Tejay Van Garderen.

[Forunculo]

Impressive performance but poor helper. Sorry. He barely help Cadel but expose his weakness and was unable to pace in a way Cadel can suck his wheel

 

[TRDean]

Tejay was stronger today though. If he ends up losing to Pinot by 1 minute I will feel very sorry for him.

I'm thinking Pinot will loose 2 minutes to Van Garderen in the final time trial...

 

[maxmartin]

TJ showed a flash of brilliance, i hope he can improve and being consistent in the future. He would be a great GT contender

 

[Armanius]

TJ finally showed great form (other than in the ITT). Hope he can show it for the rest of the TDF.

Next captain of BMC? Evans looked bad.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I'm thinking Pinot will loose 2 minutes to Van Garderen in the final time trial...

So? Tejay can still lose time in the mountains.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Did very good today. props.

 

[will10]

Proved me wrong, was very impressive today, better than Cadel.

 

[Clemson Cycling]

You have to think BMC will let him ride a little more freely after today

 

[theyoungest]

Fantastic Tejay today. I hope he can keep this up, and prove all of us (well, most of us) wrong.

 

[Carols]

I voted Maybe...time will tell. He is obviously a talented ITTer and very young with plenty of time to mature his talents.

However IMO he's been totally useless at his assigned job this year; working for Cadel in the mountains. The road goes up and he is gone

I take that last remark back...Great Job TEJAY!

 

[goggalor]

Tejay was stronger today though. If he ends up losing to Pinot by 1 minute I will feel very sorry for him.

Maybe he shouldn't have been dropped on all the other stages, then he'd be minutes up!

Nah, TJ will win white if he can stay with Evans on all the mountain stages. So far he's only been able to on one. It's ridiculous to claim TJ should've been let go, but I guess that's nationalism for ya (not in your case maybe, but in many others').

 

[Warhawk]

Maybe he shouldn't have been dropped on all the other stages, then he'd be minutes up!

Nah, TJ will win white if he can stay with Evans on all the mountain stages. So far he's only been able to on one. It's ridiculous to claim TJ should've been let go, but I guess that's nationalism for ya (not in your case maybe, but in many others').

In a way Cadel strugging might have helped him in the long run for the white jersey, since he only lost like a minute and a half to Pinot today. Since Cadel isn't even sitting in a podium spot right now, if the same thing happens on, say, stage 17 (Cadel strugging and Tejay having a good day), they probably will let Tejay go then, because then there's not much to protect, no more time for Cadel to make up the ground except in the time trial - and even that would be a sketchy proposition at best at that point - and the white jersey would then become the priority.

But I do agree with the decision to have him stay with Cadel today.

In any case, Tejay still has a good 4-5 minutes of slack to give Pinot.

 

[kukiniloa]

In a way Cadel strugging might have helped him in the long run for the white jersey, since he only lost like a minute and a half to Pinot today. Since Cadel isn't even sitting in a podium spot right now, if the same thing happens on, say, stage 17 (Cadel strugging and Tejay having a good day), they probably will let Tejay go then, because then there's not much to protect, no more time for Cadel to make up the ground except in the time trial - and even that would be a sketchy proposition at best at that point - and the white jersey would then become the priority.

But I do agree with the decision to have him stay with Cadel today.

In any case, Tejay still has a good 4-5 minutes of slack to give Pinot.

With the way he is TTing and climbing, he's a better podium contender than Cuddles.

Or so it could be argued, as he is untested in GTs.

But it needs to be pointed out the he is the only guy mirroring the showing of Froome and Wiggins. (where did he lose time, anyway?)...

Not surprised NBC Sports plays him up as they do this for the 'Merican audience.

 

[dlwssonic]

Hopefully Tejay can hang in there and and get a good top 10 GC position in the end.
I hope that his domestique work will not sacrifice his white jersey too much and his GC.

 

[dlwssonic]

Since when has la florecita become such a big TJVG fangirl

 

[auscyclefan94]

With the way he is TTing and climbing, he's a better podium contender than Cuddles.

Or so it could be argued, as he is untested in GTs.

But it needs to be pointed out the he is the only guy mirroring the showing of Froome and Wiggins. (where did he lose time, anyway?)...

Not surprised NBC Sports plays him up as they do this for the 'Merican audience.

He climbed better on one stage. Let's also look at some of the other stages.

La Planche des Belles Filles
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:02
46 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:03:08

Porrentruy
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:26
18 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:01:25

On the stage to Bellegarde sur Valserine he was dropped on the Cat 3 climb and then on the finish. Tejay is doing really well at the Tour this year but the time gaps on some stages which people are not looking at are painting a more holistic picture.

 

[dlwssonic]

Yup Tejay has to work on his consistency, he looked REALLY dead at planche de belles filles but on stage 12 he was climbing with the best.
There is no doubt that cadel should be the outright leader this year.
But I think there is going to be a changing of the guard next year with TJVG probably being the leader. Still has to work on his climbing though.
He looked good yesterday on the short climb too.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Yup Tejay has to work on his consistency, he looked REALLY dead at planche de belles filles but on stage 12 he was climbing with the best.
There is no doubt that cadel should be the outright leader this year.
But I think there is going to be a changing of the guard next year with TJVG probably being the leader. Still has to work on his climbing though.
He looked good yesterday on the short climb too.

