NEWS » ), Fabio Aru (Astana) and Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale) with dig

Trent Cotchin and Sam Mitchell are now the 2012 Brownlow Medallists after the AFL officially stripped Jobe Watson of the award.Cotchin, the Richmond captain, said in a club statement that he accepted the award with mixed emotions, but he also respected the AFL Commissions decision.This has been a difficult time for Jobe, but I have great respect for him, and the decision he made in very tough circumstances, Cotchin said.AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said while it was a tough issue, there was a sense the unprecedented ruling marked a key moment in the long-running Essendon supplements debacle.Watson handed back his medal last Friday because of his doping ban and the AFL Commission ruled on Tuesday that Cotchin and Mitchell should share the games most-prestigious individual award.It is their first Brownlows and they will receive the medals next month at a small ceremony in Melbourne.This is a day that holds no specific joy for anyone, McLachlan said.Clearly, that feels like its the last decision this commission will have to make (on the Essendon scandal) - I dont know if relief is the right word.If theres a silver lining today, thats it.AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick again said the Essendon scandal was a stain on the game and added it was a great pity that Watson should lose the Brownlow.He praised the Essendon star for his decision to give up the medal, saying it was noble.In respecting the values of the competition and putting the interests of the game before his own, Jobe has shown his commitment to fair play - the qualities of a champion, Fitzpatrick said.The impact of this decision on him and his family is one of great sadness for the game.The status of Watsons Brownlow was always in doubt once the Court of Arbitration of Sport ruled against him and 33 other Essendon players in January over doping charges.Watson was one of 12 current Essendon players who were banned from playing this season.The AFL held off on its Brownlow ruling while the 34 players made a last-ditch Swiss legal challenge to clear their names.That appeal failed last month, clearing the way for Tuesdays landmark decision.Fitzpatrick said the commissions Brownlow ruling was unaminous.Watson, Essendons captain in 2012, originally won the Brownlow with 30 votes.Cotchin and Mitchell were runners-up on 26.Cotchin becomes Richmonds first Brownlow medallist since Ian Stewart in 1971.Mitchell, who joined West Coast last month in a shock trade, is the first Hawthorn player to win the Brownlow since Shane Crawfords 1999 medal.There was speculation the AFL Commission was split on what to do about the Brownlow.One potential option was that the AFL would not award the medal and instead have an asterisk next to the 2012 season.Fitzpatrick said all options were considered but, in the end, the commission was comfortable that the Brownlow should go to Cotchin and Mitchell.Fitzpatrick added they are deserving medallists.Today is also a day to recognise and celebrate two champions of the game, he said. 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Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. Jerry West Lakers Jersey . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1. Throughout the Tour de France, Australian professional cyclist Richie Porte will be checking in. Here is his latest entry, as told to ESPN contributor Rupert Guinness:Stage 15: Bourg-en-Bresse to Culoz, 160kmFew would argue that Chris Froome has got a solid overall lead in the Tour de France. He is well positioned to win a third Tour de France when the race finishes in Paris on Sunday.Yes ... he has the time - that being a 1:45 overall lead on Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) and 2:45 on Adam Yates (Orica-Bike Exchange). And he has the team in his Sky teammates.But the Tour is such an unpredictable race. As we have all seen, things can happen on the road; and Im not meaning outside of the race with incidents like what happened on stage 12 to Mont Ventoux where Froome, Mollema and I crashed into a television motor bike blocked by crowds as we were in a break. Theres still a lot of climbing to come, for instance.But that doesnt mean we cant try and do something in the mountains of the Alps that we will be racing in from Wednesday to Saturday, including for Thursdays stage 18 time trial.Froome is looking good to win, but even if we cant break him, the podium is still a massive goal for a number of us in the top 10 overall. There is quite a bottle neck for the podium.Myself and teammate Tejay van Garderen are still hopeful of having a say on all this, with myself placed seventh overall at 4:27, and van Garderen in eighth position now at 4:47. So there is still a lot to race for, and for that alone, you can expect a lot of action in the Alps.Many are wondering why Froome was not subjected to more challenges on Sunday, in the 15th stage from Bourg-en-Bresse to Culoz in the Jura that iincluded six categorised climbs.dddddddddddd But the 160km stage was hell. It was such a hard day. It was hard, brutal stage.With Sky I controlling it so well, it didnt really make sense to try to launch a big attack, especially with that downhill from the top of the last climb, the Lacets du Grand Colombier and the flat.I guess if people could have attacked on Sunday, they would have. That they didnt, except for Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Fabio Aru (Astana) and Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale) with digs on the last climb, shows how hard it was. Everyone was on the limit.Considering the day was as hard as it was, I am feeling great going into the third week. But now, I feel upbeat. The body feels good. It helps knowing there is everything to race for.Mondays 16th stage, over 209km from Moirans-en-Montagne to Berne in Switzerland where we will spend Tuesdays rest day, should suit a break. But we still need to be alert.It would be nice to just have a straight forward day on Monday. But there are a lot of tired bodies in the peloton. There is also quite a tricky finish; so there is no room for letting your guard down. On days like Tuesday you cant switch off for a second because its the Tour.The Tour is the event of the year. Its where everyone wants to win something and where everyone is up for anything. But decision making can get dodgy when fatigued and the third week of the Tour can make a massive difference between taking a positive or negative risk. There is a lot of fatigue in the peloton. Trust me. If you dont youll see it during the week. ' ' '