MIAMI, June 5 (Reuters) - When San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan takes the court for Game One of the NBA Finals on Thursday, he will be aiming to become only the second player to win championships in three different decades.

That is just one of many reasons why LeBron James of the defending champion Miami Heat believes the soft-spoken 37-year-old Duncan deserves to be counted among the game's greats.

"He is probably one of the best players to ever play the game of basketball," said James, about going up against the Duncan and the Spurs in the best-of-seven championship series.

The only other player to accomplish the feat was John Salley, a power forward who won titles with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990 and then was a bit player in the Los Angeles Lakers' run to the championship in 2000.

Duncan has been a central figure in each of San Antonio's NBA triumphs.

"If I just look at the last 15 years, he's probably been the most consistent, most dominant player that we've had as far as 15 years all together. He's won four titles, multiple All Stars, MVP, and so on and so on," James said on Wednesday.

A quick glance at Duncan's career achievements, with titles in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007 and league Most Valuable Player awards in 2002 and 2003, raises the question as to why he gets so little attention.

Kobe Bryant, with five rings would be the only other player of this generation who could argue his case to be above Duncan in the pecking order of NBA greats, and he certainly enjoys a higher profile.

Perhaps playing for a Spurs team which, despite their success has a lower profile in the media, has eased the spotlight on Duncan.

But James believes the modest style of the man from Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands is also a factor.

"I think he doesn't get a lot of recognition because he's not flashy like a lot of guys are," said James.

"He's not jumping over people and high-flying and doing the things that attracts people to the game. But I think true basketball, true IQ people, the players, they know how great he is," said James.

James credits Duncan's ability to compete at the highest level in the sunset of his career to a smart approach to fitness and the quality of the Spurs' staff.

"I think it's about him staying in shape, his conditioning level. I think it's the great support that they have in San Antonio. Also I think it's him being a true professional," James said.

"When you give everything to the game, the game rewards you. He's a champion. He has championship DNA."

Typically, Duncan credits San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich for his long shelf life.

"I have been playing a little less in the summertime," said Duncan, saying that translates into less stress on his knees. "Then Pop has made all the other adjustments for me basically, whether I like it or not. My minutes are down.

"Every once in a while, whether healthy or not, I have a couple of games off. Don't play in many back-to-backs, things that were really wearing my body all season," he said.

Popovich, however, says playing at such a high level for such a long time is mostly about Duncan's character.

"He's a consummate pro. He takes great pride in fulfilling his responsibility to his team mates. He feels it very strongly. It's just a personal character quality that he has. It's as simple as that," said Popovich.

"He works himself hard all summer long. He's got high standards. He wants to participate and compete at a high level, and he has the discipline to do it. It's about character, and he's got it." (Reporting By Simon Evans; Editing by Larry Fine)

Chicago had trailed 3-1 in the best-of-seven series but delivered three successive wins to stun the Red Wings and set up a conference finals meeting with the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings.

Playing in front of their anxious home crowd, the Blackhawks grabbed the early advantage on Patrick Sharp's goal in the second period.

Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg, who had been held without a goal during the playoff series, evened the score 1-1 just 26 seconds into the third before they went into overtime.

Seabrook then broke his post-season scoring drought 3:35 into the extra period with a snapshot from an assist by Dave Bolland.

Jimmy Howard made 33 saves for the seventh-seed Red Wings, who won in Game Seven in the first round of the playoffs against Anaheim but were unable to finish off the Blackhawks, whose offense finally got going to score four goals in each of Game Five and Game Six and set up Wednesday's decider.

Corey Crawford made 26 saves for the Blackhawks.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

MIAMI (Reuters) - David Beckham said the prospect of owning an Major League Soccer team in Miami was "exciting" after he was urged to help bring a new franchise to Miami at a meeting with key political leaders on Saturday.

Beckham, accompanied by Bolivian born billionaire Marcelo Claure, who wants to team-up with him in owning a new franchise, visited two potential stadiums and met with the mayor of Miami-Dade County Carlos Gimenez, who handed him the keys to the county.

The former England captain, who retired from football last month, played in MLS with L.A. Galaxy and his contract included an option to create a new team for $25 million and he is understood to have other locations in mind as well.

