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IVREA, Italy -- Benat Intxausti of Spain won the 16th stage of the Giro dItalia on Tuesday, and favourite Vincenzo Nibali retained the overall lead as the race entered the final week. Intxausti won in a time of 5 hours, 52 minutes, 48 seconds, along the hilly 238 kilometres (148 miles) from Valloire, France, to Ivrea beating Tanel Kangert and Przemyslaw Niemiec in a final sprint. Nibali, who finished third and second in his last two Giro dItalia races, maintained his lead of 1 minute, 26 seconds over Cadel Evans and remains firmly on course to win his countrys biggest cycling race for the first time. Mauro Santambrogio started the day fourth but lost more than two minutes to slip to sixth. Taylor Phinney was forced to retire midway through the stage due to saddle sores. The American had hoped for a stage win, while also working for team leader Evans. Intxausti, who briefly wore the leaders pink jersey in the race, moved up to ninth. "Today I can really say I enjoyed it," Intxausti said. "It seemed like the least appropriate day for me because the breakaway group looked like it was going to make it to the finish, and that makes it even more beautiful and special. The main favourites looked to each other on the downhill, and I took advantage of that to escape. "I knew Kangert was the most dangerous rider because he was always on my wheel. I kept my mind cold in the final kilometre and left all responsibility to Niemiec. I saw them glancing for a bit with 250 metres to go and I didnt wait, I jumped from the left side ... and it all went well. As soon as I crossed the line, I screamed with fury and emotion." Intxausti dedicated the victory to former teammate Xavier Tondo, who died in May 2011 after being crushed by his garage door as the duo were preparing to go on a training ride. Monday was a rest day following two tough mountain stages in atrocious weather conditions. The stage started in France and, following several early attacks, a group of 16 finally broke away to climb Mont Cenis and build a lead of three minutes. The group increased to 22 riders as they crossed back into Italy after 78 kilometres (48.5 miles). The leading group held an advantage of more than five minutes, but the peloton upped its pace and the gap started dropping rapidly with 65 kilometres (40 miles) remaining. Several riders tried to attack from the front of the lead group but they were caught as the advantage over the peloton continued to fall. Wilco Kelderman, Emanuele Sella and Danny Pate led by more than 1 1/2 minutes heading into Ivrea, ahead of the circuit around the town and the final climb. They were caught by a group of five with 25 kilometres (15.5 miles) to go. Carlos Betancur attacked 18 kilometres (11 miles) from the finish as he rode the final climb up to Andrate, but that sparked a chase from Nibali followed by most of the other favourites. There were several small attacks at the front, but nothing significant until Niemiec, Kangert, Intxausti and Robert Gesink carved out a small advantage. However, disaster stuck for Gesink 1.8 kilometres (1.12 miles) out as he dropped back with a mechanical problem, leaving the other three to battle it out. They watched each other closely as they approached the finish. Niemec was the first to attack, but he made his move too early and was swiftly passed down the left by Intxausti, who held off Kangert. Wednesdays 17th stage is a flat 254 kilometres (158 miles) from Busseto to Cherasco. It could be ideal for Mark Cavendish -- who celebrated his 28th birthday on Tuesday -- to claim a fifth victory in this years race. The Giro ends May 26 in Brescia. MLB Jerseys China . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. MLB Jerseys Outlet .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at Boston Strong - a citys recovery from tragedy. https://www.mlbjerseyschina.us/ . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys . In the lead up - which seemed to begin the moment Mike Geiger blew the whistle in Houston last Thursday night - the Impact rumour mill went into overdrive. The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety. Fake Nike MLB Jerseys . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. EUGENE, Ore. -- Sprinter LaShawn Merritt has won a pair of Olympic gold medals and might take home a few more before his career is over.Hes been expelled from his sport for more than a year, too.The man who has seen both the pinnacle and the bottom is working on his next chapter on the track -- but also thinking ahead. Merritt, who turned 30 last Monday, owns a trucking business, a day care and is working on starting up a counseling center in his hardscrabble hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia.Im not someone trying to reinvent the wheel, said the sprinter, who tries to secure his Olympic spot in the 400 meters Sunday. But I dont want to be the guy whos an Olympic gold medalist, and also broke. That happens a lot in the U.S.Track stars, even those who enjoy long careers and win Olympic gold medals the way Merritt has, are not guaranteed millions, the way so many football, baseball and basketball players are in the United States.There are always athlete rights movements -- currently best reflected in efforts spearheaded by 800-meter runner Nick Symmonds -- to give sprinters and throwers a bigger share of the pie from licensing deals negotiated by the U.S. Olympic Committee and tracks governing bodies.Merritt is working outside the system, well aware that track and field will only take him so far.It goes by fast, and you definitely have to set yourself up for afterward, he said. A lot of guys finish the sport and they dont know what theyre going to do, not just for money, but for things to just do. They go into coaching. I think Id be a great mentor, but I dont want to coach, day-to-day.One of Merritts businesses currently includes five 18-wheelers that haul freight long distances.He also wants to run counseling centers for poor parents and kids, the struggles of whom he witnessed far too often growinng up in a poor part of southeast Virginia.dddddddddddd. Merritt also suffered his own tragedy, when his older brother, Antwan, fell to his death out of a dorm-room window in 1999. It might help explain the sprinters compassion for those less fortunate.If I can get this together to be able to get great people together to mentor these kids, then come in and use my influence, its something that needs to be done, he said. The trucking thing, that just makes sense. But the counseling thing is something that needs to be done.Merritts career has seen its share of ups and downs.In 2008, he had a back-and-forth rivalry going with American Jeremy Wariner, and he beat Wariner in Beijing by a whopping 0.99 seconds to take the gold medal. Merritt followed up in 2009 by beating Wariner at world championships, as well.But in 2010, Merritt failed drug tests -- the result of using a banned substance found in a male-enhancement product. A humiliation, he called it, and he was banished for 21 months. Reinstated in time for the London Olympics, he went into those games nursing a tender hamstring and didnt make it out of the qualifying round.Things have gotten better.He came into this years Olympic trials with the worlds fastest time in 2016 at 200 meters -- not his preferred distance -- opening up the possibility that he could join Allyson Felix in going for the 2-4 double in Rio. Merritt said hell decide on whether to pursue the 200 after qualifying for the 400 is over Sunday night.His plans for the long-term future are better laid out.Its definitely about more than running for me, he said. Its about maximizing these opportunities and setting myself up for the second chapter of my life. ' ' '