After signing a two-year deal to ride for Cofidis next season and a win at the USPRO criterium championships, Tyler Farrar is riding high. Cyclingnews' Shane Stokes jumped on cloud nine, where Tyler is sitting right now, to join the young American for a chat.
August sure seems to be a good month for Tyler Farrar. Twelve months ago it brought a glittering run of form; the Health Net - Maxxis rider won the National Under 23 TT title, the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix and the National Under 23 criterium championships over a highly-productive five-day period.
This time round, Farrar won the Portland Grand Prix, placed second in the Manhattan Beach GP, signed a ProTour contract with Cofidis, and then finished off his domestic career with a real flourish when he won the USPRO Criterium Championship in Chicago.
The race was dominated by a dangerous three-man move containing Health Net-Maxxis' John Lieswyn, former winner Kirk O'Bee (Navigators Insurance) and Ben Jacques-Maynes (Kodak Gallery-Sierra Nevada.) It looked like the three would stay clear, but a last-gasp recapture by the main bunch paved the way for a big gallop and, with Farrar getting a top-drawer leadout by team-mate Greg Henderson, the 21-year-old managed to hold off Dave McCook (Jelly Belly-Pool Gel) for the win.
"It was great, it was a dream come true," said a clearly elated Farrar two days later. "To have my last race in the US for I don't know how long turn out that way, winning a US Pro championship...that's a pretty nice way to finish it out."
