Tour de France interview: A few minutes with (relaxed) Garmin-Slipstream's Tyler Farrar

July 9, 6:23 PMCycling ExaminerJames Raia

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Cycling Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Tyler Farrar at the Garmin Slipstream motorhome prior to stage 6.   Image/James Raia

GIRONA, Spain — Six days into the Tour de France, the riders crossed borders again Thursday. Goodbye to frantic ways of France and hello to the more relaxed nature of Spain.

Tyler Farrar seemed to understand the situation. An hour before the start of the stage from Girona to Barcelona, the Wenatchee, Wa., rider sat on the steps the Garmin-Slipstream bus, relaxed and waiting for what would develop as a long day in the rain.

The Garmin-Slipstream bus got caught in traffic, about 10 miles from the start of the fifth stage and the  team needed a police escort to the start and arrived within minutes of the start.

Such are the ways of the Tour de France. There are communication lapses. and the Garmin-Slipstream team was the only team in the race that wasn't notified about an amended route to the start. Tour organizers afforded the team an official apology.

Nevertheless, the Gamin-Slipstream team was the first squad to arrive at the start of the stage 6, and Farrar took the time for a quick interview. More than four hours later, he placed 172nd in the stage. following a late stage crash. He's now 164th among 177 rremaining riders.

Farrar, one of seven participating Americans, trailed Fabian Cancellara (Saxo-Bank) of Switzerland by 16:11.

Question: How are you going?

Tyler Farrar: I had another good day yesterday (fourth) and I'm doing fine. I'm not sure looking at the profile today is a day for me, though.”

Q: How's the team progressing and what's the morale?

TF: We're good. We've had a guy in the top 5 in almost every stage and now with the mountains starting tomorrow we just have to get the GC (overall contenders) ready for it. (Team leader Christian Vande Velde is currently in ninth position).

Q: And you? What's your approach with three straight mountain stages next?

TF: It's my turn to relax for a few days and just get through it and wait for the sprinting stages next week.

Q: You're almost to the end of the first week of your first Tour de France. What are your impressions?

TF: The Giro (Tour of Italy) may have harder stages in the first week, but the Tour de France is more nervous. There are more guys fighting for position. In the Giro, the pace was more relaxed until maybe the final 40km (25 miles).