Argyle team’s Tour casualties return and hope for better luck in year’s third Grand Tour
The Garmin-Transitions team has announced its nine-man roster for the Vuelta a España, which starts with a team time trial in Sevilla on Saturday evening. Christian Vande Velde returns to racing for the first time since he crashed out of the Tour de France on the third stage between Brussels and Spa.
The Vuelta will be Vande Velde’s third Grand Tour of the year, but will hopefully have better luck this time; the American also crashed out of the Giro d’Italia in May, hitting the tarmac and breaking his collarbone in stage 3 between Amsterdam and Middleburg, Netherlands.
The Vuelta team also includes other casualties from that Belgian Tour de France stage. Sprinter Tyler Farrar fractured his wrist but managed to soldier on until stage 12, almost managing to pick up a stage win on the way. Like Vande Velde, Farrar is also starting his third Grand Tour of the year having abandoned both of the others; he recently won the Vattenfall Cyclassics and came second in the GP Ouest France-Plouay and will be looking to continue to build his form towards the World Championships in Melbourne, Australia just after the race.
David Millar suffered a suspected fractured wrist on that crash-marred stage but managed to survive to Paris, despite riding alone behind the “autobus” on the tough mountain stage to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. Julian Dean suffered bruising to his back but finished the race strongly as the team’s sprinter, finishing second in Bordeaux and third in Paris; both times behind Mark Cavendish.
Both Millar and Dean also rode the Giro but neither reached the finish.
US time trial champion Dave Zabriskie survived the Tour relatively speaking without incident, while Tom Danielson and Matt Wilson ride the first Grand Tour of their seasons; Wilson’s first since the 2005 Giro d’Italia.
Michel Kreder and Tom Peterson are both to ride the first Grand Tour of their careers.
Garmin-Transitions for the Vuelta a España:
Tom Danielson, Julian Dean, Tyler Farrar, Michel Kreder, David Millar, Tom Peterson, Christian Vande Velde, Matt Wilson and David Zabriskie