After getting off to a rough start in the Tour de France’s opening week, the Garmin-Cervelo GC hopes have rebounded in the Alps, with strong showings by both Tom Danielson and Ryder Hesjedal which has put the squad close to sealing up the the Tour's team title.
The team victory would be the finishing touch on what has already been the most successful Tour in the team’s history. After winning the team time trial on stage two, Tyler Farrar followed it up with his first stage win the next day Redon. Thor Hushovd then put in incredible rides to take both stages thirteen and sixteen.
Both Hesjedal and Christian Vande Velde were injured in crashes during the first week, and Danielson had yet to get his motor running in his first appearance. But when the race finally entered the mountains, Danielson proved to be one of the best climbers through the Pyrenees. And Hesjedal, who was unable to overcome his aches and pains from the first two weeks without losing time, has come good in the Alps.
For Hesjedal, the quiet Canadian, it is the second year in a row that he has peaked in the Tour’s final week. “I had my best days in the last week of last year’s race too, and that’s what it’s all about,” he told the Victoria Times Colonist.
On stage nineteen, Hesjedal helped pull the yellow jersey group of favorites back to the breakaway that contained Andy Schleck (Leopard Trek) and Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Sungard) before putting in a dig of his own, accompanied by Pierre Rolland (Europcar), at the bottom of Alpe d’Huez. “I did a lot of work to push our group, but if you don’t have three guys who can ride the high mountains, then you’re going to be in trouble. And we do have three,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tom Danielson is poised to earn a top ten place in his debut Tour de France. He kept his cool early in stage nineteen, when things exploded on the Col du Telegraphe. “It was a very hard stage today, and I’m glad to have gotten through it in good shape,” he remarked after the stage. “It broke up when Contador attacked on the Telegraphe and I was in a good group over the Galibier, but it all came back together for Alpe d’Huez.”
Danielson disappeared from the favorites group on the early slopes of the famous summit finish, but soon had made it back on. He finished 11th on the stage, one spot behind Hesjedal. Both were given the same time, 1 minute 15 seconds behind stage winner Pierre Rolland, but just 18 seconds behind Frank and Andy Schleck, and Cadel Evans. Vande Velde finished 19th, 3 minutes 22 seconds off the pace.
Regarding the early fireworks on the Telegraphe, Danielson said, “I ate a lot to prepare for the time trial tomorrow, so I couldn’t quite go with the accelerations early, but I was able to come back to the finish well. Ryder was right there to help me, so everything turned out okay.”
By his own indication, Danielson will aim for a high placing in tomorrow’s 41 kilometer time trial around Grenoble. And those surprised by Danielson’s Tour thus far may be in for another surprise. In last month’s Tour de Suisse, Danielson finished 5th in the final 32 kilometer time trial.
Garmin-Cervelo will now take an 11 minute 58 second advantage over Ag2R La Mondiale into tomorrow’s Grenoble time trial. Leopard-Trek sits third in the team standings, 12:57 back. Garmin-Cervelo finished 6th on the same time trial course in the Criterium du Dauphine, but they currently carry just two of the riders who competed on the course last month, sprinters Tyler Farrar and Julian Dean.