday. The teams will race against the clock, heading off one after the other in aerodynamic helmets, on a pancake-flat, 25-kilometre course in Nice, past the coastal towns airport and along its famous beachside avenue, the Promenade des Anglais. With that very technical and quick ordeal awaiting them, and because coastal headwinds slowed the riders, none of the 21 other teams could be bothered to really try hard to take the lead on Monday from Bakelants. His RadioShack teammates did a grand job of protecting him. They rode much of the stage at the front of the pack, not letting breakaway riders get too far ahead and discouraging other teams from any thoughts of making a concerted assault. Their management of the stage helped make for dull racing -- but it kept Bakelants in yellow. "We never panicked," he said. "We managed the gaps." But Tuesday will more than likely be his last day in the leaders precious jersey. There are 71 riders just one second behind him in the standings. One of them on a team that time trials better than RadioShack will be in yellow next. "We have good riders but havent really trained for the team time trial," said Bakelants. "It will be tough to keep the jersey, but Ive already had it two days and thats special ... Its extraordinary to have worn it." At the end of the stage, in the final 15 kilometres, the racing picked up. Several riders tried and failed to get away from the chasing pack. It came down to a sprint in the last 500 metres. Simon Gerrans, an Australian, threw his front wheel over the line just before Peter Sagan, a Slovakian. Ryder Hesjedal of Victoria is in 26th spot overall, while David Velleux of Cap-Rouge, Que., is 117th, and Svein Tuft of Langley, B.C., is back in 170th. On paper, Stage Three looked daunting: 145.5 kilometres of narrow roads as sinewy as a blood vessel, with very little flat. On television, the coves, the white beaches and cliffs plunging into turquoise seas looked incredible. The riders strung out like a necklace of coloured pearls as they sped along the coastline on a succession of bends so twisty that, among those who rode the route by car, they made queasy mush of iron stomachs. That is why Corsica paid the Tour to come here: To make it look good. The island gave three million euros to the Tours owners for the right to host the first three stages of the 100th edition, and paid another two million euros in other expenses, said Paul Giacobbi, who heads the regional government. That bought "hours and hours and hours" of worldwide television coverage and "one billion spectators," he said. The logistics were complicated. The Tour was transporting itself on seven ships back across the Mediterranean to the French mainland overnight on Monday so it could continue less than 24 hours later on Stage Four, in Nice. After Mondays trek from the port of Ajaccio, two planes whisked the riders quickly away from the finish in Calvi, so they would sleep in hotels on the French coast that same night. This was the Tours first visit to Corsica. Both came away happy. Prudhomme, the race director, said viewing figures in France for the Corsican leg of the race are the highest theyve been in a decade. "That is because of the 100th edition and the beauty of Corsica," he said. Not that Froome and the other contenders for overall victory much cared. They were happy simply to be heading back in one piece to the French mainland -- where the Tour will be decided on stages in the Pyrenees and Alps far more decisive than anything Corsica could offer. "Im quite relieved to be heading off Corsica now," said Froome. "Hopefully, the race will settle down a little bit." Cheap Jordans Shoes Wholesale . 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MIAMI -- Dwyane Wade still has every hope of finishing his NBA career in the same manner that it began, wearing a Miami Heat uniform.Thats the good news for Heat fans.Now comes the tough part -- Wade and the team figuring out how to make that a reality. It took a $20 million contract this past season to keep the relationship going for a 13th year; it wont come cheap this time either. While its obvious that being a free agent means Wade will have opportunities with other clubs, and he is more than prepared to listen -- as was the case last year -- his ideal scenario remains staying put.Hopefully, if everything goes well this summer for this organization and for myself, well give ourselves another chance, Wade told The Associated Press before leaving for vacation.He has had talks with the Heat already, since they didnt have to wait for July 1 to engage with their own players. Miami will also be busy trying to retain Hassan Whiteside and lure Kevin Durant, but keeping Wade is also very high on Heat President Pat Rileys list of offseason priorities.The Heat know what Wade wants in terms of money and roster; in turn, Wade has a general sense of how the team will proceed when the leagues annual player shopping spree opens at 12:01 a.m. Friday. And the teams social media accounts Tuesday were clearly trying to appeal to Wade, posting videos, quotes and stats that all paid tribute to what he did this past season when he averaged 19 points and 4.6 assists in what was another All-Star campaign.Weve had a few down years out of my 13 years here but for the most part we stay pretty competitive and we stay pretty darn close, Wade said. With the right moves and the right acquisitions, we can put ourselves right in the conversation.Its going to be an extremely difficult few days for the Heat, who again will have to work to keep the face of the franchise -- after all, Miami is often called Wade County -- in red, white and black for at least one more season. Heat fans were frenzied by the prospect of losing him a year ago, and Wade said many times this season that he wanted to continue playing in Miami for the rest of his career.But now its decision time.The 34-year-old Wade could leave, without question. So could Udonis Haslem, who like Wade has spent all 13 of his seasons in Miami. They would rather stay, though if the money isnt to their liking, either or both could feel like their hands are forced to go elsewhere. And Wade most certainly wants Haslem back, even if thats in the very limited role hes had in recennt seasons.ddddddddddddAbout 25 percent of Miamis salary cap space for next season is allotted to Chris Boshs contract, though there remains no guarantee that he will be cleared to play after his last two seasons ended at the All-Star break because of blood clots. Bosh has remained silent about his future, and the team hasnt offered any specifics on his condition or prognosis.Wade said he 100 percent expects Bosh back.I have no doubt in my mind, Wade said. Im not a doctor. And even the people who are around, no one knows what Chris has gone through and how this is going to shake out. I hope thats back and doing it with me, doing it with UD, doing it with an organization that he won two championships in. I have no doubt in my mind that hes going to be back and hes going to be Chris Bosh.Still, theres no chance that situation is resolved anytime soon. So it leads to one part of the multi-tiered conundrum for the Heat, who saw stock in Whiteside (who was hurt in the Eastern Conference semifinals and missed the last four games of that series in which Miami lost in seven games to Toronto) soar after Boshs season ended at this years break.If Wade gets another $20 million deal, his salary along with Bosh would eat up about half of Miamis cap space. Wade knows the financial reality for the team, yet also knows his worth.Its going to be an interesting summer, Wade said.That could sound ominous.But then theres this: When asked what will drive him in his offseason workouts, Wade talked about Game 7 of the Toronto-Miami series -- when the Heat got blown out.We didnt have Chris, we didnt have Hassan, but I wish I could have done more, Wade said. That Game 7 is going to be in my mind. I want to be able to have more when that opportunity comes again. I want to be able to be in that moment and be able to overcome that Game 7.Theres also another Game 7 that will inspire Wade -- the one where his former teammate and current vacation partner LeBron James led Cleveland past Golden State for this seasons NBA title. Wade was there, and this season was the 11th consecutive year in which hes gone to the Finals, five of those as a player, the other six as a fan.I go as a competitor because I want to be there and I want to feel that atmosphere, Wade said. I want to experience that and I want to envision myself on that podium again.Time will tell if he gets there, and if he does, in what uniform. ' ' '