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BERN, Switzerland -- Bauke Mollema has been in this position before: Second in the Tour de France on the second and final rest day.The difference from three years ago, when Mollema faded over the final week due to illness, is experience.Now I know a little bit what to expect with all this kind of things, Mollema told a packed news conference on Tuesday. Its not only cycling. Also, my level is better than it was three years ago.While hes still largely unknown outside his native Netherlands and cycling circles, Mollema is shaping up as the top challenger to defending champion and race leader Chris Froome.Two-time Tour runner-up Nairo Quintana was supposed to be Froomes top rival but the Colombian sits fourth, behind by 2 minutes, 59 seconds.Mollema was 1:47 behind in second, with Adam Yates of Britain third, 2:45 back.Flying under the radar was fine with Mollema, a father of two from Zuidhorn in the northern part of the Netherlands, where much of the land is below sea level.There is a Dutch saying, Doe maar gewoon, dat is gek genoeg, which translates as Act normal. Thats crazy enough. It applies especially to people from the north, who are usually considered more down to earth than their southern counterparts. The saying fits perfectly with Mollema, who came late to cycling and didnt enter his first race until he was 18.I always did a lot of sports -- football, tennis, running. We were always a sports family but my family was not into cycling, Mollema explained. I rode my bike to school, 12 kilometers (7 1/2 miles) every day up and down, and thats when I started to like riding my bike.My first years as a pro it was a disadvantage, especially technically, but now its more than 10 years later so maybe Im more fresh compared to other riders.Mollema has been able to stay with Froome in the mountains, and moved up to second with an exceptional time trial in Stage 13.The race resumes on Wednesday with four grueling stages in the Alps before the mostly ceremonial finish in Paris on Sunday.I still have something to prove, Mollema said. Im happy where I am right now but in the end I will only be happy with a good result in Paris.Mollemas top support riders on the Trek-Segafredo team are Haimar Zubeldia of Spain and Frank Schleck of Luxembourg. Froome, meanwhile, has been able to rely on four or five lieutenants up the climbs with Team Sky.Froome is, of course, the big favorite. He has all the pressure, Mollema said. For them, it would be disappointing with a team like that and the budget they have if they dont win the Tour.Stage 17 on Wednesday should particularly suit Mollema, with the beyond-category uphill finish to Finhaut-Emosson.If theres opportunities I will go for it. Thats for sure. If I see any weaknesses with Froome for sure I will attack, said Mollema, who prefers uphill to downhill finishes. In the last years, he always had a bad day in the Alps or the Pyrenees, where he lost some time, so it can also happen this year.It will be a big war until the end.Mollema might have been leading at this point if Froome hadnt been allowed to keep the yellow jersey after the chaotic climb up Mont Ventoux in Stage 12.We were in disagreement with how the rules were applied but we need to turn the page and focus on whats next, Trek general manager Luca Guercilena said.Guercilena extended Mollemas contract before the Tour to keep him through 2018.We gave him total confidence, Guercilena said.While cycling is a passion across the Netherlands, only two Dutchmen have won the Tour: Jan Janssen in 1968 and Joop Zoetemelk in 1980.Yet, Mollema is part of a generation of outstanding Dutch cylists.Countryman Tom Dumoulin won two stages in this Tour, and is also considered a future overall contender, as is Steven Kruijswijk, who finished fourth in this years Giro dItalia after losing the lead two stages from the end. Robert Gesink has finished in the top 10 of several major races, and Wilco Kelderman is another rising star.This is the results of a school, a methodology that is in Holland for some years, said Guercilena, who is Italian. They let them ride more easy and relaxed when they are young. ... In some other countries, Italy included, very often theres so much pressure and so much attention on the junior and the under-23 levels that it makes them explode when they turn pro.Mollema has finished in the top 10 on the Tour in each of the past three years.Now he wants to see if he can take the next step.---Associated Press writer Peter Dejong contributed to this report.---Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asdampf Kevin Faulk Youth Jersey . Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The pride of Weyburn, Sask. Drew Bledsoe Womens Jersey . 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Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz last week refused to compel Selig to testify in the grievance, and Rodriguez then walked out of the hearing without testifying. TUKWILA, Wash. -- Seattle Sounders and U.S. national team forward Clint Dempsey will miss Sundays MLS match against Portland as he undergoes evaluations for an irregular heartbeat.The Sounders announced Dempseys status Friday, two days before their Cascadia showdown against the Timbers. He will miss at least Sundays game but his status beyond that is still to be determined.Dempsey played 90 minutes and scored two goals in Seattles 3-1 win over Portland last Sunday. He did not make the trip to Houston for the Sounders midweek game, remaining in Seattle, although the team said that decision was made separately from the irregular heartbeat issue. The team said: As the medical process unfolds and information is gathered internally, no other details are being made publicly available at this time.Seattle general manager Garth Lagerwey said a timetable on Dempseys potential return wont be known untill all the evaluations are complete.dddddddddddd He said the irregular heartbeat is something the team has been monitoring during the season and the club is now waiting on the recommendations of doctors on how to proceed.Everybody here -- us, U.S. Soccer, Clint -- were all on the same page, Lagerwey said at practice Friday. Lets get to the bottom of this, lets see whats going on and lets do whats best for Clint.Dempsey is in his fourth season with the Sounders and has eight goals and two assists. Seattle is unbeaten in its last five matches as it tries to get back into playoff contention in the Western Conference.Clint has given a great service to this club and we owe him an equal measure of respect and support as we go through this medical evaluation, Lagerwey said. ' ' '