NICE, France -- At the Tour de France, it really isnt a cliche to say that every second counts. As a former winner, Cadel Evans knows that better than most. The 2011 champion was one of the losers Tuesday in the team time trial. Even riding bikes that cost as much as a good second-hand family saloon car, with sharp edges to slice through the air and fancy electric gears, Evans and his teammates still couldnt keep up with two of his main rivals -- Chris Froome and Alberto Contador. Evans surrendered 23 seconds to Froome and 17 to Contador. So early in the Tour -- the team race against the clock was only the fourth of 21 stages -- such small losses are by no means fatal to Evans hopes of finishing on the podium in Paris on July 21. Riders who have bad days in the Pyrenees, in the second week, or on Mont Ventoux and in the Alps, in the third week, could lose far more than that on just one steep climb. Still, Evans was the first to acknowledge that handing this early edge to the big favourites for the overall victory was far from ideal. Somewhere, somehow, Evans now has to make up that lost time if he can. Depending on how the race unfolds, the deficit could force the Australian to try to attack Froome and Contador in the mountains. That will be risky because both are better climbers than Evans. Contador, 30, and Froome, 28, are also a good bit younger than the 36-year-old Australian. "You look to gain every second at this point in the Tour and losing a lot of seconds certainly isnt what I hoped for today and it isnt what I expected," he said. "Weve been put on the back foot and well have to see what opportunities come our way. "The simple analysis is we werent fast enough." That wasnt true of Orica-GreenEdge. The team of six Australians, a Swiss rider, a South African and time-trial specialist Svein Tuft of Langley, B.C., made itself at home on the Promenade des Anglais -- "the promenade of the English" -- with the quickest ever team time trial on the 15.5-mile route that went out and back along the famous beachside avenue in the Mediterranean city of Nice. Racing past the palm trees Orica beat Omega Pharma-Quick Step by less than 1 second and Froomes Team Sky by 3 seconds. Oricas average speed of 35.9 mph was the fastest ever for a team time trial at the 110-year-old Tour. According to the race organizers history guide, the previous fastest team time trial was by Discovery Channel, with Lance Armstrong. It averaged 35.6 mph on a course nearly three times as long in 2005. This 100th Tour is the first since Armstrong was last year stripped of his wins from 1999-2005 for serial doping. Setting aside that tainted result, Garmin-Cervelo rode an average speed of 34.5 mph on a 14.3-mile course in 2011. The team event is as much about rhythm and the nine riders working smoothly together as it is about raw speed. In their aerodynamic tear-drop shaped helmets that wouldnt look out of place in Star Trek, the teams set off one after another at four-minute intervals. The riders take turns at the front, pedalling as hard as they can, while their teammates follow in a line, catching their breath in the slipstream before they go back to the front again. Mastering the choreography is an art. The strongest riders must make sure not to leave teammates behind. "It was just smooth. When youre going really high speed, its all about keeping it smooth. You know, no champion efforts, no big individual efforts, it is about riding to the strength of the team," Orica rider Stuart OGrady said. Another Orica rider, Simon Gerrans, took over the race lead and the yellow jersey that goes with it. Orica has so far been the standout team at this Tour -- mostly for good reasons but also for bad. Its bus got stuck at the finish line of Stage 1, causing momentary mayhem and making the team the butt of jokes. But it wiped the smile off rivals faces with Gerrans winning Stage 3 and now in yellow thanks to the time trial victory that gave him and two teammates the top three spots in the overall standings. Gerrans took up cycling to help rehabilitate knee injuries he got racing motorbikes. He was introduced to the sport and coached by Phil Anderson, the first Australian to wear the yellow jersey, back in 1981. One of Oricas directors is Matt White -- a former teammate of Armstrong. White last year admitted to involvement in doping when he rode with Armstrongs U.S. Postal Service team. White was banned for six months. The punishment was reduced from two years because White is helping the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigate cycling. White wouldnt get into detail on this Tuesday. "I think everythings been said," he said. "So obviously with ongoing investigations theres nothing more to say about that." After four stages, the Tour has now had three different proud bearers of the yellow jersey. Marcel Kittel and Jan Bakelants wore it before Gerrans. In 2012, the Tour had just two leaders -- Fabian Cancellara and then eventual winner Bradley Wiggins, who took the jersey on Stage 7 and never gave it back. Victorias Ryder Hesjedal was the top Canadian in the overall classification after four stages in 16th place, 17 seconds behind Gerrans. Quebec Citys David Veilleux, riding with Team Europcar, was in 117th place, 15:20 off the pace. Tuft was in 152nd, 26 minutes back. Froome, Wiggins