But Beckham sounded positive about the chances of taking his step into club ownership in Miami.

"I think bringing an MLS team here to South Florida would be... it's exciting," Beckham told CBS4 News television.

"I think Miami fans are very passionate about their sports and very passionate about winning and of course, it would have to be success but it's definitely exciting," he said.

Miami Dade County commissioner Jose Pepe' Diaz said there was real backing for a team in Miami.

"There is huge political support. It is not only from the county, it's 100 percent support from the municipalities, the mayors and the commissioner, the counselors from the different cities, they are also extremely supportive," he told Reuters.

Beckham visited Sun Life stadium, home to the NFL's Miami Dolphins, whose owner Stephen Ross recently set up a soccer division, and met with the Dolphins chief executive Mike Dee.

Sun Life holds around 75,000 fans and has hosted several international friendlies in recent years but may be considered overly large for an MLS team.

Together with British entrepreneur Simon Fuller, whose management company 19 Entertainment, handles Beckham's business affairs, Beckham later visited a 20,000 stadium at Florida International University (FIU).

Claure, owner of Bolivian club Bolivar, is a member of the board of trustees of FIU and has previously promoted the idea of an MLS team playing at the venue.

The FIU stadium underwent major renovations in 2007 and is home to the University's American football team.

Jose Sotolongo, the executive director of the Miami-Dade Sports Commission, was among those who met with Beckham and said he had no doubt the city was ready for a top flight soccer team.

"We know that our community can support not only the international soccer (friendlies) that have been coming to Miami for a while now, but that it would support an MLS franchise," he told Reuters.

"The city of Miami has a very international fan base and a very soccer savvy fan base. This is the kind of ownership group that would electrify the community and hopefully we will get good news," he said.

Beckham also met with representatives of a fan group which has been campaigning for a team to come to the city.

Julio Caballero, spokesman for the group, who call themselves MLS Miami Bid, said there was a positive mood among the fans.

"I feel really good about it, it looks really positive. It is pretty much down to Beckham now, I have heard he will make his decision inside 90 days," he said.

"Beckham will bring something spectacular here - not just his name, but a class organization to Miami. Claure knows how to run a club. The two together is just what Miami needs for soccer."

The city briefly had an MLS team, the Miami Fusion, who played in neighboring Fort Lauderdale and joined MLS in 1998 but were closed by the, then, struggling league after four seasons.

The only professional team in the area is the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, who play in the second tier North American Soccer League, and owner Aaron Davidson said that while he would be open to meeting with Beckham they would take on the challenge of another team if one emerged.

"It is great that people showing interest in South Florida soccer. We would be happy to talk to him, but ultimately if he decides to do something in South Florida without us, we look forward to the rivalry," he said.

(Editing by Julian Linden)

Hare investors try to sprint to the finish line of a comfortable retirement without girding their portfolios against the perils of frequent ups and downs in asset value. So they tend to lag far behind tortoise investors, who take these precautions, which I'll explain in a moment.

Volatility reflects uncertainty, and markets tend to punish uncertainty with lower prices. Yet just because an investment is volatile doesn't mean it has no place in your portfolio. Because they may be less likely to go down with other assets in the portfolio, volatile investments may add highly beneficial variety, known as .

Let's say you own tech stocks like Apple and IBM. Adding more tech stocks to your portfolio doesn't decrease overall risk, so you add a gold-mining stock instead. Though highly volatile in itself, the gold-mining stock is less likely to go up or down with tech stocks, so it increases the portfolio's diversification.

Because there's little correlation between gold-mining stocks' price movements with those of tech stocks, these categories are said to have a low correlation.That sounds complicated, but you can easily look up theto see whether they're correlated, and if so, how closely.

Aware of the downsides of volatility, tortoises avoid it by assembling highly diversified portfolios. That means traditional investments such as U.S. stocks and bonds, mixed with a dash ofThese may include emerging market stocks, Treasury bonds and real estate securities.The price movements of these investments have a history of not being highly correlated with U.S. stocks or bonds.

Tortoises are like a savvy retailer on a tropical resort island who wisely sells umbrellas as well as sunscreen to help cover losses during rainy periods. Every once in while, the rain falls on everything -- which is what happened in late 2008, much to the dismay of investors. In the financial meltdown, stocks, bonds and real estate both in the US and abroad swooned, leaving little quarter for investors.

