In Brief | Nation and World July 16

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Wiggins holds Tour lead as tacks, nails mar road

Wiggins holds Tour lead as tacks, nails mar road

FOIX, France — Crashes, falls, fractures — Bradley Wiggins has seen it all. Now add tacks and nails to list. Still, nothing can break his stranglehold on the Tour de France.

On a day of sabotage in the Pyrenees, Wiggins had luck on his side. He avoided the chaos and spent another trouble-free stage as his Sky team controlled his main rivals to protect his yellow jersey.

At least 30 riders were disrupted by tire punctures at the top of the final climb after tacks and small nails were tossed on the road. Tour officials asked police to investigate.

Defending champion Cadel Evans was caught in the havoc. He had to wait three times for assistance. He lost nearly 2 minutes at one point before teammates arrived and gave the former world champion a rear wheel.

Kahne wins at New Hampshire, 2nd
victory of season

LOUDON, N.H. — Kasey Kahne got his second Sprint Cup win of the season. Denny Hamlin and his crew chief had trouble communicating.

Kahne took the lead from Hamlin during a restart on the 240th lap of the 300-lap race at the one-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday. The winner was helped by miscommunication between Hamlin, who wanted two tires changed, and crew chief Darian Grubb, who thought he wanted four.

That longer pit stop left Hamlin all the way back in 13th place, but he kept passing cars until only Kahne remained in front. Kahne stayed ahead and won by about 10 car lengths.

It was Kahne’s 14th win of his career and first since May 27 at Charlotte. Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five.

NY Knicks’ Kidd arrested on DWI charge

NEW YORK — New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd was arrested on a drunken-driving charge after police said he crashed his SUV into a telephone pole in the Hamptons on Sunday, days after signing with the Knicks.

Treated at a hospital for minor injuries after the crash, Kidd was arraigned on a misdemeanor driving-while-intoxicated charge and released without bail, Southampton Town police said.

Kidd, 39, was alone in the 2010 Cadillac Escalade when it hit a pole and veered into the woods around 2 a.m. in Water Mill, police said. Water Mill is a serene, mainly residential community east of Southampton Village.

Kidd’s next court date wasn’t immediate available. The DWI charge carries the potential for up to a year in jail.

Melo: Up to Knicks
to match Lin deal

WASHINGTON — Carmelo Anthony says it’s up to the New York Knicks to decide if they want to match the “ridiculous contract” that the Houston Rockets have offered Jeremy Lin.

It’s uncertain if they will now after agreeing to a sign-and-trade deal with Portland to bring point guard Raymond Felton back to New York, after already signing Jason Kidd.

The Knicks have repeatedly said they would match any offer for Lin, but the Rockets made it difficult with a three-year, $25 million deal that’s worth about $15 million in the third year. New York has until 11:59 p.m. EDT Tuesday to match the offer sheet for the restricted free agent.

By wire sources