Chris Froome realizes hes on the cusp of greatness.The British rider already has two Tour de France victories and a third win in cyclings biggest event -- which starts Saturday -- would make him the most dominant rider of his generation.Another yellow jersey would also put Froome into an elite club of just seven riders who have won the Tour at least three times.Every rider obviously starts every new Tour equal and what has gone before counts for nothing, Froome said. This year I am hungrier than ever for success.Froomes top challengers will likely be two-time runner-up Nairo Quintana of Colombia and Alberto Contador, the Spaniard who has won the Tour twice but took his last victory in the Grande Boucle back in 2009.Froome is the defending champion and also won in 2013.There are a number of riders in other teams capable of putting in a challenge for overall victory, said Dave Brailsford, team principal of Froomes Team Sky. Thats great news for cycling fans, who can look forward to seeing some really competitive racing.The 21-stage race opens Saturday at Mont-Saint-Michel, a World Heritage Benedictine abbey perched on a rock off the Normandy coast. The picture-postcard starting stage ends at Utah Beach, where Allied troops landed on D-Day in 1944.The 3,519-kilometer (2,186-mile) race scales the Pyrenees before the Alps, just as the Tour did last year, again going counter-clockwise around France. That breaks with tradition because generally the Tour alternates between clockwise and counter-clockwise.With neither a prologue nor a team time trial, the route could favor climbing specialists. Still, there are two individual time trials in stages 13 and 18 totaling 54 kilometers (34 miles).The 103rd Tour will visit three neighboring countries -- Spain, Andorra and Switzerland -- and pass through 16 sites and stage cities unseen in previous editions.The most difficult stage on paper appears to be the eighth leg, a challenging 183-kilometer (114-mile) route through the Pyrenees from Pau to Bagneres-de-Luchon that features the legendary Col du Tourmalet plus three more serious climbs.Another serious test comes in Stage 12 with an ascent of Mont Ventoux on Bastille Day, July 14. Froome was the stage winner when the Tour last scaled Ventouxs barren, 1,909-meter (6,263-foot) peak in 2013.Ventoux was also the site of an epic battle between Lance Armstrong and Marco Pantani in 2000, and where British rider Tom Simpson died in 1967 after he used a lethal cocktail of amphetamines and alcohol.After all the climbing and time trialing, though, the race could be decided on a dangerous and technical 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) finishing descent to Morzine in the penultimate stage.After this, all that will remain is the traditional -- but mostly ceremonial -- finish alongside cheering crowds on the Champs-Elysees on July 24.Security will be tight, with France in a state of emergency since attacks on Paris in November killed 130 people.The Tour will be protected by an unprecedented force of 23,000 police officers, including SWAT-like intervention squads.The Tour will also hope to attract overlapping audiences from the European Championship soccer tournament hosted by France, which ends July 10.---Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asdampfDiscount Swell Bottles . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Cheap Swell Bottles . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. http://www.swellbottlesale.com/ . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. sWell Water Bottle Marble . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. Swell Water Bottle Clearance . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said.BRUSSELS -- The Belgian league match between bitter rivals Charleroi and Standard Liege has been abandoned after fans set off fireworks and threw objects onto the pitch.Referee Serge Gumienny ended the match in the 81st minute following a third incident with fans. Standard Liege was leading 3-1 at Charleroi.The match was also marred by hooliganism last season.On Sunday, Gumienny had already interrupted the match after visiting Standard Liegge fans twice set off flares and threw coins, lighters and bottles onto the pitch.dddddddddddd When Charleroi fans did likewise late in the game, the referee whistled for the end.Gumienny said he could no longer guarantee the security of the players.League authorities will now decide what happens with the result. ' ' '