SAINT-LO, France -- Not too long ago, a successful Tour de France for Mark Cavendish meant coming away with a handful of victories.Not anymore. And not only because German rivals Marcel Kittel and Andre Greipel have taken over as cyclings top sprinters.The sprint opportunities are less, Cavendish said on Thursday, lamenting how Tour organizers have created more challenging routes in recent years with more hilly stages in the opening week, as opposed to the purely flat opening stages that the race once started with.In 2008, it was 18 Cat (category) 2, Cat 1 and HC (Hors Categorie, beyond category) climbs in the whole Tour de France. Last year, there was 18 in the last week. This year, theres 28 Cat 2, Cat 1 and HC climbs, Cavendish said. Its quite an increase.He won four stages in 2008, six in 2009, five each in 2010 and 2011, and three in 2012. But over the last three races, he has won a total of three stages, and just one last year.While the first three stages this year -- highlighted by Saturdays scenic opening leg from Mont-Saint-Michel to Utah Beach -- set up well for sprinters, the route gets hilly from the fourth day onward.It makes more people win, which is good for the sport but it definitely changes our approach, Cavendish said. You dont go with a nine-man leadout team to the Tour de France anymore unless youre happy with just a couple of stage wins.Theres a longer list of GC (general classification) contenders than there ever was. And the teams are built behind them. That makes it very difficult for the sprinters.The 31-year-old British rider, nicknamed the Manx Missile, joined South African team Dimension Data for this season after shoulder surgery in September. He withdrew during last years race with ruptured ligaments in his right shoulder.Cavendish prepared for the Tour by opening his season in February, and has raced constantly to mixed results -- winning one stage each in the Tour of Qatar, Tour of Croatia, and Tour of California. He finished second to Adam Blythe in the British championships last weekend.Its been completely different. I used a lot of racing to build up my endurance, Cavendish said. I really dont know how its going to be. It could be the best thing in the world. It could be the worst thing Ive ever done.With 26 career stage wins in the Tour, Cavendish sits third on the all-time list behind Eddy Merckx (34) and Bernard Hinault (28).Hes aiming for early and late wins this year, especially on the concluding stage in Paris.The biggest stage in the world, Cavendish said, is the Champs-Elysees for a sprinter.---Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asdampf Lakers Jerseys 2020 . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. 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Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. Were less than three weeks from 2017.So the teams on this list still have some time to find themselves, forget the past and move forward.Right now, however, theyve reached a desperate state. Which teams should panic with conference season approaching?Washington Huskies Level of panic: Youre on a business trip 2,000 miles from home when your teenage son texts, We have good homeowners insurance, right? Theyre 4-5 right now after a four-game losing streak. This turbulent path and a Pac-12 schedule that begins with matchups against Oregon and Cal in two of its first three league games could terminate the teams slim chances of rising and reaching the NCAA tournament. Thats an embarrassment for a program thats led by freshman Markelle Fultz (22.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.1 APG), a potential No. 1 pick in next summers NBA draft. A statistical picture of the load Fultz currently carries: Per hooplens.com, the team shoots 71.5 percent from the free throw line when hes on the court and just 51.7 percent from the free throw line when hes not.UConn Huskies Level of panic: You feel a pop in your back as you try to show your kids a dance move from 20 years ago. Well, where do we start? The American Athletic Conferences coaches picked UConn (five votes) to finish second behind Cincinnati (six votes) in the leagues preseason poll. Perhaps the Huskies will launch a turnaround. Theyre 4-5 now after Saturdays four-point loss to Ohio State. Thats not a bad loss. But you have to wonder how a team that cant shoot -- 58.1 percent at the rim (228th in the country, per hoop-math.com), 61.4 percent on the free throw line (324th), 46 percent inside the arc (259th), 30.8 percent from the 3-point line (287th) -- will find a way to beat enough respectable opponents to win its league and reach the NCAA tournament.Georgetown Hoyas Level of panic: Your 4-year-old smiles and tells you, I washed your phone today because it was dirty. Here are the first four Big East games for a 6-4 Georgetown team that entered Thanksgiving at 2-4 before a slate of sub-100 games helped John Thompson IIIs program move above .500: at Marquette, vs. Xavier, at Providence, vs Butler. Marquette is growing. Xavier is a second-weekend squad (likely more) and a Big East contender. A Providence squad with a top-30ish defense has lost just once since Nov. 17. And Butler just beat Cincy, the favorite in the American, by double digits. That gantlet could swallow a Georgetown squad ranked 43rd in the BPI.Iowa State Cyclones Level of panic: That guy you just pushed at the bar didnt say, I hate every team in the NFC. He said, I used to fight in the UFC. You have to judge every team on this list according to the reasonable expectations that surrounded the team prior to the season. Although the team lost Georges Niang and a fleet of talented seniors, Iowa State entered the year as a projected Big 12 contender -- an idea strengthened by the return of Monte Morris, who excelled in summer showcases and elevated his stock as a future pro. Right now, Steve Prohms Cyclones are ranked 22nd on KenPom.coms adjusted defensive efficiency list. Iowa State hasnt finished with a top-25 defense since 2005 (10th). Thats improvement under Prohm. But the squads struggles right now are at the free throw line. A team thats making just 63.1 percent of its free throws