Tortoise-style investors add a touch of alternative investments, knowing this may cut their overall returns some years, but they'll sleep more peacefully with the knowledge that it can counter-balance heavy losses in traditional investments.

Hares aren't focused on this balanced approach. Instead, they assemble highly aggressive portfolios of assets that tend to rise or fall in lockstep. They're not concerned with cutting their losses because, compelled by greed, they're not planning to have any losses ior they believe they can defy gravity.This was not unlike the employees who loaded up on their company's shares before the recession, only to see their investment go south along with their job.

Like the Aesop's hare, hare investors are overconfident and turn a blind eye to the ravages of volatility, which take a long time to recover from.Tortoises, having sustained less damage, continue their slow but steady progress.

The math of recovering from hits may astonish you. Let's say your portfolio loses 33 percent of its value, leaving you with two thirds of what you had. Many believe they'd be back where they started if they gain 33 percent. But this gain wouldn't restore their losses. They would actually need to make a 50 percent gain to get back to where they started. The reason is that the gain is based on a lower value than what you started with.

Heavy gains followed by just a large losses from volatile investments is comparable to the hare in Aesop's fable sprinting for periods and then, winded, lying down to take a nap. Like the tortoise, investors with adequately diversified portfolios don't tend to need as much recovery time.

Such losses are even more damaging than they appear at first blush. Not only do hare portfolios lose time that could be used to make progress toward the goal, but they also miss out on the . Though tortoises' gains may be far lower than those made by hares during their sprints, they're more likely to enjoy the benefits of compounding.

These awkward reptiles plod steadily toward the finish line while the halting progress of hares leaves them far behind.

Ted Schwartz, a Certified Financial Planner, is president and chief investment officer of Capstone Investment Financial Group http://capstoneinvest.net. He advises individual investors and endowments, and serves as the advisor to CIFG Funds. Because Schwartz has a background in psychology and counseling, he brings insights into personal motivation when advising clients on achieving their wealth management goals. Schwartz holds a B.A. from Duke University and an M.A. from Oregon State University. He can be reached at ted@capstoneinvest.com.

Curious what a 529 plan is and how it works? A 529 plan is similar to a 401(k) plan, but whereas the latter type of account is used to build your nest egg, the former is used to pay for college expenses.

However, the tax advantages of a 529 plan are similar to a Roth investment retirement account since you pay federal income tax on your contributions, but then the earnings from your investments grow tax-free.

There are two types of 529 college savings plans: the prepaid plan and the savings plan.

529 college prepaid plan. With the 529 prepaid plan, you purchase tuition credits in your state's university system at current tuition rates. This means your child is protected against futuredespite the likely increase in inflation. However, before opening a 529 prepaid plan, make sure your child plans to attend the school for which you are purchasing tuition credits to ensure the investment doesn't go to waste.

529 college savings plan. The 529 savings plan is a tax-advantaged account that allows you to accumulate assets that can be used toward any accredited college or vocational school in the United States. The funds can be used to pay for more than just tuition costs, including textbooks and other education-related fees.

Contribution limits. The annual maximum contribution allowed per person to either plan is $14,000, and if you are married, your spouse can contribute an additional $14,000 each year for a total of $28,000. Each spouse is also allowed to make a one-time contribution of $70,000 (five years worth of annual maximum contributions), but parents who opt for this will have to wait six years before they can start contributing again.

The total maximum contribution allowed on a 529 plan is $360,000 (market value) for each beneficiary. However, your assets can grow beyond that amount through .

Risk level and investment options. With a 529 savings plan, depending on the state, you can choose between several investment options based on factors such as your child's age, your asset allocation preference and . You can also decide to invest your money in a portfolio of stocks, bonds and/or money market funds. However, don't assume your state's plan is the best option, as not all states offer tax deductions. If that's the case, you may want to open an account in another state with options that better suite your child's needs.

For a list of theby state residency, see NerdWallet Investing's comparison of the top accounts.

Neda Jafarzadeh is a financial analyst at NerdWallet Investing, a financial literacy organization that helps investors select better mutual funds, figure outand make smarter investment decisions overall.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - British boy band One Direction has swept the inaugural awards recognizing the most popular people in social media globally, coming top in four out of 10 categories at a star-studded ceremony in Singapore.

