2015 starts here for Andrew Talansky

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Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) struggled to make the time cut on stage 11, riding alone for 90km. (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) suffered, but stuck with it on stage 11 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Andrew Talansky lost his GC ambitions on stage 10 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Andrew Talansky (Garmin Sharp) can hardly believe he's won the race (Image credit: ASO/G. Demouveaux)

Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) began the Tour de France aspiring to place on the podium and ended it utterly alone on the road to Oyonnox in week two, half an hour off the rear of the peloton. A brace of crashes had left him with an inflammation of the sacroiliac joint and after battling to the finish of stage 11 just inside the time limit, he abandoned the race that evening.

Talansky abandons the Tour de France

Talansky to race Vuelta a España

Froome, Quintana and Talansky set to headline at the Vuelta a España

Martin, Hesjedal and Talansky to lead Garmin-Sharp at Vuelta a Espana