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Tejay Van Garderen Discussion Thread

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Re:

Son of Amsterhammer said:
I hope to be wrong here, but I just don't see anything great happening for him this year. He's going to be a nearly man, many times in 2016.
I don't know about that, he won a TT in Europe for the first time just last week and almost won GC. I'd say he's having a good start to his season.

I guess what you're saying would depend on the expectations placed upon TJ. If BMC is depending on him to win every race he enters then yes, this season will be a disappointment. Didn't they get Porte for that though?

I think TJ can have a good season if he doesn't get caught up in listening to all the doubters and just rides his bike. The wins will follow, he's a very talented rider.
 
I wish TJVG a good '16. Unlike some here, I don't let his setbacks overshadow some great accomplishments. Having said that, it must be mentally draining to experience near misses like he did at last year's Tour, read everywhere that you're a loser, and before you know "here we go again". Self-fulfilling prophecies. I agree that he should Giro-Vuelta for a couple of years and hopefully build himself back up with one or more podiums.
 
Jun 30, 2014
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Tonton said:
I wish TJVG a good '16. Unlike some here, I don't let his setbacks overshadow some great accomplishments. Having said that, it must be mentally draining to experience near misses like he did at last year's Tour, read everywhere that you're a loser, and before you know "here we go again". Self-fulfilling prophecies. I agree that he should Giro-Vuelta for a couple of years and hopefully build himself back up with one or more podiums.
Having a good DS could also do wonders for him, durning the Dauphine he beat Froome on the Pra-Loup stage when he rode at his own pace,yet on the next two mountain stages he tried to respond to Froome's attacks immediately and cracked. The obsession with the Tour is also nothing good, but you could say the same about many other riders, he could get his Tour podium in 2017 if enough big names show up at the 100th Giro.
In 2015 he probably also peaked too early at the Dauphine, I'm not his biggest fan, but another 5th place at the Tour is a realistc goal for him, maybe he could even win a big one week race.
 
Van Garderen gets to much heat simply because he's a team leader. He looked more agressive last season with that nice stage win in Catalunya.
There are plenty more riders who keep on doing the same races with dubious results like Mollema, Talansky (I have hopes for this one), Gesink and no one criticize them this much. Van Garderen can win some decent stage races if he focus on them like Suisse (Rui Costa has won 3 times and he's not a better climber or TT than TvG) or Romandie.
 
Carols said:
He is skipping the Olympics due to Zika. Sounds like a lame excuse to me.....there is bug spray you know. Or can't cyclists use bug spray?

Actually just heard my favorite news radio mention this (listening to the host struggle to properly say his name was funny as heck). Really uncommon to hear cycling mentioned at all on mainstream news these days. It was more about the Zika angle though. Still, if his girl is pregnant, I can see why he'd skip it...
 
MikeTichondrius said:
Carols said:
He is skipping the Olympics due to Zika. Sounds like a lame excuse to me.....there is bug spray you know. Or can't cyclists use bug spray?

Actually just heard my favorite news radio mention this (listening to the host struggle to properly say his name was funny as heck). Really uncommon to hear cycling mentioned at all on mainstream news these days. It was more about the Zika angle though. Still, if his girl is pregnant, I can see why he'd skip it...
Expectant, and I'd guess the road cyclists, along with maybe the watersports athletes, have the "highest" risk as they go through the more natural parts of Rio. Otherwise I think Zika is going to be the Y2K storyline of these Olympics. The risk is very low to begin with, and Brazil is not somewhere where they're going to take it easy so as to protect the bee population or whatever. They are just going to fumigate the eff out of the main arenas.

Still, if I were him I wouldn't tempt fate by saying (external): “Besides, I don’t think this will be my last chance to go to the Olympics. I’m sure I’ll still be around in four years.”
 
MikeTichondrius said:
Carols said:
He is skipping the Olympics due to Zika. Sounds like a lame excuse to me.....there is bug spray you know. Or can't cyclists use bug spray?

Actually just heard my favorite news radio mention this (listening to the host struggle to properly say his name was funny as heck). Really uncommon to hear cycling mentioned at all on mainstream news these days. It was more about the Zika angle though. Still, if his girl is pregnant, I can see why he'd skip it...
Personally With ZIKA I would avoid Brazil.
 
Mar 14, 2016
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Re:

RedheadDane said:
The risk of anything happening with regards to zika is probably very slim. He isn't even gonna take that risk.
Understandably.
Absolutely correct. Based on epidemiological data, the risk of serious deformities is just over 0.2%. Still unacceptably high for anyone who values the health of their child.
 
Re: Re:

CheckMyPecs said:
hrotha said:
Kind of a hysterical and likely uninformed decision if you ask me.
Because risking the health of his unborn child for the sake of a bike race makes real sense, doesn't it?
My point is kinda that such risk is hugely overblown. Might as well stick his pregnant wife in a bubble back in the US, where she could also catch all sorts of stuff that's harmful for the fetus.

Plus, she doesn't actually need to go herself.
 
Re: Re:

hrotha said:
CheckMyPecs said:
hrotha said:
Kind of a hysterical and likely uninformed decision if you ask me.
Because risking the health of his unborn child for the sake of a bike race makes real sense, doesn't it?
My point is kinda that such risk is hugely overblown. Might as well stick his pregnant wife in a bubble back in the US, where she could also catch all sorts of stuff that's harmful for the fetus.

Plus, she doesn't actually need to go herself.
It's sweet that he wants his wife there
 

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