One Direction was named most popular music group, most popular UK musicians, most popular in the UK, and most popular in west Europe, at the Social Star Awards, but did not show up to collect their prizes, sending their thanks by videolink.

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber won the award for best solo artist, Selena Gomez for most popular actor, Ellen DeGeneres for top TV show, and Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo for most popular sports star.

The awards highlight viral sensations and people who garner the most social media attention globally based on data from Singapore-based Starcount that tracks the social media activity of 1.7 billion people across 11 social media networks.

American actress Jessica Alba and "Entourage" star Jeremy Piven hosted Thursday night's ceremony that ended a 24-hour marathon of 288 online awards awarded in categories ranging from best finance brand to top Indonesia actor.

"It is all about the most popular people on the planet ... Everyday we are sharing, liking, viewing, tweeting and what our awards show does is celebrate the superstars of social media," Starcount CEO Paul Morrison told reporters ahead of the awards.

Many of the award winners were absent from the prize giving but the void was filled with live performances by South Korean rapper Psy, American singer Carly Rae Jepsen, SkyBlu from electronic dance duo LMFAO, and U.S. rockers Aerosmith.

R&B singer-songwriter Eric Benet hailed the impact of social media.

"If you plan on being relevant and have a sustainable career in this day and age social media is about as important as TV was ... in the 1950s," he told Reuters television.

"Way back in the '90s when I started back in the music industry we would have to rely on our PR department and our record label but now in this day and age we, the artist, can take command of our career. It's awesome."

(Reporting by Patrick Johnston, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Mickey Fisher, an unknown and unsigned writer until recently, has film studios drooling over his script "Extant" for weeks. There's just one twist: it's not a film script.

Fisher wrote "Extant" as a TV pilot. It's a one-hour sci-fi drama about John and Molly Watts and their son, a human-like robot named Ethan. Molly, the space-traveling wife, is also pregnant with a baby that is part human and part alien. The family intrigue deepens in subsequent episodes.

Multiple agencies sought to sign the writer after reading the script, and WME won out. WME and manager Brooklyn Weaver, who discovered Fisher, sent the script around to the studios who are hot to trot for a high-concept script mixing sci-fi and familial drama.

"Everyone is freaking out about it," an agent at a rival firm said. "It's 'A.I.' as a TV series."

Though just 56 pages, it introduces several plotlines and interconnected characters that would be difficult to resolve in a single film. The script is written in five acts and takes place on earth and in a space station.

Warner Bros. still made an offer to acquire the project and turn it into a movie, according to multiple individuals inside and outside the studio, but now the studio is talking with Fisher about acquiring a different pitch. The studio declined to comment.

WME and Weaver always harbored dreams of turning "Extant" into a TV series with Steven Spielberg producing. They are halfway there: Amblin TV, which produced "ER" and "The Americans," is developing and packaging it. It remains unclear if Spielberg will take a credit, though his involvement would make it even more attractive to networks.

Not bad for a playwright whose lone screenwriting credits before this were "Summer Nuts" and "The King of Iron Town," a pair of microbudget films.

Fisher is also represented by attorney Jeff Frankel.

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Bare-chested Irish drummers, a Ukrainian giant and a much-discussed lesbian kiss will be on display at this Saturday's Eurovision final in Sweden which - love it or hate it - promises plenty of pop, kitsch and barefoot ballads.

Some 26 countries will compete for the jewel in the crown of European pop in the homeland of former Swedish supergroup ABBA, one of Eurovision's most successful winners.

Denmark's 20-year-old Emmelie De Forest looks set to steal the show with bookmakers putting her as a clear favorite, trailed by Norway, Ukraine, Russia and Azerbaijan.

Her song - "Only Teardrops" - could keep the show in the Nordics for a second year running, moving it just across a bridge that separates Sweden and Denmark after Loreen won last year's contest for Sweden with dance track "Euphoria".

"It's just quite a catchy song - it's sort of true Eurovision," said Jessica Bridge, a spokeswoman for bookmaker Ladbrokes, of Denmark's entry. "It's euro-pop, and I think it's just struck a chord with people really. I think that's the one."

