t was a relief because the route went up two climbs in the mountains above the man-made Serre-Poncon lake. The twisting descents could have been terribly treacherous if wetter. Froome covered the 20 miles in 51 minutes, 33.66 seconds. "I went into today thinking: OK, Im going to give this a

TAMPA, Fla. -- Charlie Strong is confident he can lead South Florida to new heights.The former Texas and Louisville coach was formally introduced Thursday as a proven winner capable of transforming a program thats never won a conference championship into one that competes for national titles.Strong was fired last month after three losing seasons at Texas. No. 25 USF signed him to a five-year, heavily back-loaded $9.8 million contract that also will enable the 56-year-old to collect much of the more than $10 million the Longhorns owe him over the next two seasons.It really wasnt a hard decision on coming here, Strong said during a news conference held in the midst of what essentially was a pep rally for cheering students and fans assembled to welcome the fourth coach in school history to campus.We all have a vision of where wed like to take ourselves, the coach added. We all have a vision of where wed like to take this program.Strong inherits a team that went 10-2 this season under Willie Taggart, who left last week to become the new coach at Oregon. The Bulls will seek a school-record 11th victory in the Birmingham Bowl, where theyll face South Carolina.Coach Taggart built an unbelievable program, a program that has a solid foundation. Now its up to me to build on this foundation, continue to keep the program in the spotlight, Strong said. Theres no reason why we cant compete for championships year in and year out.Texas went 16-21 under Strongs watch. He takes over a program at USF that was launched from scratch in the mid-1990s and rose as high as No. 2 in the nation in 2007 before declining steadily over the next five seasons.Though Im disappointed in the record, Im very grateful for the opportunity I had at the University of Texas. We built a program and put a foundation in place that will allow them to have great success in the future, similar to what coach Taggart has done here, Strong said.It was a great experience for me, it was a great experience for my family. It was a great experience for our staff, and its one I will never regret, the coach added. But those days have passed, and its time to (move) on.Taggart won two games 2012, his first season in Tampa, and appeared to be on the verge of losing his job at the American Athletic Conference school when a 1/3 start dropped his overall record to 7-21 last year. The Bulls have gone 17-4 since, with their only losses this season coming against Florida State and AAC champion Temple.Strong talked to Taggart about the prospect of taking an assistants job at Oregon, as well as the position the ex-Bulls coach left behind.I told him I want to be the head coach at South Florida, said Strong, who won two Big East championships at Louisville while going 37-15 over four seasons with the Cardinals.Strong, a one-time Florida assistant who helped Urban Meyer win a pair of national championships with the Gators, said he will recruit players who will graduate, as well as compete for championships.He demands the best on the field, in the classroom and in the community. ... He coaches players and develops people, university President Judy Genshaft said.We are all eager in anticipation of what USF football will become, athletic director Mark Harlan added, and we believe this future is in excellent hands.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25.Cheap Air Vapormax . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville. Nike Vapormax Plus Black Cheap . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. http://www.airvapormaxwholesale.com/vapormax-moc-2.html . PETERSBURG, Fla. Vapormax Run Utility Wholesale . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. Nike Vapormax Flyknit Cheap . The phone hearing is scheduled for 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt. Winchester, who was not penalized for the hit, appeared to make contact with Kellys head early in the first period of Thursdays game in Boston.CHORGES, France -- Even when he expects to lose, Tour de France champion-in-the-making Chris Froome cannot help but win. Hes that strong and hes making it look easy. On a day when the British rider was planning to save some energy for upcoming mountains, Froome still brushed aside the field and took his third stage win of this 100th Tour. Alberto Contador, Froomes Spanish rival still trying to make a fight of this one-sided battle, gave his all in Wednesdays Alpine time trial. His face contorted in a grimace of effort as he sprinted out of the saddle to the line, while spectators whipped up a thunderclap of noise by banging their fists on the barriers. Froome, having set off behind Contador, sped in a few moments later. He, too, rode hard but looked more comfortable with his easy-on-the-eye pedaling style, perched on his