Wiggins, Millar and Martin confirmed for Garmin's Tour team
British riders Bradley Wiggins and David Millar, along with Ireland's Daniel Martin, have all been confirmed for Garmin-Slipstream's 2009 Tour de France team
"We are bringing a diverse and versatile squad to the 2009 Tour de France,” said Garmin-Slipstream team boss Jonathan Vaughters.
“We had an incredible first Tour as a team last year and this year we hope for GC contention, possible stage wins and even the yellow jersey at some point.”
The US-based squad will be hoping for victory in the opening time trial, and Wiggins has made no secret of the Monaco test being his big target of the year. Stage four's team time trial will also feature highly on Vaughters' 'must win' list - particularly as Columbia-Highroad stole the show at the Giro TTT.
Christian Vande Velde is the natural choice for the squad's hope for overall, having placed fifth overall in last year's race. The American's Tour preparations took a knock when he crashed on stage three of the Giro, fracturing his pelvis - but he now seems to have made a quick recovery.
Tyler Farrar will be assisted by Julian Dean in the bunch sprints. Farrar has been widely tipped as the next big sprint sensation, and the only man able to challenge the pace of Columbia's Mark Cavendish.
The 2009 Tour de France starts in Monaco on Saturday July 4, and finishes in Paris on Sunday, July 26.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Garmin-Slipstream 2009 Tour de France team
Julian Dean (NZ)
Tyler Farrar (USA)
Ryder Hesjedal (Can)
Dan Martin (Ire)
David Millar (GB)
Danny Pate (USA)
Christian Vande Velde (USA)
Bradley Wiggins (GB)
David Zabriskie (USA)
RELATED LINKS
Tour de France 2009 - Cycling Weekly's full coverage
Thank you for reading 20 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
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
British cycling clothing brand posts £14m loss, falling deep into the red
Endura enjoyed profitable years during the pandemic, but has since fallen victim to a drop in sales
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Ineos' Director of Racing, Steve Cummings, confirms he is leaving the team after not attending a race since June
Announcement comes after months of uncertainty surrounding Cummings' position
By Tom Thewlis Published