Die Macht » The only thing that prevented the Tour de France taking

Jolyon Palmer is surprised Kevin Magnussen opted to join Haas rather than sign a one-year extension at Renault, calling the decision a mistake.Palmer has been confirmed at Renault for another year after Magnussen turned Renault down to join Haas. Though Magnussens decision meant Renault then turned to Palmer, who will partner Nico Hulkenberg in 2017, the Englishman thinks the Danish driver has made a mistake leaving a manufacturer team.When asked if it perturbed him to know Renault offered a deal to Magnussen first, Palmer replied: Im surprised to hear that, to be honest. I think if Renault turned to Kevin then hes made a mistake to turn it down because I think theyll be ahead of Haas next year.Its a manufacturer team going places. If you get the choice to go to Red Bull for one year its better than going to Toro Rosso for two years. Im not sure thats definitely the case, but anyway I dont care because Im in the seat for next year and nothing changes for me. So its fine.Magnussen has explained that he would have been more willing to stay at Renault if it had been prepared to offer him more than a one-year deal. He also took exception to how many people Renault had talked to -- joking that even the pope had been a contender for a seat at one point -- without keeping himself of Palmer informed of the situation.When asked if he had also been offered a one-year deal, Palmer said: Yeah but I have an option for the future. I need to do a good job next year, its understandable for Renault that next year they want to still see how I can do against Nico.But I have an option for the future, I believe in myself and in my opinion the car is going to strong next year - stronger - and then its up to me to do a good job and then I have an option with Renault for the future. So I believe in myself, do a good job and then Ill be part of the future.When told about Palmers comments at his own media session shortly afterwards, Magnussen referenced the deal he turned down and said pointedly: I think he should be happy that I left, honestly. He went on to stress his belief Haas can challenge Renault under the new regulations in 2017.? Jorge Posada Jersey . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. Bill Dickey Jersey . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. https://www.cheapyankees.com/1161g-bobby-murcer-jersey-yankees.html . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. Mel Stottlemyre Yankees Jersey .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. Edwin Encarnacion Yankees Jersey . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. SAINT-LO, France -- The landing beaches. The war cemeteries. The museums. The first towns that were liberated more than 70 years ago.The D-Day and World War II history that is embedded in the culture of Normandy is earning extra spotlight this weekend when the Tour de France opens with two stages in the region.Saturdays opening leg starts at Mont-Saint-Michel, a World Heritage Benedictine abbey perched on a rock off the coast, and ends at Utah Beach, one of the key landing sites for Allied troops on June 6, 1944.The first stage also passes through Sainte-Mere-Eglise, where American paratrooper John Steele dangled from a clock tower after his parachute got caught during the invasion, and survived. The town is now home to the Airborne Museum.Stage 2 on Sunday finishes in Cherbourg-En-Cotentin, site of the Battle of Cherbourg.Tejay van Garderen, the BMC rider who represents the United States best hope for overall victory in the Tour, was wide eyed as he took a look around this week.It really puts into perspective what were doing here, Van Garderen said on Friday. We always say that were soldiers going to war and then you see the real soldiers and youre like, `OK, maybe this is just bike racing.Teams were driven into the official team presentation in Sainte-Mere-Eglise on WWII-era jeeps and trucks on Thursday.I like the way organizers and the local people here have put together the appropriate historical reminders, that teams have been accompanied on the jeeps by the local people in costumes, said Brian Cookson, the British president of the International Cycling Union.A legacy of the war was freedom, underlined by the diversity of the Tour teams.Van Garderen, who was in third place when he had to abandon last years Tour in tears due to illness four stages from the end, shares the BMC leadership with Australian standout Richie Porte. They are backed by riders from Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, and Belgium.Were such an international team, Van Garderen said. It shows that the world has come a long way.The favorites for overall victory in the three-week race are two-time winner Chris Froome of Britain, two-time runner-up Nairo Quintana of Colommbia, and two-time champion Alberto Contador of Spain.ddddddddddddAfter Saturdays stage, a group of American, British, Canadian, French, and German riders will lay white roses in front of Utah Beachs Peace Monument to commemorate the Allied landings.We will celebrate cycling as a peace symbol, Tour director Christian Prudhomme said. The only thing that prevented the Tour de France taking place was world war, twice.Started in 1903, the Tour is beginning its 103rd edition. The only years it wasnt held came from 1915-18 and 1940-46.French rider Thomas Voeckler, whose grandfather fought during WWII, volunteered to take part in the ceremony, along with German sprinting standout Andre Greipel and Van Garderen.Amael Moinard, a French member of BMC, was born in Cherbourg and knows all about D-Day.Growing up here, Ive been into it from an early age because all our school trips were related to D-Day commemorations: Utah Beach, the Sainte-Mere-Eglise museum, the Caen memorial, Moinard said. Then the 50th D-Day anniversary was something big for me, with all the presidents from countries across the world coming to Normandy. Its nice to start here.Like the paratroopers before him, Moinard has a deep understanding of the winds in La Manche, as this area of Normandy is called. The way he sees it, the seven kilometers (four miles) of exposed road along the coast with 30 kilometers to go in the opening stage will evoke more fear about the wind -- which has the potential to split the peloton in two -- than the wind itself.As soon as you see the sea on the map each rider will say, `Its going to be windy, tricky, Moinard explained. Its going to make everybody nervous, and for sure a crash will happen. So all of the leaders and sprinters will want to be in the front.But then we take a much more protected road for the last 25K, Moinard added. So its more telling them, `Just be relaxed. Everything is going to be OK, hopefully.---AP Sports Writer Samuel Petrequin contributed to this report.---Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asdampf ' ' '