17 and conceded to Graeme McDowell to send the Cup back

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium -- Nico Rosberg claimed a much-needed race win as he emerged victorious in a chaotic Belgian Grand Prix which had a Safety Car and a red flag period.Pole-sitter Rosberg led from start to finish, looking untouchable for the majority of the race as drama unfolded all around him, most notably in a hectic opening six laps. The win slashes Lewis Hamiltons championship lead to nine points, with the world champion driving from the back row of the grid to the final spot on the podium in a weekend which has been all about damage limitation since incurring a huge grid penalty for engine changes.The race also involved a terrifying crash for Renaults Kevin Magnussen on the exit of Eau Rouge on lap six. The Danish driver limped away from the scene of the accident before going to hospital for checks.?Rosbergs life was made a lot easier when the next three men on the grid, Max Verstappen, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, went three-wide into Turn 1 and made contact, dropping each man out of contention. Daniel Ricciardo emerged as Rosbergs closest challenger and turned in a solid drive to second, splitting the Mercedes drivers.Nico Hulkenberg drove a great race to fourth, agonisingly short of a first career podium which may well have materialised had he not stopped for tyres just before the race was red flagged. Force Indias Sergio Perez finished fifth to move Force India above Williams in the constructors standings.Chaos in the opening lapsThe chaos started at La Source, when Max Verstappen got bogged down off the line and was jumped by both Ferraris behind him. Verstappen switched to the inside of Kimi Raikkonen for Turn 1, who was then squeezed by Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel -- who would not have seen Verstappen on the inside. Vettel hit Raikkonen, spinning around in the process, before Raikkonen and Verstappen made contact.On the run down the hill, Verstappens front wing came loose, while Raikkonens car sprayed sparks from the rear for the rest of the lap -- all three men pitted at the end of the lap. The floor of Raikkonens car appeared to catch fire at the rear during his stop, delaying him significantly in the pit lane.Further back in the field on the crazy first lap, Pascal Wehrlein speared into the back of Jenson Button at Les Combes, waving his hand angrily in the direction of the McLaren driver. Wehrlein appeared to have more drive around the outside and was trying to undercut the McLaren driver on exit of the corner. Both men retired from the race.?On lap two, Carlos Sainzs right rear exploded on the Kemmel Straight. The Toro Rosso driver kept his car going but ended up spinning on the exit of Les Combes, before retiring further down the road with his rear wing hanging vertically off his car.After a brief Virtual Safety Car period, the drama continued, with Magnussen spinning violently at the top of the hill at Eau Rouge and colliding heavily into the barriers. The Renault driver limped away from the incident. After four laps behind a Safety Car, the race was red flagged so marshals could repair the damaged wall.The rest of the raceAfter Rosberg perfectly managed the restart and his next stint, the real interest was the battle developing for the podium behind him. The red flag had come at a perfect time for Fernando Alonso and Hamilton, who had both started on the medium tyre and were sat fourth and fifth, with many other drivers pitting immediately after Magnussens crash and the deployment of the Safety Car.Hamilton quickly cleared Alonso and Hulkenberg but was soon complaining about his tyres sliding a lot, prompting a pit stop on lap 22 for a set of tyres. Hamilton had a used set of the more favourable medium tyre which Mercedes opted against taking at that stop, guaranteeing he would have to stop again and meaning a podium was by no means a certainty at mid-distance.That stint lasted just 11 laps, with Hamilton pitting again on lap 33 for the used mediums. He emerged in fourth ahead of Perez and quickly dispatched Hulkenberg, though Ricciardo was too far down the road for the championship leader to harbour ambitions of finishing second.Away from the battle for the podium, Verstappen and Raikkonens battle continued in the second stint, with the Dutch teenager forcing the 2007 world champion wide at Les Combes. That prompted a series of explitive-laden radio tirades from Raikkonen, who complained Verstappens only interest is hitting me off the circuit.There was also nearly a collision in the pit lane between