USA Pro Challenge: Van Garderen repeats as Vail time trial winner

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Tejay van Garderen (BMC) cemented his overall lead at the USA Pro Challenge Saturday during the Vail time trial, beating Garmin-Sharp's Tom Danielson by 52 seconds and adding a nice buffer to his overall lead heading into the final stage Sunday in Denver.

Danielson's runner-up ride catapulted him from fourth overall to second, while Jelly-Belly-Maxxis rider Serhgei Tvetcov put in another impressive ride, finishing third on the day and moving into third overall. Tinkoff-Saxo's Rafal Majka, who started the day second in the general classification, finished fourth on the stage and dropped off the GC podium to fourth overall.

Van Garderen shattered the course record he set last year, beating his 2013 mark of 25:01 by 35 seconds. The BMC team leader said added maturity and experience – and a healthy tailwind on the climb – were the driving forces behind Saturday's winning effort.

"The first time I did [the Vail time trial] it couldn't have been worse," van Garderen said, referring to the 2011 stage when he lost the yellow jersey to Levi Leipheimer."

"I went out way too hard, I misjudged the effort and lost the yellow jersey" he continued. "Last year, I can't say it was bad, but you could see from the split that I was 30 seconds up and then at the line I was only four seconds up. ...This year I felt powerful all the way through. I stayed cautious in the first half, and that definitely came with experience about how to judge my effort at this altitude and on this course."

Danielson also improved in his 2013 time, going 45 seconds faster this year. Danielson's early time splits caused some doubt about where he would finish, but he picked up his effort over the second half of the course to put in the second-placed ride. The Garmin rider said he paid for the effort in the final 500 meters.

"I was in so much pain that at that moment, crashing seemed like a good option," he said. "I could see how far the finish still was, and I was like, 'Well, I could stop right now. All this pain could stop this moment. I have to hit this guy in the banana suit right in front of me. Please!' But he got out of the way, so I had to go the distance."

The revelation of the day was Tvetcov, who solidified a podium spot with his ride in Vail. The 25-year-old newly registered Romanian all-rounder said that he was happy to finish with his WorldTour opponents, but he wasn't surprised by the result.

"It was kind of hard TT, cold and uphill, with the altitude, everything," Tvetcov said. "Finally it was OK for me, compared to last year's result to this year. It was tailwind, so it was faster. I'm really happy with the podium. I feel great I can stay on the podium with big guys from the world tour. I'm really glad to stay with those guys."

How it happened

Inclement weather battered the riders again as they made their way over the 16.1km course that started in Vail and finished part way up Vail Pass. Rain was intermittent throughout the day, but it fell the hardest for the early riders and those who started near the end. The only benefit to riders was the tailwind that blew them up the hill and pushed down the times.

Leopold König, who started just 14th out of 118 riders, set the best early time with a mark of 27:40. The NetApp-Endura rider started in a downpour and had to take it easy on the brick roads over the first kilometers through the Vail Village.

"If the start is dry it's maybe 15-20, maybe a half minute difference," König said. "When I did it I was really, really careful, and I went super slow in the first kilometer. You never know how slippery it is."

König's time lasted through 52 riders until UnitedHealthcare's Ben Day, who was riding his final time trial before retirement, came across the line with a new best time of 27:33.

"That thing is painful as hell," Day said of the course. "I've got a love hate relationship with it. … It's so steeped in history, it's a pretty special event. For me it's me second-to-last day before retirement, so it's a course that I've had a lot of emotion to deal with, and even more today."

Day's time in the hot seat at the top of the course was short-lived, however, as Tinkoff-Saxo's Michael Rogers flew across the line 15 riders later with a new fastest mark of 26:06, blowing away all the previous top riders. Rogers said he had approached the week with a day-on, day-off philosophy, and he was obviously on form Saturday.

"I wanted to give it a good try today," Rogers said. "I haven't had a good try at a time trial for quite along while."

Rogers held on to the fastest time until the main general classification contenders hit the roads. Garmin-Sharp's Tom Danielson, who started the day fourth overall just 39 seconds off van Garderen's time, set the fastest mark at the first time check. Van Garderen blazed past the split 20 seconds faster.

With Majka, who started the day second overall, also losing time to the top contenders at the time checks, the stage appeared to be a battle between van Garderen and Tvetcov, who sat third overall, just 37 seconds behind van Garderen.

But Danielson picked up his pace near the top of the course and crossed the line with a blistering 25:19 to unseat Rogers from the top of the leader board. Tvetcov crossed the line next with a time 15 seconds slower than Danielson, while Majka suffered in the cold, wet conditions and set a disappointing mark that was 36 seconds slower than Danielson, surrendering his runner-up spot to the Garmin rider.

The last man the road, van Garderen, set the fastest time of the day, a course record of 24:26, to take the stage win for the second-consecutive year and expanding his lead in the overall.

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