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

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. Cheap Wholesale Air Max . 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CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Quinndary Weatherspoon knew Mississippi State needed a lift and was glad to provide it. He was also happy when his teammates chipped in.Weatherspoon scored 19 of his career-high 25 points in the first half to lead the Bulldogs to an 80-68 victory over Boise State at the Charleston Classic on Friday night. It was a welcome result after Mississippi State lost to UCF -- it trailed 47-19 in the first half -- on Thursday night in their opening game at TD Arena.I was just looking for openings and finding others out there, Weatherspoon said. I was trying to create for others.The result was a satisfying win for the Bulldogs (2-1), who will face UTEP for fifth place in the eight-team tournament.We did a really good job bouncing back, Mississippi State coach Ben Howland said.Weatherspoon was a main reason why.After Boise State tied the game at 18-all , Weatherspoon scored 11 straight points to help the Bulldogs build a six-point lead, 29-23.In the second half, all the Bulldogs got involved and grew the lead to 19 points on Weatherspoons steal and breakaway dunk.Boise State (1-2) could not get closer than eight points the rest of the way.Tyson Carter added 15 points for Mississippi State, who had all five starters go for double figures.Weatherspoon topped his old scoring mark of 24 points set against Vanderbilt last February.Boise State coach Leon Rice said his team struggled with its shooting touch and played a long stretch of the first half without starting forward Nick Duncan, who took an elbow to the head and needed seven stitches to close up a bloody gash.We hung in there, but with Nick going out and the foul trouble, it was difficult, he said.Weatherspoon, a quick, 6-foot-4 sophomore, made nine of 12 shots and added four steals and four rebounds.Chandler Hutchison and Paris Austin had 13 points each to top Boise Sttate.dddddddddddd.BIG PICTUREMississippi State recovered from an awful effort against UCF -- the Bulldogs trailed by 28 points in the first half -- to defeat Boise State. There are still plenty of issues that need attention, however. The Bulldogs settled for way too many outside shots (they were just 2 of 15 from behind the arc the first 20 minutes) and post players Schneider Herard, Aric Holman and E.J. Datcher all struggled with their touch around the basket, combining to go 6 of 15 from the field against the Broncos.Boise State needs to find a second option when prime scorer Hutchison is off target, out of synch or on the bench with foul trouble as he was against Mississippi State. No one rose to the occasion for Boise State.HEY, I KNOW YOUThe Mississippi State-UTEP matchup will reunite good friends and L.A. rivals in Bulldogs coach Ben Howland and Miners coach Tim Floyd -- who battled each other in the West Coast, Howland as UCLAs coach and Floyd as USC leader. Its going to be a tough game, Howland said.INJURY WORRYQuinndary Weatherspoon went to the bench holding his left wrist. But after a quick look and some tape, Weatherspoon returned to the court. Despite the ice pack on his wrist, Weatherspoon said hed be ready to go for Sundays game.ITS NEVER OVERAfter Nick Duncan was stitched up, he returned to the court in a large, maroon bandage that looked like Sylvester Stallones famous head band worn by his Rambo character in First Blood. Yeah, it was kind of stylish, he said of his head band.UP NEXTMississippi State will play UTEP for fifth place at the Charleston Classic on Sunday.Boise State will play Western Michigan -- an all-Broncos matchup -- for seventh place at the Charleston Classic on Sunday. 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