ARCALIS, Andorra -- A gastronomical, sporting and cultural glance at Stage 9 of the Tour de France on Sunday:Region: Raced from start to finish outside France, the stage began in Vielha Val dAran in the Spanish province of Lerida and concluded with an uphill finish at Arcalis in the principality of Andorrra.Baguette and butter: Defending champion Chris Froome held on to the yellow jersey and eliminated several of his main rivals in the toughest stage in the Pyrenees. Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin won the ninth leg with a solo breakaway in a hailstorm on the uphill finish, a beyond-category climb. Two-time champion Alberto Contador pulled out with a fever midway through the stage. Among those who couldnt keep up with Froome on the final climb were French favorite Romain Bardet, top American hope Tejay van Garderen and Fabio Aru of Italy.Plat du jour: Escudella, an Andorran stew made with meatballs containing a mix of pork, veal and chicken combined with vegetables and local Trumfa potatoes.Culture: Beginning in the small village of Llorts, the Ruta del Ferro (Iron Road) is a 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) pathway that traces the history of the metallurgy industry in Andorra. Well before the principality became known for its favorable tax system, metallurgy was a key industry from the 17th to the late 19th century. Coal works and forges can be admired along the route, either by foot or on horseback.Vin du jour: Ratassia, a sweet artisanal liquor with a light brown color made with walnuts and hand-picked medicinal herbs. Local farmers let the herbs macerate in alcohol for 40 days in the sun. It can be enjoyed either as a digestive or as an aperitif with ice.Stat of the Day: 11. Eleven riders in this Tour live in Andorra: Joaquim Rodriguez, Simon Gerrans, Rui Costa, Rohan Dennis, Luis Leon Sanchez, Luke Durbridge, Angel Vicioso, Dan Martin, Dani Moreno, Leigh Howard and Ruben Plaza. Its a fantastic place to live quietly with a family and train with a lot of mountains around, said Gerrans, who moved from Monaco a year ago and whose home was along the stage route.Quote of the Day: We went through all states. In the valley, the heat was suffocating. Then in the finale, it was apocalyptic. Frenchman Romain Bardet, on the sudden changes in the weather conditions.Dessert (or breakfast): Chocolate con churros is a classic in Spain. Locals enjoy these long fritters covered with sugar at any time of the day, dipping them in a cup of hot, thick chocolate.Next order: Monday is the races first rest day. Then there is one more stage in the Pyrenees on Tuesday, a 197-kilometer (122-mile) leg from Escaldes-Engordany, Andorra, to Revel, France. Cheap Basketball Shoes China .ca! Kerry, Two nights after the Scott-Eriksson incident in Buffalo, the Bruins returned home to play San Jose. In that game, Zdeno Chara put a check on Tommy Wingels that clearly targeted his head. Wholesalle Basketball Shoes China . General manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch on Friday that he wants to see Gaboriks contributions go beyond the scoresheet before considering a long-term deal for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. http://www.wholesalebasketballshoes.us/ .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. Clearance Basketball Shoes . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Wholesale Basketball Shoes . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. A look at whats happening all around the majors Thursday:---MUST-WIN GAMEIn the only Division Series to go the distance, Washington hosts the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deciding Game 5 at 8:08 p.m. EDT. The winner heads to Chicago for an NL Championship Series matchup with the Cubs. On the mound for the Nationals will be 20-game winner Max Scherzer. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hadnt announced his starting pitcher, but it was expected to be lefty Rich Hill. I know (Clayton) Kershaw isnt pitching, Washington manager Dusty Baker said. Thank God.GETTING READYThe wild-card Blue Jays and AL Central champion Indians work out in Cleveland ahead of their AL Championship Series opener Friday night. Corey Kluber is scheduled to start Game 1 for Cleveland, followed by Trevor Bauer in Game 2 and Josh Tomlin in Game 3. Kluber tossed seven shutout innings of three-hit ball against the high-scoring Red Sox in his postseason debut last week. Hell face Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada, who yielded one run over 8 1/3 innings to beat Texas in Game 1 of their Division Series.STORY LINESNo matter which team the Cubs play in the NL Championship Series, there will be some interesting connections. Washington manager Dusty Baker held the same job in Chicago when the Cubs collapsed five outs shy of the 2003 World Series.dddddddddddd. Not to mention, like the Cubs, the Nationals would be trying to end a long drought -- the last team from the nations capital to win a pennant was the 1933 Washington Senators.And if the Cubs wind up facing Los Angeles, theres the relationship between Chicago manager Joe Maddon and Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, his old boss with Tampa Bay.Theyre so balanced, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after his team was eliminated by the Cubs. So whoever plays them has their work cut out.MAKING CHANGESAfter finishing at the bottom of the NL West in their sixth straight losing season, the San Diego Padres (68-94) are making changes near the top. Mike Dee is out as team president, though managing partner Peter Seidler offered little insight into the move Wednesday. He denied Dee was fired, but wouldnt say whether Dee resigned or if it was a mutual decision. Seidler said Dees contract wasnt set to expire until August 2018. 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