The British were supposed to dominate the Olympic road race in London, ushering sprint ace Mark Cavendish over the lumpy course in the Surrey countryside and delivering him to the finish at Buckingham Palace.Instead, Kazakh rider Alexander Vinokourov boldly broke away for gold.Four years later, things could be even more unpredictable when riders line up at famed Copacabana Beach on the first full day of the Rio Olympics.The first medal event of the cycling program will feature one of the most challenging road courses in Olympic history, a hilly ride on the Brazilian coast that could whittle the field to a handful of riders by the time they reach the finish at Flamengo Park.Its a really gnarly course, said Jim Miller, the vice president of athletics for USA Cycling.Just as gnarly is the time trial course, which uses a rolling portion of the road course, and at 36 miles for the men and nearly 20 for the women is long enough to tax even the most powerful riders.I think its maybe one of the hardest stand-alone time trials Ive ever seen, Miller said. You are looking at an hour-long TT for the guys, and one thats not at all straightforward.Indeed, the road races and time trials are complex events. Here is a breakdown of what you should know:COURSES MATTERFast, flat courses favor sprinters, and the courses in Brazil are neither flat nor fast. They are more like a one-day race in Northern Europe, complete with cobbled sections and tough climbs. Riders such as Tour de France champion Chris Froome could have a chance to shine.AMERICAN HOPESThere are only two American men in the event, Taylor Phinney and Brent Bookwalter. Phinney has medal aspirations -- he was fourth in both races in London. The American women will arrive at the Rio Games as heavy favorites. Megan Guarnier is the top-ranked rider in the Womens WorldTour and will be backed on the road by a strong cast of veterans, while Kristin Armstrong is the two-time and defending time trial champ.I feel prepared, Armstrong said, and am really looking forward to the challenging time trial course.NAMES TO WATCHAlejandro Valverde and Joaquin Rodriquez of Spain, Vincenzo Nibali of Italy and Rui Costa of Portugal are some of the men with the skills suited for Rios road course. Reigning gold medalist Marianne Vos and fellow Dutchwoman Anna van der Breggen are among the headliners in the womens field, while Britains Lizzie Armitstead will have to survive the tough climbs to have a shot.In the time trial, Bradley Wiggins decided to compete on the track rather than defend his gold, so Tony Martin becomes the favorite with Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin and Australian star Rohan Dennis joining Froome in trying to dethrone the German powerhouse. In the womens race, world champion Linda Villumsen of New Zealand, German star Lisa Brennauer and Ellen van Dijk of the Netherlands should contend.I have great memories of London and winning bronze in the time trial, Froome said. I will be giving it everything I can in Rio to try and win another medal for Great Britain.WHO IS MISSINGVinokourov retired shortly after his road race triumph in London, while Cavendish joined Wiggins in switching back to the track. But the biggest name missing is world champ Peter Sagan, who decided to compete in mountain biking after deciding the road course was too tough for him.The aim is to achieve the best result, said Slovak Cycling Federation executive Jan Zilovec. Peter in the past managed to win the World Cup in mountain biking, so his chances of a good outcome are realistic.AVOIDING CONTROVERSYVinokourov put doping in the spotlight with his victory in London after his much-publicized history with performance-enhancing drugs. But perhaps getting more attention during the run-up to Rio has been mechanical doping, the use of tiny motors inside frames to give riders an edge. The sports world governing body, the UCI, has poured money and research into developing tablets and other devices to test for improper mechanics. Keeping the race controversy-free has never been more complex.Its cheating, and people will always try, UCI president Brian Cookson said. But well be working with the IOC, well have delegates to the technical checks and well work together to ensure a clean race. Wholesale Jerseys From China . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. Soccer Jerseys From China . 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LOS ANGELES -- Defense will probably dictate when the Detroit Pistons tangle with the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night at Staples Center.Both clubs rank among the NBAs best in defending. The Clippers lead the league in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 90.7 points per game, while producing 102.7 per outing.The Pistons are second to Los Angeles in scoring defense at 93 points per game, while averaging 100.5 points per game.Clippers point guard Chris Paul tops the NBA in steals at 3.5 per game.As a team, Los Angeles is the leader in steals with an average of 10 per game.Detroit has one of the games top defenders in the middle with center Andre Drummond, who is averaging 14.7 boards. And, the Pistons are the fifth-best rebounding club in the NBA at 47.3 per game. The Clippers are rank 11th at 45.2. Both teams are averaging 10.2 boards on the offensive end.But it isnt all about defense with the Pistons (4-2), who earned a 103-86 win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday in a game Drummond had 19 points and 20 rebounds. Tobias Harris has been a sparkplug offensively, leading the Pistons at 18.8 points per game.Hes a very mature guy and hes very professional in his approach, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said, according to Pistons.com. Hes a guy whos always looking to get better. He looks at his game realistically. He figures out where he needs to improve and he works on it. Hes not an excuse guy. Its not outside forces and everything else.Van Gundy also praised Pistons forward Marcus Morris, who is scoring at a 17.5 points peer game clip.dddddddddddd.Marcus is the same way (as Harris), Van Gundy said. Its one of the reasons those guys play well. Theyre willing to look at their performances realistically and make improvements rather than blaming everything and everyone else.The Clippers (5-1) return home after a successful two-game stretch on the road, where they have compiled a 3-0 mark this season. They are tied with Oklahoma City atop of the Western Conference, their lone loss being to the Thunder last week.Los Angeles recorded wins over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday and rolled past the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday behind the performance of Blake Griffin, who scored 26 of his 28 points in the first half en route to a 116-92 romp.Its nice to have those easy looks go down, said Griffin, who shot 13-for-19 from the floor, according to the Los Angeles Times. It just kind of builds your confidence.Griffin, though, couldnt resist crediting the Clippers defensive performance for being the difference against the Spurs. After all, defense is the top priority of Clippers coach Doc Rivers, who preaches it practically every time he opens his mouth.It starts with defense, Griffin said, according to Clippers.com. I know we always say that, but it really does.Said Rivers, Thats two nights in a row that weve had great pace, and our defense has been as good as Ive seen it. Our hands are everywhere right now, and thats a good sign. Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jersyes Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '