When Marcel Kittel speaks, there is a calm that belies the ferocity of how his legs will whip like an eggbeater over the last 200 metres of the first stage of this years Tour de France that gets under way Saturday in Normandy, a stage that will likely end in a bunch sprint. Ben Gordon Magic Jersey .While British flyer Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data) has said his focus is not on claiming the yellow race leaders jersey, but on winning the stage -- which would nonetheless place him in first overall -- Kittel (Etixx-QuickStep) was happier to embrace both prospects.Cavendish, 31, has never worn the yellow jersey, but has won 26 Tour stages from nine starts. For Kittel, 28, it is a case of having been there, done that ... so why not again?The German sprinter, who comes into the Tour off wins in Stages 2 and 3 of the Giro dItalia and a third in last Sundays German road title, does not have Cavendishs record of Tour stage wins. His tally is eight from three starts - four from the 2013 and 2014 Tours. And on both Tours, he won on Stage 1 to take the race lead and wear yellow for a day.Kittel, who missed last years Tour due to illness, was typically at ease as the edge to the atmosphere sharpened in the lead-up hours to Saturdays first stage, 188 kilometres (117 miles) from Mont Saint Michel to Utah Beach that was a principal landing site for the D-Day invasion in 1944.It is really exciting to maybe have the chance to wear the jersey, said Kittel, with a smile.Asked how he, as a star sprinter in the Tours field of 22-nine teams, handled external pressure, Kittel then said: I think it is sort of my life as a sprinter to deal with that pressure.The power of two sprint trainsKittel recognises that his team is one of two that has a fully dedicated sprint train to lead him out for the bunch gallops. The other powerhouse team for the flat bunch sprints is Lotto-Soudal. One of its riders, 33-year-old German André Greipel, has won 10 Tour stages from five starts and won last Sundays German road title in a season that includes three stage win in the Giro.While Saturdays stage is virtually assured of seeing the teams of Kittel and Greipel dominate the finale, Kittel does not expect it to be trouble-free. Sprinters without trains will try feed off the work of Etixx-QuickStep and Lotto-Soudal by fighting for a place in their slipstreams.And that could lead to chaos with everyone so keen to win early in the Tour and in such a finale where the finishing speed is likely to reach 65 kilometres per hour, if not beyond.I can really rely on a very strong team that gives me a lot of confidence, Kittel said. We have a good plan for Saturday and we just have to pray also for some lucky moments.Asked who he regards as his main rivals for Saturday, Kittel first cited Greipel and then added Cavendish, whose last result was a second-place finish in Sundays British championship.Despite many predicting a Kittel-Greipel showdown, there are other pure sprinters who will be suited for Saturdays flat course. Apart from Cavendish, Norways Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), Irelands Sam Bennett (Bora-Argon), and Frances Bryan Coquard (Direct Energie).However, there are other sprinters who will be better suited for the sprint finishes that come with slightly uphill finishes, such as Slovakian world champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), German John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) and Australian Michael Matthews (Orica-BikeExchange).Win or not, eyes will be on Mark CavendishHow Cavendish fares is a major talking point, despite Kittel and Greipel being the favourites.Even though his tally in stage wins two shy of French legend Bernard Hinaults all-time second-best score of 28 Tour stage wins, only three wins have come in the past three years. Cavendish won two stages in 2013, crashed out in Stage 1 in 2014 and won one last year.Another element to the Cavendish story is how much, or if, his sprint has been impacted by his bid to earn selection for Great Britains Olympic track team. Cavendishs split focus for the season has so far paid dividends. He has been selected for the Games team for the omnium event and as Great Britains fifth rider for the team pursuit.On the road, his year began by winning a stage and overall honours in the Tour of Qatar and then a stage in the Tours of Croatia and California before his national title second place.The Dimension Data team said at its press conference Thursday that he would