Ladbrokes has Denmark on 4/6 odds, making the barefoot blonde who performs against a flaming backdrop one of the strongest contenders ever to go into a Eurovision final.

Highlights will undoubtedly include a 2.4 meter (7 feet 8 inches) tall Ukrainian who carries singer Zlata Ognevich onto the stage, representing her inner strength, and Eurovision's first lesbian kiss featured in Finland's "Marry Me", which has drawn media controversy.

Eurovision was started in the 1950s with the aim of uniting Europe after World War II. Today, it has an audience of 125 million - more than the Super Bowl in the United States - and has served as a launching pad for the likes of ABBA, Julio Iglesias and Celine Dion.

And despite an ever-increasing number of TV music contests ranging from Pop Idol to the Voice, fans say the nearly six-decade-old show stands in a category of its own.

"It is special - it's such great variation from all these different cultures," Thomas G:son, who co-wrote last year's winning song and has penned tunes for the Jonas Brothers, told Reuters.

"You can think: What is he wearing? What is she singing? This is crazy! That's what makes it interesting and fun. There is such great variation."

G:son has written the song for Georgia this year, which made it through to the final, but says his other favorite is Dutch contender Anouk, a singer-songwriter who will be belting out her dark and edgy ballad "Birds".

ABBA NOSTALGIA

To promote talent over politically and geographically motivated block voting, professional judges now account for 50 percent of a performer's score. The other half comes from telephone and SMS votes received for each contestant, with fans unable to vote for their own country's entry.

After two semi-finals held this week, 20 countries moved to Saturday's final while Britain, Italy, Spain, France and Germany got free passes as they are the biggest contributors to Europe's broadcasting union. Host Sweden also automatically qualified.

Britain, which has not won since 1997 and finished second from last in 2012 with septuagenarian crooner Engelbert Humperdinck, looks unlikely to buck its losing streak this year.

Ladbrokes says Britain's entry, Bonnie Tyler - famed for "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in the 1980s - is entering the contest with the weakest odds of any British contender in a decade.

Sweden meanwhile is reveling in the moment.

ABBA the Museum, showcasing the musical history of Sweden's most famous Eurovision winner, opened its doors in Stockholm just this month, welcoming tourists on a pop nostalgia trip.

Mattias Hansson, the head of the museum, said the response has been overwhelming, boosted no doubt by Eurovision hype.

Hansson recalls when ABBA won Eurovision in 1974 with "Waterloo".

"I was five years old. I remember the star-shaped guitar that Bjorn played - that was the coolest thing I'd ever seen," he said of Bjorn Ulvaeus, a former ABBA member.

But asked about prospects for an ABBA a reunion on Saturday, Hansson broke into a roaring laugh.

"I have been sitting beside Bjorn 100 times during our launch, and I have seen him say "no" so many times that I am actually starting to believe him," he said. "I guess that's good for the museum, because it keeps the mystery alive."

(Reporting by Mia Shanley; Editing by Alistair Scrutton and Paul Casciato)

The record-breaking four-day weekend generated estimated receipts of $316 million.

"Over $300 million for Memorial Day weekend has never happened before," said box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com. "This proves that when you have a great selection of films, audiences will line up at movie theaters in record numbers."

The sixth installment of the "Fast & Furious" franchise debuted at No. 1 with $120 million, making it the biggest opening weekend for a Universal Pictures release, according to Hollywood.com.

Starring Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, the muscle-car action romp took in an additional $158 million internationally.

Fans turned out because filmmakers upped the ante, said Nikki Rocco, Universal's head of distribution.

"The creative team, the filmmakers and the studio put their heart and soul into making it bigger and better," she said. "When you have this many films in the franchise ... you have to take it in a new direction."

The street racers battle both a tank and a plane in the film.

"It is the very definition of the summer popcorn movie," Dergarabedian said. "You suspend disbelief, buckle up and go along for that ride."

"The Hangover Part III," starring Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms, opened in second place. The final chapter in the Warner Bros. raunchy comedy trilogy collected $51.2 million.

Paramount Pictures' "Star Trek: Into Darkness," which opened last week, added $47 million to its domestic ticket sales, landing at No. 3.

