| Fort Collins cyclist benefiting from fan support |
| Wednesday, August 24, 2011 00:17 |
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BY BRIAN GOMEZ, THE GAZETTE MOUNT CRESTED BUTTE – Tejay Van Garderen is back home. And it’s making him race like a maniac. The Fort Collins resident has seen plenty of familiar faces in the crowds this week during the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, and they have helped carry him to the best young rider’s jersey in back-to-back stages, with a sixth-place finish Tuesday in Mount Crested Butte. Van Garderen, 23, stands third in the overall standings, 17 seconds in back of Levi Leipheimer. He said he has made time to socialize with “some friends out here, and people are cheering you on. You go into Italy, and Ivan Basso is a god there. You go into France, and (Jean-Claude) Leclercq is a god there. I wouldn’t say I’m a god here. But I’m definitely hearing the cheers out there, which is really nice to hear.” Ex-Littleton teacher most aggressive Bradley White once was a sixth-grade teacher in Littleton. Now, he’s cycling for a living. White got the most aggressive jersey because of his sprint win in Gunnison. He finished 127th of 130 riders, and he’s 126th in the overall, however, he’s content with his strategy. “If I’m not in the break, then I ride the front,” said White, who relocated to Michigan last year. “So either way, I’m going to be in the wind. It was good for me to get up the road.” Race chairman: ‘It’s a real event’ USA Pro Cycling Challenge chairman Shawn Hunter wondered if riders would treat the inaugural event seriously a month after the Tour de France. His questions are answered. Hunter said the wild finish “proves that it’s a real event, that these guys are here to win. No one is here to finish second. These guys are pros.” He anticipates the “best two days are ahead,” with expectations of “big drama” Wednesday as riders summit a pair of 12,000-foot mountain passes en route from Gunnison to Aspen and a “phenomenal” time trial in Vail on Thursday. “I can’t wait for the next 48 hours,” Hunter said.
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