InCycle video: Andrew Talansky rider profile

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Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Garmin) is one of a string of riders going into the Tour de France, not with serious designs on upsetting the so-called 'big four', but on challenging for a top-10 or even a top-5 overall finish. 

The American's potential has been oft-discussed but it is widely believed the full extent of it is still to be unlocked. He caught the eye in 2012 as a 23-year-old who finished second overall at the Tour de Romandie and seventh at the Vuelta a España. 10th in the Tour de France in 2013 was seen as somewhat of a breakthrough and when he won the Critérium du Dauphiné the following year, expectations rocketed ahead of the Tour. His race, though, was marred by crashes and he was forced to pull out after stage 11. This season, Talansky has built everything around July and will be keen to prove himself, telling Cyclingnews that "top-10 is the minimum".

In this video, InCycle take a look at Talansky's career, exploring how he fell into cycling almost by accident as a way of recovering from a running injury in his high school days. He describes how he came to Europe in 2009 with naive optimism and was brought crashing down to earth by the harsh realities of life as a young rider trying to make a name for himself. 

With strengthened resolve, Talanksy came back to the USA and joined the Garmin outfit, with whom he achieved that Dauphiné success last year. In the video he talks about that final stage where he snatched the leader's jersey against the odds, describing it as "the greatest moment of my life on a bike".

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