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RIO DE JANEIRO -- The first time Chloe Dygert stepped aboard the track bike she will be using along with her womens pursuit teammates, she completely missed what caught everybody elses attention. Leander Dendoncker Jersey .The drive train is on the left side.Yes, just about every bike youve ever seen has the crank on the right, from the high-tech bikes in the Olympic road race to the inexpensive bikes in sporting-goods stores to the itsy-bitsy bikes with training wheels for toddlers just learning to ride.Then it hit me, Dygert said, like, `Oh, yeah! Thats different.USA Cycling, bike manufacturer Felt and several component partners spent more than two years and hundreds of thousands of dollars -- if not millions -- to build the cutting-edge track bike.High-performance coach Neal Henderson said it should save more than 3 seconds off their U.S. squads pursuit time. And that is an eternity considering the women posted a world record of 4 minutes, 16.18 seconds at the world championships in March on their old bikes.Silver medalist Canada and bronze medalist New Zealand were 4 seconds off their pace.We zigged when others zagged, Henderson said with a smile.The drive train is only part of the equation. The bike also takes into consideration specific aerodynamics of a velodrome for the first time, resulting in an asymmetrical stance to account for yaw, specially shaped tubes and high-end carbon that produces a feather-light ride.Its a leap. I wouldnt say its Fosbury Flop-level, Henderson said, referring to Dick Fosburys revolutionary high jump technique, but its an advance.One that could advance the Americans to the top step of the podium.Their pursuit squad that will begin chasing gold Thursday won silver at the London Games, albeit with a significantly different lineup. Sarah Hammer is the only rider back and is joined by a bunch of 19- and 20-somethings in Dygert, Kelly Catlin, Jennifer Valente and Ruth Winder.I didnt take it for granted when I was asked to be on this team, Dygert said.They will be pushed by reigning gold medalist Britain, a powerful team from Canada and a banged-up Australian squad that fell heavily in training Tuesday but is still planning to compete.But the first order of business is qualifying. The finals do not take place until Saturday.The only medal up for grabs on the opening day of the track program is mens team sprint, where Britain will try to begin a similar gold rush to their one at the London Games.Jason Kenny teamed with Chris Hoy and Philip Hindes to win the team sprint four years ago, and the home nation went on to win seven gold medals during the track program. The powerful showing came after a similarly dominant effort at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.The British team pursuit squad will also be in the velodrome Thursday to begin chasing another gold medal. And some star power returned to the squad in former Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, who won the London Games time trial before largely retiring from the road.He is back to his roots on the track, where he won the individual pursuit at the 2004 Athens Games and the Beijing Games, and was part of the team pursuit squad that won gold the same year.Wiggins can break a tie with Hoy and become Britains most decorated Olympian with a medal.Ive gone through this process to try to win a gold medal, really, and anything less than a gold would be a huge disappointment, Wiggins said. Something would have to go seriously wrong.Mark Cavendish and the rest of the British team hit the track later in the program.One of the big questions surrounding the Rio Games was whether the velodrome would be completed in time. The $56 million facility missed several deadlines and went through several contractors, and delays forced the cancellation of a test event scheduled for March.It received mixed reviews from riders who began training there this week.Its a hard track to try and go for the record on just because of the shape, Australian rider Sam Welsford said. Its got longer straights and shorter bends. The venue is incredible, there is still a lot going on -- you see cables laying around all over the place, but all that matters is the track is ready and race day we are ready to go. Dries Mertens Jersey . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. Divock Origi Jersey . Tevez, who has had conflicts with coaches in the past, has not been called up since Sabella was named coach in 2011. Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. www.belgiumsoccerpro.com/Kevin-Mirallas-Belgium-Jersey/ . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. ALAMEDA, Calif. -- After 13 straight seasons without a winning record, playoff berth or even much hope most years, the Oakland Raiders head into training camp this year with an unfamiliar burden: expectations.Two strong draft classes that brought in core players such as quarterback Derek Carr, pass rusher Khalil Mack and receiver Amari Cooper followed by a productive free agent shopping spree have put the Raiders into position to contend for the first time in years.Its a great thing that people are talking about us in that light because when I first got here, they werent, Carr said.So its a credit to where weve come from and thats about it. Its a credit to what weve done. Last year on the field was improvement, it was better than my rookie year, obviously. As a team, we were better. Thats the same kind of thing we want this year. We need to be better than 7-9.The Raiders more than doubled their win total last season in the first year under coach Jack Del Rio, improving from 3-13 to 7-9.Now they will try to ignore all the praise and make that even harder next step from mediocrity to legitimate contender.Its easy to get caught in that trap, Mack said. Thats not what were about. Were about the grind. Were about working hard, committing ourselves to excellence and going out and winning. Thats what its really all about.To help make that move, general manager Reggie McKenzie made some key additions this offseason, adding one of the top available offensive linemen on the market in power-blocking guard Kelechi Osemele, top-flight cornerback Sean Smith, pass rusher Bruce Irvin and playmaking safety Reggie Nelson.But the Raiders fortunes will rest on the performances of Carr, Mack and Cooper.Carr took a big step forward in year two, throwing for 32 touchdowns and 3,987 yards. The addition of Cooper played a big part in that as Oakland had a 1,000-yard receiver for the first time in a decade.Mack led the way on the defensive side with 15 sacks to become a first-team All Pro at both linebacker and defensive end.Here are some things to watch for the Raiders this season:STOUT LINE: McKenzie has made it a priority to build his team from the trenches and the move to sign Osemele fits into thaat strategy. Eden Hazard Jersey. The addition of another top inside blocker to go with last years big acquisition at center in Rodney Hudson and the third-year starter Gabe Jackson should boost the running game. Donald Penn is back as a capable blindside protector and Austin Howard will compete with Menelik Watson for the right tackle spot on what looks like one of the top lines in the league.Its a big physical group, Del Rio said. They kind of lead the way, create some running room, create a nice pocket for Derek. ... It all starts with our guys up front.PASS RUSH DUO: Mack emerged as a star last season with 15 sacks to along with the stout run defense he showed the previous year as a rookie. Now he should have some help on the other side with the signing of Irvin, who had 22 sacks in four seasons with Seattle. The Raiders plan to use Irvin even more as a pass rusher than the Seahawks did.BACKUP BACK: Latavius Murray ran for 1,066 yards in his first season as a starter. But he slumped late in games, averaging 2.2 yards per carry in the fourth quarter, and late in the season, with his average carry dropping from 4.8 yards in the first half to 3.3 in the final eight games. No other running back had more than 25 carries or 110 yards. That led to the addition of fifth-round pick DeAndre Washington, who is being counted on to give Murray needed support.STEPPED UP SECONDARY: Waiver-wire pickup David Amerson gave the Raiders a big boost at cornerback in the second half of last season after struggling in Washington. He will have some needed help on the other side with the addition of Smith and what had been a position of weakness for years now might be a strength. Oakland hopes former first-round pick DJ Hayden can fill the slot cornerback role.LOOKING FOR LEADERS: With the retirements of Charles Woodson and Justin Tuck, the Raiders have a void in leadership that they hope will be filled by a combination of the playoff-tested veterans added in free agency and the young core led by Carr and Mack.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Jerseys 2020 Stitched Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Jerseys Wholesale Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China ' ' '