missed 9 of 19 combined free throw attempts in a pair of tight losses to Cincinnati (one point) and Gonzaga (two points). Plus, its not as fluid around the rim without Niang. Deonte Burton is a doing a great job of playing a hybrid forward position at just 6-foot-5, but teams are making life hard for him inside the arc, where hes shooting 47.3 percent. The Cyclones missed fast-break layups in their loss to rival Iowa last week. Theyre just not good enough to recover from the missed free throws and errant shots theyve attempted in this sloppy stretch.Iowa Hawkeyes Level of panic: Youre at the game with your friends. You realize you forgot to do something important. Then your wife calls and asks, Why is my mom still waiting for you at the airport? Yeah, the Hawkeyes beat rival Iowa State last week after Peter Jok turned Carver-Hawkeye Arena into his canvas and painted the floor with his 23-point output. But dont let that honorable victory lead to any misguided assumptions. Go back to the loss to Nebraska-Omaha on Dec. 3 at Carver-Hawkeye. That squad registered 1.27 points per possession against Fran McCafferys squad. So even if you ignore losses to Virginia and Notre Dame, you have to ask how sluggish offenses at Memphis, Seton Hall and Nebraska-Omaha torched an Iowa defense that reminds Iowa fans of the poor units Todd Lickliter fielded in his final years in Iowa City. Thats a bad sign for any Big Ten team.Florida Gators Level of Panic: Youre a sports fan in Washington, D.C..dddddddddddd. With 5:55 remaining in the first half of Florida States 83-78 victory over rival Florida on Sunday, Gators big man John Egbunu set a screen as Kasey Hill dribbled up the court. But the shifty guard drove to the opposite side of the floor as four Florida State defenders slid into the lane. The good news? Chris Chiozza and Keith Stone were both wide open to his right. But Hill did not pass. And his rushed shot clanked off the right side of the rim. Can you really blame him for not passing? Not when Chiozza (27.3 percent) and Stone (33.3 percent) are members of a Florida squad that missed 75 percent of its 3s against FSU. Yes, the Gators have suffered all three of their losses this season to teams in the top 25. This is a good Florida team that can finish in the top tier of the SEC. But the limits of its offense -- only three of its top nine players, according to usage, shoot above 50 percent inside the arc -- could cause this solid Gators team to stumble throughout the season.Rhode Island Rams Level of panic: You told your boss you were home sick.?The boss was going to a conference, you thought. Then you two see each other at the driving range in the middle of the day. With the return of E.C. Matthews, after a year on the sideline following the season-ending knee injury he suffered in the first game of 2015-16, many expected Rhode Island to sizzle in 2016-17. But the Rams have not looked the part of a top-25 team and Atlantic 10 king in recent weeks. Part of Dan Hurleys challenge involves his lineups. Matthews is a star who is averaging 15.4 PPG and 4.4 RPG. He scored 31 points in his teams 82-77 loss to Houston on Saturday. But, per hoopslens.com, the Rams were significantly better on offense (1.12 PPP compared to 1.25 PPP) and defense (1.38 PPP allowed vs. 0.84 allowed) when Matthews wasnt on the floor. Now, its not that simple. Houstons best players may have been on the bench in the eight minutes Matthews didnt play, but Hurleys great challenge this season may involve creating the proper rotation to help this talented group regain its swagger and rhythm before conference play begins.San Diego State Aztecs Level of panic: You tell your buddies, Ill pick up the tab. Then the owner hands you the bill and thanks you for sending her on a tropical vacation. Steve Fishers squad entered the week on a three-game losing streak, prior to Mondays home matchup against Alabama State. That roller coaster included losses to Loyola (Chicago), 115th in the BPI, Grand Canyon (237th) and Arizona State (157th). Yeah, its time to panic in San Diego. In two of those games, the Aztecs failed to top 64 points. As of Sunday, only two SDSU players had connected on more than 48 percent of their attempts inside the arc. The offensive challenges arent new for a Fisher squad, though. But he has organized a defense thats finished in the top 10 of KenPom.coms efficiency ratings for three consecutive years. SDSU is not among the top 50 right now. Thats odd. A mediocre offense and a defense that surrendered 76 points to Grand Canyon might be in trouble.Is Scott Cross your teams next coach?UT-Arlingtons head coach signed an extension in March. But his alma mater might end the season in a battle with bigger schools to retain his services after his Mavericks secured a road win over then-No. 12 Saint Marys, the first top-25 win in the programs history, last week. This Sun Belt standout now has wins over Saint Marys and Texas. Kevin Hervey (13.5 PPG) is back after last years ACL tear and the squad is rolling. Remember Cross name in the coming months as power conference schools with coaches on hot seats commence their transition plans. The 42-year-old who won 24 games last year might get a few phone calls.Grayson Allens dunk demonstrates Dukes edgeWhen the Blue Devils star flew down the court against UNLV on Saturday and dunked on everyone in the arena, the Strip and the city, he scowled for a moment.We all know Duke has a unique talent pool. Thats clear. But I think its also obvious that Duke possesses an edge last years squad lacked. Mike Krzyzewskis squad has a roster full of guys wholl challenge anyone, attack any team and rock rims to prove it.In their Champions Classic loss to Kentucky in 2015-16, Duke seemed timid. Thats not this seasons Duke squad.This team has that meet-me-outside braggadocio to complement its elite personnel. Kentuckys 38-0 squad had that persona. Floridas title teams in 2006 and 2007 had it. The Jay Williams-era Blue Devils of the early 2000s had it, too. Its a brand of nastiness, an attitude that could help the program prevail in the ACC and the NCAA tournament.The five or six NBA prospects will help, too. ' ' '