lieutenant last year on Team Sky but now its leader, was buoyant after the time trial. He is starting to sound more comfortable with the mantle of race favourite. "Im feeling like Im really coming into some good form now ahead of the mountains," the Briton said. His aim, of course, is to get the yellow jersey eventually, but not quite yet. The Tour swings westward through Provence to Marseille and then Montpellier on Wednesday and Thursday. Those predominantly flat stages are for sprinters or riders who will be allowed to breakaway because they arent a threat for overall victory. Froome, Contador, Evans and other main contenders will probably be happy to sit safely in the pack before they do battle in the more decisive mountain climbs and two individual time trials later in the race. "It gives us a few more days to be in the peloton and wait until the mountains come, where I feel the team will really excel," Froome said. Wholesale NHL Jerseys Online . Rajne Soderberg, the director of the Stockholm Diamond League event, said in an email Friday that the ban still holds. 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Wholesale NHL Jerseys Authentic .com) - Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson lost an appeal to have his indefinite suspension overturned, the NFL announced Friday.DETROIT -- Ian Kinsler enjoyed this win over his former team, even if he tried to downplay that narrative afterward. "Theyre my former club, but Im a Tiger now, and its just about winning games. It really doesnt matter who its against," Kinsler said. "Its more fun, because I know those guys and theyre friends, and its always fun to beat friends, but other than that, Im a Tiger, and Im trying to win for this club." Kinsler doubled three times and scored three runs, and Detroit snapped its four-game losing streak with a 7-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night. Kinsler was traded from Texas to the Tigers in an off-season blockbuster that sent Prince Fielder to the Rangers. Fielder was put on the disabled list before the game with what is likely to be a season-ending neck problem. Austin Jackson and Andrew Romine homered for Detroit, and Anibal Sanchez (2-2) allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings. He struck out five without a walk. Scott Baker (0-1) allowed six runs and eight hits for the Rangers in six innings. The AL Central-leading Tigers were finally facing some adversity after allowing 31 runs in their previous four games. Their recent road trip included travel problems and a 13-inning loss at Cleveland on Wednesday. Then they came home and played a day game Thursday against Texas, losing 9-2. "We probably were a little bit tired, but thats no excuse for this ballclub, and tonight we just looked sharper," Kinsler said. "We looked well rested and ready to play." The Tigers fell behind again when Sanchez allowed two runs in the second, but Baker didnt hold the lead for long. Jackson tied it with a two-run homer in the second, and Kinsler and Miguel Cabrera started the Detroit third with back-to-back doubles. Detroit scored two more runs in the fifth on an RBI double by Kinsler and a run-scoring grounder by Torii Hunter. Sanchez, who won the 2013 ERA title in the American League, hadnt made it through seven innings this season before Friday. This was his second start since missing around three weeks with a finger injury on his throwing hand.dddddddddddd. "He pitched a really good game, especially once he got into a rhythm after the second," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We didnt do a thing against him after that. He had a good breaking ball and he was keeping everything down. Give him a lot of credit." Mitch Moreland opened the scoring for Texas with a two-run double, but Sanchez allowed only two harmless singles after that. Baker, the 10th pitcher to start a game for the Rangers already this season, couldnt hold off the Tigers in the middle innings. Even Romine got in on the act in the sixth, ending a 2-for-35 stretch with a homer down the line in right that gave the Tigers a 6-2 lead. It was his first career home run. "I knew that it was hard enough, I just didnt know if it was going to stay fair, because I saw it hook, and obviously I had the best angle," Romine said. "Im thinking, God, that ball better stay fair, because I dont know what else I have to do to get a hit right now." Hunter added an RBI groundout in the seventh. NOTES: Rangers leadoff hitter Leonys Martin struck out three times. ... Texas RHP Tanner Scheppers, on the DL since April 18 with elbow inflammation, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Saturday with Double-A Frisco. ... Detroit INF Danny Worth earned a decent amount of attention when he took the mound in the ninth inning of Thursdays loss and started throwing knuckleballs. Worth struck out two hitters, and manager Brad Ausmus said hell continue to be available in an emergency. "We talked to him today about throwing a pen every 10 to 14 days," Ausmus said. "Dont get me wrong, hes an infielder, but if he can save our bullpen in a game like that, that would be great." ... Ausmus said Tigers RHP Luke Putkonen (elbow inflammation) is not expected to need surgery. ... Detroit RHP Rick Porcello (7-1) faces Texas RHP Nick Martinez (0-1) on Saturday. ' ' '