Hulkenberg and Alonso on lap 24. With Alonso nearly released into the path of the Force India, the two men exited side-by-side with Hulkenberg marginally ahead on the outside. Alonso grazed Hulkenbergs car with his tyre and the Force India driver did well to keep the car out of the wall, keeping position and staying inside the white line on exit. Hulkenberg turned in a great drive to fourth but will be wondering what might have been, as he had been on Rosbergs tail with fresher tyres when the red flags dropped on lap 11.Perez and Vettel rounded off the top six, with Alonsos strong drive fading in the final period of the race as he settled for sixth ahead of Bottas, Raikkonen and Massa. Verstappens erratic afternoon, which later saw him force Vettel off the road at Les Combes, finished out of the points in 11th. Haas driver Esteban Gutierrezs wait for points goes on as he finished 12th, though he finished one place ahead of teammate Romain Grosjean. The Haas pair had been running in the top six after the drama at the start of the race.?Daniil Kvyat toiled to 14th, with the Toro Rossos 2015 power unit brutally exposed on the long first sector despite sitting in the top ten in the early stages. Jolyon Palmer finished 15th for Renault, ahead of Manor debutant Esteban Ocon, who finished ahead of 17th-place Felipe Nasr.Air Vapormax Discount . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. Buy Vapormax Canada . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. http://www.discountvapormaxcanada.com/ .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center. Nike Vapormax Canada Womens . PETERSBURG, Fla. Nike Vapormax Sale Canada .Y. -- Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Wednesday that J.ARDMORE, Pa. -- Tied for the U.S. Open lead, Hunter Mahan was on cruise control. He was the steadiest player for most of Sunday at Merion Golf Club, ripping off par after par after par to stay in the hunt. Then he hit No. 15. Mahans tee shot sailed into the rough. So did his second. Just like that, Mahans Open run was over. He fell from a three-way tie for first after his double-bogey on 15 and finished in a four-way tie for fourth with a 5-over 75 and a 285 total. It was his best Open finish since he was sixth in 2009. "It was brutal out there," Mahan said. "It was tough finishing. But I swung it pretty well, kept my composure." He scored pars on 13 of his 14 holes with one bogey and tied for the lead with winner Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson going into 15, where he three-putted for double bogey. He rebounded with a par on 16, but bogeyed the next two holes and lost any chance of winning his first major. "Its not fun on the last three there," he said. "Phil and I had great chances on 16, and none of us could make it." Mahan was topped only by Mickelson on Saturday and trailed him by a stroke. They were paired together and went off as the final group on Sunday. Mahan has yet to win this season and really never has been in the final-round hunt at a major. Still, he saw a silver lining. "Its good to be there, because every time you get back there again, you feel a little bit more calm," he said. "You know its still golf. And its still about hitting good shots.dddddddddddd" It was a much different scene in 2010 when Mahan was in tears after the U.S. blew the Ryder Cup in Newport, Wales Mahan asked then to be in the last singles match, asked to have the pressure of the anchor spot. But he blew up on No. 17 and conceded to Graeme McDowell to send the Cup back to the Europeans. Out of that failure, a deeper friendship with Mickelson blossomed. It was Mickelson who patted Mahan on the shoulder and tried to boost his spirits even as tears welled in the Texans eyes after Wales. Yes, Mahan wanted that Open trophy, but he ached a bit, too, for Mickelson. "Hes a great leader, and being in golf you dont hear that word very often -- leader," Mahan said. "But hes really a leader in the game and he takes his time out to talk to the young guys. He did it with myself at the Presidents Cup. He really relishes that role and enjoys it. "Hes a great guy to admire." Mahans has had major struggles this season, missing two cuts, and finishing no better than 16th in four tournaments prior to the Open. He was among a group of contenders -- Steve Stricker, Luke Donald, Billy Horschel and Rose -- that had never won a major. That, of course, changed for Rose on Sunday. Buoyed by Merion, Mahan feels better about ending that streak soon. "I stepped on the tee today knowing I was going to win," he said, "And left the 18th green knowing I could win. Its all good." ' ' '