ARENBERG, France -- Reigning champion Chris Froome crashed twice and quit the Tour de France on Wednesday during a chaotic, nerve-jangling, filthy fifth stage full of spills. Froome fell even before the seven cobblestone patches on the slick road from Ypres, Belgium, to Arenberg-Porte du Hainaut in France. Riders had known months ago about the bone-jarring course; incessant rain made it even more treacherous. The withdrawal of the Team Sky leader left the race wide open with 16 stages still left. Overall race leader Vincenzo Nibali wasted little time in speeding ahead, notably after he saw that his other big rival for the title this year, two-time Tour victor Alberto Contador, had trouble on the second run on cobbles. Sensing the danger from the rain, race organizers scrapped two of the nine scheduled cobblestone patches, and reduced the stage by three kilometres (two miles). But that still wasnt enough to stop many riders from tumbling. Froome, already nursing pain in his left wrist from a crash on Tuesday, took his third and last spill in two days about halfway through the stage. With a cut under his right eye, the Team Sky leader limped over to a team car, climbed in, and drove away. Froome tweeted he was "devastated" to have to withdraw. "Injured wrist and tough conditions made controlling my bike near to impossible," he wrote. He wished luck to new Sky leader Richie Porte of Australia and his other teammates for the rest of the race. "Its devastating for Chris and for the team," Sky boss Dave Brailsford said. "We really believed in Chris and his ability to win this race. But its not to be this year. "When you have a day like today, when you have a setback, you have to roll ahead and go again, you have to recalibrate your goals. Richie Porte came on the Tour to be the team leader No. 2, and he showed great ability to ride the cobbles the way he did." The last time a defending champion abandoned the Tour was five-time winner Bernard Hinault of France in 1980, according to French cycling statistics provider Velobs.com. Nibali, too, was one of several high-profile riders who crashed, recovered and excelled on the 152.5-kilometre (95-mile) route. The Italian finished third and extended his lead. He and second-place Jakob Fuglsang of Denmark were 19 seconds behind stage winner Lars Boom of the Netherlands. "This is a special, special day for me," said Boom, who rides for Belkin Pro Cycling. "I was really looking forward to the cobblestones." Overall, Nibali leads Astana teammate Fuglsang by 2 seconds. Cannondale rider Peter Sagan of Slovakia was third, 44 seconds back. Contador, breathing hard under a mask of mud at the finish, lost about 2 1/2 minutes to Nibali: Hes 2:37 back, in 19th place. Skys Porte was eighth overall, 1:54 back, and Valverde was 10th, 2:11 behind. Svein Tuft of Langley, B.C., was tied for 99th in the stage, 13:51 off the lead. Christian Meier, also from Langley, was 15:23 off the pace in a tie for 117th. Tuft is 140th overall and Meier is 144th. Nibali expressed little reaction to Froomes pullout. "We have to be calm. The road to Paris is very long," he said. "Cycling is made of crashes, and we have to take that into account." Others who went down but kept going included Americans Andrew Talansky and Tejay van Garderen, Spains Alejandro Valverde, and Germanys Marcel Kittel, winner of three of the first four stages. In what was perhaps the days most visually dramatic crash, Belgiums Jurgen van den Broeck went hurtling over his handlebars in a bend on a cobblestone patch, and tumbled into a grassy roadside. While the chaos on the course raised questions about riding in such poor conditions -- critics in social media had a field day -- it made for great racing imagery: Many riders were caked in sloppy, wet mud on their faces and shins, their biceps jiggling as they held their handlebars. A mix of sweat, rain, mud and drool dropped from many chins. Many looked as if theyd ridden through a shower of chocolate pudding. The race heads to Champagne country on Thursday, with a mostly flat 194-kilometre (120-mile) run from Arras to Reims in Stage 6. Corey Davis Jersey . He was still a kid, going into his senior year of high school. Thursday, the point guard stood in front of a couple dozen members of the media and spoke with poise about how much hed grown since then, and how hes ready for the next level. 