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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, as 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. 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. 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Derek Sanderson Jersey . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. PITTSBURGH -- Neil Walker eyed Johnny Cuetos fastball and turned on it. Before the Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman could get the bat out of his hands, the ball was nestled into the glove of Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto. In one motion Walker flipped his bat in faux disgust then turned back toward the dugout. "You hit a ball hard and sometimes you see that its the guys night and it seemed like it was one of those," Walker said. It always seems that way when Cueto faces the Pirates. The Cincinnati ace allowed one hit over eight dominant innings as the Reds pounded Pittsburgh in a 6-0 win on Friday night. Cueto (3-0) struck out six, walked one and allowed just three balls out of the infield. Pittsburghs Brandon Inge provided the lone Pirates hit with a single to left with one out in the fifth. "He looked really good tonight, though, like the Johnny Cueto of old," Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. "He had great stuff, great stamina and he really pitched a heck of a ballgame." Cueto improved to 13-4 all-time against the Pirates while shaving his career ERA against Pittsburgh to 2.33. Not bad for a player who missed more than a month with a back injury. There appeared to be no such issues in his third start since being taking off the disabled list on May 19. Mixing an effective changeup with a fastball that still topped out at 94 mph in the eighth, Cueto kept Pittsburgh off balance all night. "I feel good," Cueto said. "I make the adjustment that I had to make and I feel good so far. It feels good to come back here and pitch well." Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips hit solo home runs off Pittsburghs Wandy Rodriguez (6-3) before piling on late against reliever Mike Zagurski in a rare hiccup by baseballs best bullpen through the first third of the season. Bruce has struggled against Rodriguez throughout his career entering the night just 2 for 32 (.063) against the veteran lefthander. Those numbers inched up when he took a 2-0 fastball and sent it into the first row of seats in right centre for his eighth homer of the year. "You know its there but Im a better hitter than I have shown against him in the past," Bruce said. "Its nice to get one off him and now I have to keep on going when I face him." Phillips followed suit in the sixth, lining a shot that scraped the top of the leftfield wall just over the glove of Pittsburghs Starling Marte.dddddddddddd Wandy Rodriguez (6-3) kept Cincinnati in check otherwise on a night he struggled with his command at times. The left-hander surrendered five hits and walked three with five strikeouts in seven innings. While Cuetos had his way with Pittsburgh in his 20 career starts, the Pirates have made inroads recently. They spoiled his chance at winning his 20th game in his final start last season and he left a 3-1 loss to the Pirates on April 13 with a strained back that sidelined him for five weeks. He returned with five effective innings in a 4-3 victory over the New York Mets on May 20 then backed it up an even stronger performance six days later against the Chicago Cubs. He exited with a three-run lead the bullpen ultimately gave away in a 5-4 10-inning loss. This time, Cueto hardly needed the bullpen at all. Inges single in the fifth was a harmless one-hopper in front of leftfielder Derrick Robinson. If Inge doesnt get the ball down, theres a chance the Reds no-hit the Pirates for the second time in eight months. Homer Bailey threw a no-no in Pittsburgh last September. "Luckily Brandon saved us all with a half-swing base hit," Walker said. "Maybe we should all have half-swinged tonight. Nothing else really worked for us." The momentum Inge provided lasted all of one pitch. Clint Barmes ended the inning by hitting into a double play and Pittsburgh didnt manage another baserunner the rest of the way. "Johnny was Johnny," Bruce said. "He was brilliant. Obviously, his numbers in the game spoke for themselves. Hes a huge piece of the puzzle to have back." NOTES: Votto went 0 for 3 but walked twice to push his season total to a National League-leading 46 ... The game was the 1000th played at PNC Park, which opened in 2001. The Pirates are 488-512 all-time at PNC, including 49-52 against the Reds ... Pittsburgh finished May 19-9, the franchises best record in a calendar month since September, 1992, the last time the Pirates made the playoffs ... The series continues on Saturday when Pittsburghs Francisco Liriano (3-1, 2.35 ERA) faces Cincinnatis Mike Leake (4-2, 3.02). As part of Heritage Weekend the Pirates will wear replica uniforms of the Homestead Grays while the Reds will wear Cincinnati Tigers jerseys. 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