Luz-Ardiden, France — Score one for the Schleck brothers — Andy and Frank — against defending champion Alberto Contador.

The Tour de France entered the Pyrenees on Thursday, and the Schlecks delivered a 1-2 punch with attacks at the end of the 131-mile Stage 12 from Cugnaux to the Luz-Ardiden ski station. By the finish, Contador was gritting his teeth.

Spanish climbing specialist Samuel Sanchez, whose team is based in nearby Basque country, gave the home crowd reason to celebrate. He won the stage after riding inspired through a sea of red, green and white Basque flags.

And the current darling of French cycling — Thomas Voeckler — surprised himself by keeping the yellow jersey on Bastille Day after scaling three punishing peaks.

Sanchez and Voeckler, however, aren’t expected to be among the contenders for the title when the three-week cycling showcase ends July 24 on Paris’ Champs-Elysees.

Contador and Andy Schleck — and maybe his brother — are. That’ll be after the race runs through more punishment in the Alps in Week Three and a pivotal individual time trial in Grenoble on the next-to-last race day.

Thursday’s leg showed the once indomitable Contador, who had a dismal Tour start because of crashes and stumbles at his Saxo Bank team, can be vulnerable in the mountains.

Frank Schleck could be an ace-in-the-hole for his brother and Leopard Trek teammate, who was runner-up to Contador each of the last two years. Last year, Andy didn’t enjoy any brotherly benefit: Frank crashed in a nasty cobblestone patch in Stage Three and dropped out of the race due to a broken collarbone — missing the mountain stages.

MLB

Ortiz, Gregg suspended 4 games

Boston — Red Sox slugger David Ortiz and Baltimore pitcher Kevin Gregg were suspended four games and fined Thursday for their parts in a July 8 bench-clearing brawl.

Orioles pitcher Mike Gonzalez was suspended three games, and manager Buck Showalter was suspended one game as part of the punishment handed out Thursday by Major League Baseball. Gregg and Gonzalez have decided to appeal, delaying the suspensions.

A’s lefty Anderson out for season

Oakland, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics say left-handed pitcher Brett Anderson will miss the rest of the season after having reconstructive surgery on his elbow.

The A’s said Anderson had surgery Thursday. Dr. James Andrews performed the operation to rebuild the ulnar collateral ligament.

Giants talking to Riggleman

San Diego — The San Francisco Giants are talking to former Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman about a scouting job.

Riggleman was in San Diego to meet with Giants general manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy after Thursday night’s series opener against the San Diego Padres.

College Basketball

Iowa St. reinstates center Railey

Des Moines, Iowa — Iowa State has reinstated suspended center Jordan Railey, though he will not be allowed to play in the first three games next season.

Railey was suspended following his arrest in April for fighting in public. Cyclones spokesman Mike Green says Railey’s disorderly conduct charge has been dropped.

Guard Hubbard leaves Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa — Iowa guard Anthony Hubbard, who spent nearly four years in prison before earning a Div. I scholarship, has left the program without ever suiting up for the Hawkeyes. Iowa said Thursday that Hubbard wants to explore playing for a school closer to his Virginia home.

College Football

LSU: NCAA has scouting material

Baton Rouge, La. — LSU has given the NCAA copies of material it received from recruiting service owner Willie Lyles and his Complete Scouting Services.

The school said in a news release Thursday that it paid $6,000 in December for printed information and DVDs of game footage and highlights of 32 California and Kansas junior college prospects eligible to sign national letters of intent in February. LSU also got footage of two players it hadn’t asked about, one from 2008, and 91 pages of largely outdated roster-type material from junior colleges in California and Kansas.

NFL

Pittsburgh’s Harrison apologizes

Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison has apologized for using an anti-gay slur to refer to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in an interview with “Men’s Journal,” and says his critical statements about teammates were taken out of context.

In the article, the Steelers’ star criticized Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running back Rashard Mendenhall for their play in last season’s Super Bowl loss to Green Bay.

NBA

League lays off 114 employees

New York — The NBA laid off about 114 people over the last two days, planned cost-cutting moves that a league spokesman said Thursday are “not a direct result of the lockout.” The laid-off employees represent about 11 percent of the league office workforce in New York, New Jersey and internationally.

Spokesman Mike Bass told the Associated Press the layoffs are “not a direct result of the lockout but rather a response to the same underlying issue; that is, the league’s expenses far outpace our revenues.”

“The roughly 11 percent reduction in headcount from the league office is part of larger cost-cutting measures to reduce our costs by $50 million across all areas of our business,” Bass said.