Fox' animated "Epic," the only non-sequel among the weekend's five top-grossing films, opened in the fourth spot with $42.6 million.

"We did see a hole in the release schedule that said this is the perfect time to launch an animated film," said Fox president of domestic distribution Chris Aronson. "It can be challenging to launch an original-content movie in such a competitive weekend, but this is a very special movie: A family movie as well as an all-audience movie."

Now in its fourth week of release, "Iron Man 3" which had the biggest opening so far this year hung onto fifth place with $24.4 million.

The record-breaking weekend take bodes well for the summer movie season, Dergarabedian said: "This Memorial weekend is exactly what the industry needed and this momentum will carry forward."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Monday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Tuesday.

1. "Fast & Furious 6," $120 million ($158 million international).

2. "The Hangover Part III," $51.2 million ($19.2 million international).

3. "Star Trek: Into Darkness," $47 million ($13.1 million international).

4. "Epic," $42.6 million ($23.1 million international).

5. "Iron Man 3," $24.4 million ($17.4 million international).

6. "The Great Gatsby," $17 million ($24.4 million international).

7. "Mud," $2.5 million ($400,000 international).

8. "The Croods," $1.6 million ($5.8 million international).

9. "42," $1.6 million.

10. "Oblivion," $1.1 million ($2.3 million international).

Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) through Sunday for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "Fast & Furious 6," $158 million.

2. "The Great Gatsby," $24.4 million.

3. "Epic," $23.1 million.

4. "The Hangover Part III," $19.2 million.

5. "Iron Man 3," $17.4 million.

6. "Star Trek: Into Darkness," $13.1 million.

7. "The Croods," $5.8 million.

8. "Oblivion," $2.3 million.

9. "Evil Dead," $2.2 million.

10. "Only God Forgives," $1.5 million.

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen on Twitter at www.twitter.com/APSandy .

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Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Atrocious weather conditions once again altered the race course and heavy snow fell at the finish as Visconti won in a time of 4 hours, 40 minutes, 52 seconds, beating Carlos Betancur and Przemyslaw Niemiec by 42 seconds.

Nibali, who finished third and second in his two previous Giro d'Italia races, maintained his 1:26 lead over Cadel Evans.

Saturday's leg was changed because of avalanche threats and Sunday's leg was also affected by the sub-zero temperatures, with the final 2.7 miles up the famous Galibier removed.

The stage instead finished at the monument to deceased Italian cyclist Marco Pantani, whose extraordinary climb up the Galibier ultimately enabled him to win the 1998 Tour de France.

It was a superb ride from Visconti, who was part of an early move before dropping his fellow riders on the Col du Telegraphe.

"Maybe Marco Pantani gave me a helping hand to win this stage, seeing as we were born on the same day," a tearful Visconti said. "I'm coming off the back of a very difficult year and a half. I've been chasing a day like today for months."

Visconti, a three-time Italian cycling champion, was banned for three months and fined $13,000 at the end of last year for seeing banned physician Michele Ferrari.

His ban was backdated to Oct. 8 but expired on Jan. 7, meaning he didn't miss any races.

The race was neutralized on the category-1 climb up the Col du Mont Cenis and across into France, in what appeared to be a demonstration of solidarity among riders. Everyone rode at the same pace through the snow-filled landscapes.

Pieter Weening broke clear on the descent and built a lead of about three minutes on the peloton, with a chasing group of six riders attempting to bridge the gap.

The Dutchman was caught by the chasers and they had an advantage of more than six minutes in approaching the Telegraphe, although the gap had dropped to little more than two minutes at the start of the category-2 climb.

Visconti made his move more than 12.5 miles from the finish and built a lead of nearly two minutes.

That advantage was eroded by Weening, Stefano Pirazzi and Matteo Rabottini as Visconti looked to be struggling at the start of the Galibier. But the 30-year-old Italian dug deep and stretched his lead again.

Visconti held on in the final two-thirds of a mile - which had a gradient of 11 percent - to claim a first Grand Tour stage victory.

Monday is a rest day, which will be welcomed after two tough mountain stages in awful conditions.

The Giro starts again Tuesday with a hilly 148-mile route from Valloire, France, to Ivrea.

The race ends May 26 in Brescia.