Young American would like to finish in the top fifteen
American Tejay van Garderen passed another big test in yesterday’s Vuelta a España stage by minimizing his losses on the ascent of the category one Alto Xorret del Catí. The 22 year old held onto a select group of climbers for a good part of the way up the day’s final steep climb. The group included current race leader Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo), Carlos Sastre (Cervélo TestTeam), Xavier Tondo (Cervélo TestTeam) and Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha).
Accelerations on the steep pitches by Rodriguez dislodged van Garderen but, as he did in Critérium du Dauphiné earlier this year, he was able to find his rhythm and power his way up the climb to minimize his losses. He had lost 1 minute and 7 seconds to the biggest threat for the overall in Nibali, but finished the day in the company of pre-race favorite Fränk Schleck (Saxo Bank), and Spaniards David Arroyo (Caisse d’Epargne) and Luis León Sánchez (Caisse d’Epargne).
Van Garderen currently holds tenth place in the overall, 1 minute and 26 seconds behind Antón, with Nibali, Marzio Bruseghin (Caisse d’Epargne) and last year’s fifth place finisher Ezequiel Mosquera (Xacobeo-Galicia) scattered in between. Tom Danielson (Garmin-Transitions) is also riding well and sits just 16 seconds behind his compatriot, with Schleck a further 5 seconds back.
Prior to the race start van Garderen told VeloNation that his goal for his first Grand Tour was a top fifteen in the overall. His HTC-Columbia team has put no pressure on their young talent, but his performances so far have given encouraging signs that could well see him hold his ground.