Heading into this year’s Tour de France, Team Garmin–Transitions looks to build upon an impressive showing in 2009 that included an overall team victory at the Tour de France. Equipped with great young riders and veterans who bring skill and experience, Team Garmin looks strong going into the Tour.
Founded by Jonathan Vaughters in 2003, Team Garmin started out at an amateur group sponsored by a Denver radio station. It took only a year for Vaughters to find a sponsor in TIAA-CREF, a large American financial services company, and start to field a stable of professional riders.
In 2007, Garmin offered to sponsor the team and since then it has taken on the name Garmin-Transitions. Sporting orange and blue argyle jerseys sparking the nickname, Argyle Army, Team Garmin and has grown substantially in just seven years. Riding Felt Bicycles, the team was able to place in the top five overall in both 2008 and 2009.
Team Garmin is made up of a variety of different cyclists giving it the ability to take several stages and challenge the field for the overall team classification victory.
Led by Captain Christian Vande Velde of the United States who finished eighth at last year’s tour and forth one year earlier, Team Garmin retains a crop of talent that is hard to match.
Youngster Tyler Farrar, also of the United States, has claimed four grand tour stages in his short career and is known as a sprint specialist. Veterans David Millar of the United Kingdom, Julian Dean of New Zealand, Ryder Hesjedal of Canada and Martin Maaskant of the Netherlands add a much needed understanding to the otherwise young squad.
"We knew we needed a squad that could support Christian [Vande Velde] for the overall, Tyler in the sprint stages, and also be on the lookout for other opportunities," said the team's sports director Matt White to CyclingNews. "We’ve certainly found the right mix in this group and I have a lot of faith in these athletes.”
Garmin has brought along two fresh faces that will look to make an impact: Johan Van Summeren of Belgium should look forward to pedaling through his home country in stages two and three, while South African Robbie Hunter looks to aid Vande Velde to a top place finish.
Farrar provides the team with someone accomplished at time trials, and could surprise and be in the running for the green jersey. The remainder of the team is solid all around with names like Millar, Dean and Hesjedal giving Garmin the ability to help on any particular rider. Coming off a victory in the team time trial at the Giro d’Italia Garmin-Transitions looks to be in top form for this year’s tour.
Some experts may argue that Vande Veldes does not possess the ability to keep up with the Shlecks, Contadors and Armstrongs of the tour. It also does not help that Vande Velde is coming off a major injury in which he broke several ribs during the Tour de Suisse in June.
Vande Velde certainly has one of the best teams in the race, and seems to have some confidence going into this year's tour stating: “It’s not an ideal build up to the tour, but breaking ribs isn’t the end of the world. You just get back on the bike, and while it may be a little uncomfortable, I’m not compromising myself too much. I think I’m ready.”
Garmin should be focused on trying to take the team classification and with the talent they have, they should be right around the top come the Champ-Elysees.
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