That whiz of argyle through the French countryside next week comes straight from Colorado. The Argyle Armada of Team Garmin-Sharp is everywhere.
When the 99th Tour de France kicks off from Liege, Belgium, on Saturday — before over three weeks and ending at the Champs-Elysées in Paris — Boulder-based Team Garmin-Sharp riders, in their renowned argyle uniforms, likely will be in the thick of the pack.
And for fans in Colorado, there will be plenty to follow along the way. For your viewing pleasure, here’s a primer:
Gourmand du Garmin. The recently renamed Team Garmin-Sharp . Durango’s Tom Danielson finished ninth as the best American in last year’s Tour and was seventh at this year’s Tour de Suisse. David Zabriskie in May finished second in the Tour of California. And Ryder Hesjedal, the team’s top rider, should be considered among the favorites in France. The Canadian won the Giro d’Italia in May.
“It should be the best team we’ve ever had at the Tour,” Garmin team sporting director .
Last year, Garmin finished first in the Tour’s team competition and won three individual stages.
Choose your glory. The London Olympics’ cycling time trials will start a scant 10 days after the Tour de France ends. And the Olympics road race starts six days after the Tour’s finale in Paris.
So riders have had to make a choice: Go for broke in France, save the effort for London or push all-in for both.
Garmin’s pool because of the Tour de France conflict, U.S. cyclist Taylor Phinney said. And Christian Vande Velde, another Garmin rider, also exited the U.S. team.
Great Britain’s Mark Cavendish, on the other hand, said by taking it easy in France.
TV time. NBC Sports’ cable network will air complete coverage of each Tour de France stage. Leading that coverage will be Bob Roll, the man “the worst color commentator on Earth and the best thing to happen to the Tour de France since Lance Armstrong.”
Odds-on faves. Along with Hesjedal, other riders likely to see the podium include Great Britain’s Bradley Wiggins, who just won the Critérium du Dauphiné and is an early favorite for the London Olympics. Australia’s Cadel Evans also could challenge — he’s been in the leader’s jersey at all three Grand Tours this season. Spain’s Rui Costa should compete after winning the Tour de Suisse.