People seem to get easily carried away with a single performance or single race. Calm down and take a deep breath. Let's wait and see if Tejay can replicate such a climbing performance in coming races and in the coming year.

 

[dlwssonic]

People seem to get easily carried away with a single performance or single race. Calm down and take a deep breath. Let's wait and see if Tejay can replicate such a climbing performance in coming races and in the coming year.

depends whether tejay can continue to perform well in the upcoming stages.
Next year tejay will be coming off age while cadel will be 36.
Could be a dual leadership too, will see....

 

[maxmartin]

He climbed better on one stage. Let's also look at some of the other stages.

La Planche des Belles Filles
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:02
46 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:03:08

Porrentruy
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:26
18 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:01:25

On the stage to Bellegarde sur Valserine he was dropped on the Cat 3 climb and then on the finish. Tejay is doing really well at the Tour this year but the time gaps on some stages which people are not looking at are painting a more holistic picture.

consistency in climbing is one of his biggest problem and maybe his only problem, in this tour his pattern is one day one the next day is off. He is still young and he can still improve, and for god sake, we need a strong GC contender!!!

 

[auscyclefan94]

depends whether tejay can continue to perform well in the upcoming stages.
Next year tejay will be coming off age while cadel will be 36.
Could be a dual leadership too, will see....

I think Evans will do the Giro next year and will maybe help the Phil, Thor and Tejay at the Tour.

 

[dlwssonic]

I think Evans will do the Giro next year and will maybe help the Phil, Thor and Tejay at the Tour.

I hope he does it would be much nicer to see him go to the Giro for the win then race at the tour again.

 

[movingtarget]

I think Evans will do the Giro next year and will maybe help the Phil, Thor and Tejay at the Tour.

Sensible move I think. I did not think a year would make much difference to Cadel. I don't think it's so much the form but a combination of the route and the tactics. His prologue and first TT were not bad and I always thought that the race would be better for him if Andy and Contador were in it. No one has the answer to Sky so far this year and Nibali, Evans and VDB must be frustrated. The result of the first TT was always going to be one of the decisive stages and Sky have just built on that result. Maybe he is also having some sinus issues again ? Contador had an operation for the same problem. If Van Garderen finishes off the Tour as well as he has ridden so far I think Cadel should ride the Giro but what sort of team would BMC be able to send with him ? BMC were anonomous at the Giro except for the two TT stages they won with Phinney and Pinotti. Hincapie retiring. BMC need two decent climbers for TVG next year. Moinard is not up to it and Morabito is inconsistent. I just wish Evans had had more of a crack at the Ardenne classics but he always saw the grand tours as his number one targets. Any news that Cadel will do the Vuelta ?

 

[movingtarget]

consistency in climbing is one of his biggest problem and maybe his only problem, in this tour his pattern is one day one the next day is off. He is still young and he can still improve, and for god sake, we need a strong GC contender!!!

Yep, Levi,Van De Velde and co are not far from retierment. Changing of the guard on the way this year by the looks of it. Froome is being taken more seriously, Tejay, and some of the young French riders are emerging although not serious GC contenders yet. Gesink, Kreuziger and co will be overtaken if they don't start getting some results in grand tours.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Sensible move I think. I did not think a year would make much difference to Cadel. I don't think it's so much the form but a combination of the route and the tactics. His prologue and first TT were not bad and I always thought that the race would be better for him if Andy and Contador were in it. No one has the answer to Sky so far this year and Nibali, Evans and VDB must be frustrated. The result of the first TT was always going to be one of the decisive stages and Sky have just built on that result. Maybe he is also having some sinus issues again ? Contador had an operation for the same problem. If Van Garderen finishes off the Tour as well as he has ridden so far I think Cadel should ride the Giro but what sort of team would BMC be able to send with him ? BMC were anonomous at the Giro except for the two TT stages they won with Phinney and Pinotti. Hincapie retiring. BMC need two decent climbers for TVG next year. Moinard is not up to it and Morabito is inconsistent. I just wish Evans had had more of a crack at the Ardenne classics but he always saw the grand tours as his number one targets. Any news that Cadel will do the Vuelta ?

I personally do not think he is ill or is having sinus issues but I do think that he is certainly a bit below where he was last year but Cadel is saying that he is improving each day so I think he will be very strong in the Pyrenees and in the final time trial. I also do not think he is 'over-the-hill' in his career. What I am really liking about Cadel in this Tour is he is talking on the race where he can, is attacking a fair bit and is making the race entertaining. If Evans didn't ride a hard tempo up the climb in yesterday's stage and if BMC didn't force such a selection in the final 40km would we have seen such an entertaining stage? I doubt that.

Definitely not doing La Vuelta because he is a confirmed starter for Colorado. The Worlds are also a target for him so maybe he will do the races in Canada and maybe another set of races before the worlds. Maybe something like the Tour of Britain or some one day races in Belgium?

If BMC were going to do the Giro for Cadel then I would imagine they would be similar to this year's squad. I think they would provide strong support as the team would have a real direction in the race. Johann Tschopp has finished in the top 15 in the past two Giros and guys like Frank are only going to get better.

I agree with you about Cadel and the Ardennes but I doubt he will get much of a shot for the rest of his career with Gilbert on the team. If he really targeted them one year I do believe that he could win at least one of the classics.

Sorry for going off topic!