Tejay van Garderen

Olympic Games & UCI World Championships Results

• 2014 UCI Road World Championships, Ponferrada, Spain — 1st in team time trial (with BMC Racing Team)
• 2013 UCI Road World Championships, Toscana, Italy — 4th in team time trial (with BMC Racing Team); DNF in road race
• 2012 UCI Road World Championships, Valkenburg, Netherlands — 2nd in team time trial (with BMC Racing Team); 4th in time trial; DNF in road race  
• 2012 Olympic Games, London, England — 104th in road race
• 2010 UCI Road World Championships, Geelong, Australia — 24th in time trial; DNF in road race
• 2009 UCI U23 Road World Championships, Mendrisio, Switzerland — 13th place, time trial
• 2008 UCI U23 Road World Championships, Varese, Italy — 24th place, road race

National Championship Experience

• 2nd place — 2012 Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Time Trial National Championships, Greenville, South Carolina
• 4th place — 2011 USA Cycling Professional Road National Championships, Greenville, South Carolina, Road Race
• Junior National Time Trial Champion, 2006, Champion, Pennsylvania
• Junior National Criterium Champion, 2005, Park City, Utah
• Junior National Time Trial Champion, 2004, Park City, Utah
• Junior National Cyclo-cross Champion, 2002, Napa, California
• Total 10-time junior national champion

Career Highlights

• 1st place — 2014 USA Pro Challenge, Stages 3 & 6 (ITT) and Overall Classification
• 5th place — 2014 Tour de France, Overall Classification
• 3rd place — 2014 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Overall Classification
• 1st place — 2014 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Stage 4
• 2nd place — 2014 Tour of Oman, Stage 5 and Overall Classification
• 1st place — 2013 USA Pro Challenge, Colorado, Stage 5 (ITT) and Overall Classification
• 2nd place — 2013 Tour de France, Stage 18, Gap -> Alpe d'Huez
• 1st place — 2013 Amgen Tour of California, Stage 6 (ITT) and Overall Classification
• 1st place — 2013 Critérium International, Best Young Rider Classification
• 3rd place — 2013 Critérium International, Stage 2 (ITT) and Overall Classification
• 2nd place — 2013 Tour de San Luis, Overall Classification
• 1st place — 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Colorado, Stage 2 and Overall Classification
• 1st place — 2012 Tour de France, Best Young Rider Classification
• 4th place — 2012 Amgen Tour of California, Overall Classification
• 1st place — 2012 Paris-Nice, Best Young Rider Classification
• 3rd place — 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Colorado, Overall Classification
• 2nd place — 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Colorado, Stage 2
• 1st place — 2011 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, Stage 4
• 2nd place — 2011 Tour de Suisse, Prologue
• 2nd place — 2011 Volta ao Algarve, Stage 3 and Overall Classification
• 1st place — 2010 Vuelta a Espana, Stage 1 (TTT)
• 3rd place — 2010 Critérium du Dauphiné, Overall Classification
• 2nd place — 2010 Critérium du Dauphiné, Prologue
• 2nd place — 2010 Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey, Prologue, Stage 4 and Overall Classification
• 1st place — 2009 Tour du Haut Anjou, Overall Classification
• 1st place — 2009 Olympia's Tour, Stage 1 TTT and Stage 5
• 1st place — 2008 Tour de l'Avenir, Stage 9
• 2nd place — 2008 Fleche du Sud, Stage 2 and Overall Classification

Points of Interest

• Tejay considers his best strength to be his day-to-day recovery, which makes him ideally suited for the punishing rigor of stage racing, where he shines.

• The young superstar wore the king of the mountain jersey at the 2011 Tour de France at only 22 years old.

• He won no less than 10 junior national titles in both road racing and cyclo-cross.

Personal

Montana is a tough place to start out as a 10-year-old bike racer, thanks to a limited number of similar-age competitors. That didn't deter Tejay van Garderen from showing up at races and trying his best against bigger, stronger rivals who had the experience of age as well as the accompanying physical advantages. He hit the ground all the time but he persevered, which attracted admiration from the local community. Visionary sponsors emerged and showed their support by providing equipment to young Tejay, who was clearly on his way up, literally.

As a 14-year-old, he came close to beating a time of two hours for the Mount Evans hill climb, a 28-mile climb of nearly 7,000 feet. Soon after that he started notching national titles as a junior in both road and cyclo-cross and continued to score the Stars-and-Stripes jersey as a U23 racer.

As talented as he was dedicated, Tejay was an obvious pick for USA Cycling's National Development Program and off he went to Izegem, Belgium, where USA Cycling had its European base at the time.

He started his first major race at age 18 in the 2007 Tour of California as a part of the national team, but pulled out on stage 4. Throughout 2007, he rode less in the U.S. and more in Europe, which led to a spot on the Dutch Rabobank Continental team for the 2008-09 seasons. The son of a Dutch immigrant, Tejay agreed that having a name like van Garderen didn't hurt, but more likely a recommendation from the national U23 coach to one of Rabobank's team managers sealed the deal.

He underscored his time with Rabobank by capturing a variety of significant finishes, including winning a stage of the Tour de l'Avenir, and a pair of second places in the Flèche du Sud and Circuito Montañes, respectively. He since moved into the sport's top tier, the Pro Team level, with American teams HTC-Highroad and the BMC Racing Team. The younster immediately made his mark with top finishes at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge and the Tour of California, among others.