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Moving up, from 10 to seven this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins have won seven straight despite a depleted lineup.DENVER - The Toronto Maple Leafs filed into their locker room after the first period and saw Daniel Winnik walking around and feeling fine.That sight softened the blow of what ended up as a 4-3 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.Knowing their teammate was fine after a scary headfirst fall in the opening minute of the game helped calm the Maple Leafs. They rallied to tie the score late but Colorados three shooters scored in the shootout to end a three-game losing streak.He was in the room when we come off the ice, Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said. He was walking around, hes fine. Its one of those situations where youre expecting a lot worse and he isnt any worse for wear.Alex Tanguay also scored in regulation and had the decisive goal in the shootout. Nathan MacKinnon had the other shootout goal and Nick Holden scored his first goal of the season.We wanted it tonight. We need to want it more than the other team, said Matt Duchene, who had one of the shootout goals to go with one in regulation. Thats what we did last year. Its been tough at times this year, thats when you really have to be a man and step up and make it happen.Reto Berra had 33 saves through overtime in his first start in six games.Its an important win for us. We had a great game, an outstanding start of the game, coach Patrick Roy said. We were outstanding with 12 shots in the first 10 minutes. Plenty of good chances and looks at the net and their goalie had plenty of good saves.That was overshadowed by Winniks injury suffered when he collided with Avalanche defenceman Jan Hejda near the Colorado blue line. He fell awkwardly on the right side of his head and shoulder and flipped onto his front. He lay motionless while trainers from both teams secured him on a backboard and took him off the ice.The team reported on Twitter that Winnik was alert and moving all of his extremities while being examined by the team doctor. The team said Winnik was not transported to the hospital but he did not return.That was one of the most scary things Ive been a part of and watched live, Toronto defenceman Dion Phaneuf said. Anytime a teammate gets hurt its something that effects you, but when you see the stretcher come out and hes motionless thats something you dont want to go through as a team. Were really happy to see him uup walking around and he seems to be fine.ddddddddddddTyler Bozak scored in regulation and had Torontos only goal in the shootout. Phil Kessel and Richard Panik also scored for the Maple Leafs.Duchene gave Colorado a 3-2 lead with a wraparound goal at 11:45 of the third. Toronto pulled goalie Jonathan Bernier with 1:29 left and Panik scored 16 seconds later on a shot off defenceman Nate Guenins skate to send it to overtime.Bernier finished with 31 saves.It seems like thats our luck this year, Duchene said. We do so much to score and we cant get anything to go, we only get a few to go and they pull the goalie and we have guys in great position and it hits (Guenins skate) and goes in. It was going four feet wide.Winniks injury came immediately after Holden scored 31 seconds into the game to give the Avalanche an early lead for the second straight game.Toronto was able to overcome Winniks injury and get back in the game. Kessel tied it with his seventh of the season when he batted a puck out of the air and past Berra with 3:40 left in the period.The next few shifts youre trying to get back into it, Phaneuf said.Bozak gave Toronto the lead when he scored a power-play goal at 4:43 of the second. Colorado had killed off 29 consecutive penalties before Bozaks tally. Tanguay responded a minute later when he got a stretch pass from Zach Redmond behind the Maple Leafs defence and beat Bernier on a breakaway.Toronto controlled play in the final minutes of the second. The Leafs nearly scored when the puck went under Berra and stopped in the crease but was lost under a pile of bodies.Toronto then held the puck in Colorados zone for nearly two minutes but couldnt score.Toronto lost defenceman Jake Gardiner later in the first when he took a puck off his right leg and missed the rest of the game. Team officials said he suffered a lower body injury.He has a deep bone bruise. Its not broken, Carlyle said. Hit him in the spot with equipment.NOTES: The NHL suspended Toronto RW Carter Ashton for 20 games without pay on Thursday after failing a drug test. Based on his salary, Ashton will forfeit $169,185. ... Avalanche D Brad Stuart (hamstring) will miss at least two weeks. ... 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