Letting go of the past
The Tour is cycling’s most important event. Tejay van Garderen gets that. Without it, he says, cycling might be akin to swimming, a sport that has its heyday every four years but is largely forgotten about the rest of the time. Yet when it comes to his own relationship with the biggest bike race in the world, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Van Garderen sounds a little conflicted.
“No matter how you…” Van Garderen starts, as he speaks to Procycling from his home in California, “I’m trying to find the right words…” he pauses again, “…perceive the Tour, feel about the Tour, you have to recognise that the Tour is that important and you’ve got to show up and you’ve got to take your shot.”
With one exception - 2017, when he rode the Giro and Vuelta - Van Garderen has lined up for the Tour every summer since he made his debut in 2011 as a 22-year-old in his second year as a pro. He’s due to be there again