not to answer questions about the Olympics. But, inevitably, with the Tour and Games intertwined due to his Tour preparation having included so much track work, the issue was discussed.Cavendish first deflected a question on if the yellow jersey had been a season goal. It was never a career target. Its just something that Ive never done, Cavendish said. Youll make it out [that it] was a career target, but its just something that Ive never done. The target is to win the stage.Then, when asked about his preparation for the Tour, Cavendish said: Its been completely different. Ive had a track build-up and used racing to build my endurance.I really dont know how its going to be, he added. It could be the best thing Ive ever done; it could be the worst. Ive definitely made every second of every day count. Im not coming to the Tour to just d--- about. Im here to represent team Dimension Data.Cavendish then reaffirmed that it was his intention to try to finish the entire Tour and not leave early in order to fine tune for the omnium event at Rio 14 days later.Ive not planned to come to the Tour de France to stop, he said. Its my 10th start, and every time Ive stopped, its been through different circumstances. Ive [got] a job to do and well see. I was in bed for a week after the Tour last year and was sick.I know I cant afford to do that this year, but the Champs Elysees is the biggest stage in the world for a sprinter. I know that my teammates will try their best to get to Paris so Ill try my best to get to Paris. Shaquille ONeal Jersey . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Jason Smith Magic Jersey .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. http://www.magicauthenticshop.com/Authentic-Aaron-Gordon-Magic-Jersey/ . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. Here are some things to watch in the Big 12 Conference in Week 9:GAME OF THE WEEKNo. 10 West Virginia at Oklahoma State. The Mountaineers (6-0, 3-0 Big 12), trying to stay undefeated before the initial College Football Playoff rankings come out next week, have held their three league opponents to a combined 43 points. Texas Tech, the Big 12s top scoring team with at least 38 points in every other game, had only 17 against West Virginia. Oklahoma State (5-2, 3-1) has won three games in a row and is among the leagues top scoring teams at 41 points per game. Before becoming WVUs coach in 2011, Dana Holgorsen spent the previous season as Oklahoma States offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Mike Gundy.BEST MATCHUPTexas freshman WR Devin Duvernay vs. Baylor. While maybe a subplot for the eighth-ranked Bears (6-0, 3-0), who are the leagues top defense, Duvernay was a highly touted recruit that had signed with Baylor last spring. Duvernay was among several signees that never reported to Waco after coach Art Briles lost his job, though it was discovered that his national letter of intent with the Bears was never submitted to the Big 12 anyway. Duvernay has three TD catches, one in each of the last three games and all at least 63 yards long .INSIDE THE NUMBERSThat wild 66-59 loss to No. 16 Oklahoma last Saturday was Texas Techs fourth loss the last two seasons when scoring morre than 50 points. Willie Green Magic Jersey. That stretch started with a 55-52 loss last season to TCU, which is where the Red Raiders play Saturday. ... Texas RB DOnta Foreman has eight consecutive 100-yard rushing games, second in school history behind Earl Campbells 11 in a row in 1977. ... TCU linebackers Travin Howard (69 tackles) and Ty Summers (65 tackles) are the leagues top two tacklers. ... Iowa State and Kansas State are playing for the 100th time. They have met every year since 1917, with the Cyclones holding a 49-46-4 series advantage.LONG SHOTNo. 16 Oklahoma (5-2, 4-0), which has won 12 consecutive Big 12 games, is a nearly six-touchdown favorite against Kansas (1-6, 0-4). The Jayhawks have lost their last 16 conference games. The Sooners are 11-0 under coach Bob Stoops against Kansas, and won those games by an average margin of 29 points.IMPACT PERFORMERJoe Mixon became the first Oklahoma player ever with at least 200 yards rushing (263) and 100 yards receiving (114) in the same game, for an FBS season-high 377 all-purpose yards against Texas Tech. He also had five touchdowns, the most by a Big 12 player in a game this season.---Compiled by AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins in Fort Worth, Texas.---AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '