MONTPELLIER, France -- Stage 6 of the 100th Tour de France was a textbook demonstration of teamwork. Sammie Coates Texans Jersey . Like playing pass the parcel, an Australian deliberately handed over the race lead to a South African teammate and friend, so he could be the first rider from that country to wear the famed yellow jersey. And the German, Andre Greipel, who won the stage with a fierce finishing sprint, owed a debt of gratitude to teammates who plied him with drinks all afternoon, ferrying bottles back and forth from cars at the back of the race, so he didnt melt in the scorching sun. "Room service," the big German said light-heartedly. As the new leader of cyclings showcase race, Daryl Impey can look forward to some first-class treatment, too. Being the first South African to wear the yellow jersey "will definitely change my life," Impey said. Rugby, cricket and, for the majority black population, football, are the big sports for South Africans. Impey can shop in the malls of Johannesburg, where he trains and lives, without being recognized, said his wife, Alexandra. But that was before his buddy on the Orica GreenEdge team, Simon Gerrans, passed him the race lead at the Tour. "Wearing the yellow jersey now is definitely going to change things for cycling, put it on the map in South Africa," said Impey. "Hopefully people will start recognizing me, maybe." Gerrans knows the feeling. To wear canary yellow at the Tour is to be king for a day -- or more depending on how long the rider keeps the lead. Gerrans had it for two unforgettable days. Fans clapped and cheered when they saw him. Reporters chased him. A particularly boisterous crowd of Aussie fans played air guitar for him. The jersey also carries extra responsibilities: news conferences, podium ceremonies and other distractions can eat into rest and recovery -- so important for riders to survive the three-week trek over 3,404 kilometres (2,115 miles). Injuries from crashes have already culled seven of the 198 riders who started in Corsica on June 29. Impey worked for Gerrans earlier at the Tour, helping him win Stage 3 and riding hard in the time trial Orica won as a team in Stage 4. Gerrans figured it was time for some pay-back. So on Thursday he rode in five seconds behind Impey in Montpellier. That was enough for the race lead to pass from one to the other, because they started the day with the exact same overall time, with Gerrans in first place and Impey second. "Daryl was a huge part of me getting the jersey so I thought it was a nice gesture to be able to pass it on to him now. Hopefully for a few days," Gerrans said. "To have the yellow jersey, it just really changes your life as a cyclist." "Ill have a bit more time to myself now and pass all that extra work on to Daryl," Gerrans added. "I dont count it as losing the jersey. I count it as passing it onto a mate. It was the plan before the stage and we were able to execute it perfectly." Impeys father was a pro cyclist in South Africa, said his wife, Alexandra. She said Impey also used to train with Burry Stander, a two-time Olympic mountain biker killed Jan. 3 when he was hit by a minibus taxi while biking with his wife. Stander was the second leading cyclist to be killed in a road accident in South Africa in recent years. Carla Swart died in January 2011 when she was hit by a truck while training. Describing roads around Johannesburg as "pretty scary," Alexandra Impey said: "I feel more relaxed when hes training here in Europe." Greipels sprint-finish victory capped a hard day of riding for the pack, across 176.5-kilometres (110 miles) of flat, sun-kissed terrain from Aix-en-Provence. Anxious that the regions famous wind, the mistral, might blow hard and split up the race, teams cranked up the pace, reeling in a breakaway rider and motoring at high speed to make sure they wouldnt get left behind. This in heat that turned tarmac sticky, with temperatures in the thirties (above 90 Fahrenheit). Bottles flew from the peloton as riders emptied them and tossed them aside. At the finish, French rider Thibaut Pinot immediately pulled up at a drinks station, pouring a whole bottle of water over his head and downing another in huge gulps. "We rode strong all day in poor conditions," said Mark Cavendish, who won Stage 5 in a sprint but crashed late in Stage 6 and expended too much energy getting back into the race to challenge Greipel in the final dash. Water-carrying is the job of so-called "domestiques," racers who ride in support of leaders going either for overall victory or stage wins. "The yellow jersey doesnt get bottles, as a general rule," said Matt White, a director on Impeys team. While leaders concentrate on staying up front, their support riders drop back to team cars behind the peloton to pick up drinks. "Its a dangerous place to be, getting water bottles at 60 kilometres per hour (37 miles per hour) and putting them in your pockets," said White. So leaders dont do it. Domestiques stuff bottles into pockets and inside their shirts. ""You look like an idiot, but its the easiest way to carry them," said one of Greipels water carriers, Australian Adam Hansen. Then they race back to distribute the drinks to teammates. "When youve got to go all the way back and all the way forward, its hard work," said Hansen. So Greipel doesnt do it, to keep him fresh for finishing sprints where he excels. His stage win Thursday was his fifth at the Tour. Greipel said he downed four to five litres (8 to 10 pints) of liquid -- about 10 bottles -- as he rode. But he didnt get one of them himself. "Thats our job: to make it easy as possible for him," said Hansen. Justin Reid Jersey . -- Caris LeVert had 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, and No. Sammie Coates Jersey . If there is one club built to handle an off-field controversy, its the Bill Belichick era Patriots. Even if New Englands offence stumbles a bit out of the gate, their defence can help them stay in games, especially in the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets in the first two weeks. http://www.officialauthentictexansstore.com/authentic-jordan-akins-jersey.html . The Islanders own the fifth pick in the 2014 draft but had until June 1 to decide whether to keep it or defer to 2015. The selection was packaged in the teams deal for Thomas Vanek on October 27, 2013.SOCHI, Russia – Team Canada has a stated goal of inching forward with every day, game and practice of this concise two-week Olympic tournament. And, though it was against an overmatched Austrian opponent on Friday evening, there was obvious progression, albeit with a hiccup or two, from the Canadians at the Bolshoy Ice Dome. "This tournament, in my opinion, is about getting better each and every game," said head coach Mike Babcock after a 6-0 win, which followed a 3-1 victory over Norway on Thursday. "And as long as we can do that, well have an opportunity." Tinkering here and there with a supremely talented lineup, Babcock saw a crisper, faster, and much more emphatic performance against the Austrians, one that saw Jeff Carter – a notably quiet presence in the opener – explode for three goals and Roberto Luongo pitch a 23-save shutout. Incremental improvements remain the goal with a whole lot of questions yet to be answered, decisions still to be made. "I think we were better tonight than we were [against Norway]," said Babcock. "I thought we moved the puck better. I thought we skated better. [But] we can be way better. We understand that." These early exhibitions have offered (and will continue to offer on Sunday against Finland) the Canadian coaching staff an opportunity to assess the roster and ascertain what works and what doesnt and then suitably move forward. If Chris Kunitz is not the answer alongside Sidney Crosby for instance, Babcock and the coaching staff are out to determine, in rapid order, who might be. Jeff Carter did little there in the opener, but teamed with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Marleau in limited ice against the Austrians – he was the 13th forward at the games outset – and struck for three goals. "Its going to get better and better," said Carter, who actually played just under nine minutes, the fewest of any Canadian. "We talked about that. I think guys were a little more comfortable second game in. Legs were under us, and guys felt pretty good, looked good." Plugging Matt Duchene and P.K. Subban into the lineup after a healthy absence for both in the opener, Babcock experimented with a variety of combinations throughout the night eventually landing Carter with Toews and Marleau, a recipe that sparked some definite magic. Marty St. Louis, the supposed 14th forward against Norway, teamed with Crosby and Kunitz against the Austrians and offered hints of chemistry in just under 13 minutes. Whether it was enough to stick with the teams best player remains to be seen. "I found myself in some holes there where I got some opportunity but they just didnt go in," said St. Louis, who fired four shots on goal. "Weve got to get the lines to go the best way they can," Babcock said, describing the lineup decisions, which included scratching Patrick Sharp and Dan Hamhuis, as "ridiculous" especially in the case of Sharp. Jordan Akins Texans Jersey. Both will return to the line-up against Finland on Sunday. Combinations aside, the Canadian coach is also rapidly gathering information about his players, ascertaining which individuals offer the most toward a successful end product. Can Subban, for instance, offer a trustworthy presence if inserted into the lineup? Does Hamhuis offer greater stability, if far less in the game-breaking department? Which players can maximize ice-time that is far below what they would generally gather as stars for their respective NHL teams? Which players are best adapting to a squished defensive zone? "Im just looking for details," Babcock said. "Who can I trust, and who can you not, and how are we going to win the games as they get harder? And this tournament its gets harder and harder, as you know. Its a detail tournament. Its a one-goal game, every single time, so its going to be about playing well without the puck." And then theres the matter of goaltending. Carey Price won the opener with a sturdy performance against the Norwegians, but Luongo was perfect against the Austrians. One has enjoyed a better NHL regular season, but is also on the Olympic stage for the first time. The other helped capture gold in Vancouver. Babcock wouldnt tip his hand in either direction. "I dont know and it doesnt really matter," said Luongo of the plan afterward. "Were not here for personal agendas. Were here to play for our country. Whether its me or Carey, its not a big deal. Ill be ready either way." Just as the coaches search for the right recipes so too do the players. For them its about familiarity, both with a cavalry of new teammates and a notably larger ice surface, one that demands adjustment in all three zones and certainly on special teams. Four pre-tournament on-ice sessions helped, but every shift of game-action helps immeasurably more. "Were feeling like were getting better each and every shift, every period," said Patrick Marleau, who had three assists alongside Carter and Toews. "Thats what our goal is to keep getting better every team we get our skates on the ice." The best opportunity at assessment awaits against Finland. Though missing the likes of Mikko Koivu, Saku Koivu and Valtteri Filppula, the Finns still boast a steady group of NHL talent, a reliable system, and the best trio of netminding the tournament has to offer. "Theres great teams here,” said Babcock. "Its a fine, fine line. I tell people this all the time, whether its a Stanley Cup or a bantam triple-A championship or an Olympic gold medal, youve got to line up the moon and the stars going into it. It just doesnt happen. And so all we can do is continue to work on our execution and our preparation and giving everyone the best opportunity to succeed. Thats what were going to do." 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