saddle, legs pumping underneath him like pistons in an ocean liners engine room. Contador shook his head and shrugged his shoulders when television flashed that Froome beat his time by 9 seconds. This was another opportunity lost for Contador -- 4 minutes, 34 seconds back in second place in the overall standings-- to make victory for Froome in Paris on Sunday at least feel less inevitable. "Froome is in impressive shape," was the understated assessment of the 2007 and 09 winner who was stripped of his 2010 victory for a failed doping test. The last Tour champion -- now ex-champion -- to carry as many stage wins as Froome to Paris was Lance Armstrong. That was in 2004, when Armstrong won five stages and declared hed be giving "no gifts" to his rivals. That is all just a bad memory now. This Tour is the first since the serial dopers name was erased last year from the races honour roll, literally crossed out in the official history book. Froome swears that wont happen with him. He has repeatedly said when asked at this Tour that he is riding clean -- an assurance that only has limited value in the poisonous atmosphere of doubt that is a legacy of the Armstrong years and the Americans confession to Oprah Winfrey this January that he cheated for all seven of his Tour wins, from 1999-2007. "The problem today is that we are traumatized by the past," Stephane Heulot, manager of the French Sojasun team, said in an interview. "Weve seen too many stories like this. Weve seen too many riders swearing on the heads of their kids, their grandmothers, their mothers that theyre completely clean and then -- bam! -- 15 years, 10 years, five years later were told other things. Someones word no longer means anything. We cant rely on that." A union that represents about 600 professional riders from seven European nations supported Froome on Wednesday against what it called "unjustified allegations of doping." "Its not fair to blame someone without evidence against him," Gianni Bugno, president of the Association of Professional Riders, said in a statement. "We demand more respect for Chris and for all the riders." In four days, aas long as he gets through the Alps, Froome will be able to sip champagne in the saddle on the final ride to the Champs-Elysees, unusually staged in the evening this year.dddddddddddd That would make it two victories in a row for Britain and for Team Sky, after Bradley Wiggins win last year. With wins in the Pyrenees and on Mont Ventoux, Froome has shown excellence going uphill. It would be a big surprise if he wilted on the three days of Alpine climbs that start on Thursday with a double ascent to the ski station of LAlpe dHuez, with its 21 hairpins bends to the top. Done twice, thats 42 bends packed with spectators to be negotiated. It promises to be frenzied and spectacular -- a dramatic crescendo for what already has been a highlight-rich Tour. But there are questions about how comfortable Froome is speeding downhill. He has voiced concern about a hairy descent without safety barriers that the pack tackles between the first and second ascents to LAlpe dHuez. He appealed to race organizers to cancel the Col de Sarenne descent and make the pack ride just once to LAlpe dHuez if it rains Thursday. "Just in terms of the safety of the riders, I think that has to come first," Froome said. That eventuality was ruled out by Jean-Francois Pescheux, the event director. "This is the Tour de France. Rain hasnt ever stopped the Tour de France. It would have to really be a natural catastrophe that blocked the road or something like that," he told The Associated Press. "Rain isnt the enemy of the cyclist -- its part of the sport!" It was certainly part of Wednesdays time trial, but not as much as initially feared. While it did rain on parts of the course, the forecast storms hit only after Stage 17 finished. That was a relief because the route went up two climbs in the mountains above the man-made Serre-Poncon lake. The twisting descents could have been terribly treacherous if wetter. Froome covered the 20 miles in 51 minutes, 33.66 seconds. "I went into today thinking: OK, Im going to give this a really good shot, but Im not going to empty myself," Froome said. "I really expected to lose at least 30 seconds to a minute to some of the best riders." Contadors gutsy ride bumped him up from third to second in the overall standings, although he is more than four minutes back from Froome. "When you are second, its easier to get to first place," Contador said hopefully. "But its true that he is very strong." Bauke Mollema dropped from second to fourth overall. The Dutch rider went too fast into a right-hand bend, slapped into the barriers and briefly came to a stop. Some riders chose road bikes for the tough course. Contador opted for a time trial bike with an aerodynamic back wheel. Froome used both -- switching from an adapted road bike to a time trial bike for the final descent into the town of Chorges. "The first bike was more adapted to climbing," Froome said. "The second bike was a little faster." ' ' '