Tejay van Garderen: Criticism over Lance Armstrong link was not unexpected
BMC rider Tejay van Garderen says he wasn't trying to court controversy by working with Lance Armstrong

Tejay van Garderen admits he expected the backlash that came his way after the news emerged that he has been motorpaced by Lance Armstrong.
The American racer, who finished fifth in the 2014 Tour de France, insists he wasn’t trying to court controversy by working with the Texan, simply making use of a local resource.
But the 26-year-old, who is replacing Cadel Evans as the BMC team leader in 2015, feels Armstrong is being overly persecuted for his role in the US Postal doping scandal.
“It [the criticism] is kind of what I expected to hear,” he said at the BMC training camp in Spain.
“At the end of the day I just feel that it isn’t really fair that we can go to George Hincapie’s Gran Fondo, we accept that Christian Vandevelde can be our commentator, we have interviews with Frankie Andreu, but Lance is the evil guy.
“He lives a couple of blocks away from me, so it wasn’t like I was trying to make some big statement by having him motorpace me.
>>> Emma O’Reilly: Lance Armstrong is paying the price for being a bully
“It was really just that my normal motorpacer was out of town, he was a couple of blocks down the road, he has a Vespa and free time.
“People can think what they want, but the story is old enough now and with all the other riders in his position, I think he’s been punished enough.”
Having secured his second top-five finish in the past three Tours de France, van Garderen is disappointed the ASO have not included a long time trial in the 2015 Tour.
BMC will enter the stage-nine team time trial as one of the favourites, given their win at the Road World Championship Team Time Trial in September.
But despite the lack individual miles against the clock, van Garderen is confident of gaining time on the favourites on the challenging first-week stages.
>>> Riders react to 2015 Tour de France route presentation
He said: “Christian Prudhomme was quoted as saying that the winner of the Tour should be the most complete rider, which is why he put in the stages in the Ardennes and the stage with the cobbles and the big mountains.
“I agree with that but he is missing one key element to make a truly complete rider.
“That being said, I think there are plenty of chances, that we can take time on some of the pure climbers like on some of the crosswind days and the cobblestones.”
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.
-
-
Why is the UCI cracking down on number pockets at the Tour after it approved them six years ago?
Is the forthcoming ban on window number pockets really necessary? We ask Nopinz, the creators of the original 'Speedpocket', what the reasoning is behind the UCI's actions
By Hannah Bussey • Published
-
Five things to look out for during week one of the Tour de France
The racing is just a day away, and we're expecting fireworks
By Stephen Puddicombe • Published
-
How the team with the smallest budget in the WorldTour is overtaking the competition: The rise of Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert
The Belgian team has been punching above their weight all season
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Biniam Girmay's stage 11 start in question after podium mishap
Eritrean stage-winner injured his eye with a cork during podium celebrations
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'Unbelievable': Biniam Girmay seizes opportunity in watershed moment for cycling
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert rider becomes first Eritrean Grand Tour stage winner
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Racing every race like it's the last of the season: how smaller teams are overperforming this year
Lotto-Soudal and Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux have won 11 races between them in 2022 after just 21 in all of last year, so what's going on?
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Tejay van Garderen to become sports director at EF Education-Nippo in 2022
The American will start learning the ropes as soon as the 2021 Vuelta a España, where he will shadow support staff in Spain
By Jonny Long • Published
-
Tejay van Garderen to retire after US National Championships this weekend
Twice a finisher in the top-five of the Tour de France, the American is bowing out of the sport aged 32
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Former French Anti-Doping boss accuses Lance Armstrong of motor doping
Verdy says he doesn't think Armstrong's performances were possible on just EPO alone
By Jonny Long • Published
-
Lance Armstrong tips Mathieu van der Poel to win Tour of Flanders
Lance Armstrong has tipped Mathieu van der Poel to win the Tour of Flanders this weekend.
By Alex Ballinger • Published