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Wiggins fifth on the day, into third overall!

Bradley Wiggins - Tour de France 2009, stage 15 Team Garmin-Slipstream’s Tour GC revelation Bradley Wiggins continued to shine on the hardest stage of the Tour so far. Wiggins held his own in the elite group on the final climb to Verbier — and even putting in his own attacks, showing the other contenders he is more than just happy to be there.

“Really fantastic!” he told Versus. “It just worked. If it’s hurting you got to know that it’s going to hurt the others! I just kept that in mind and I knew it would eventually pay off”

The race is all abuzz about his ability to transform himself from a strong track racer into a climber. When asked if he is looking ahead to a podium spot in Paris, a humble Wiggo replied, “I’ll just keep going, day by day. I never think too far ahead. That doesn’t help my concentration. I’ve trained for it mentally and physically.”

“How can you think three days ahead when there are two in front of that!”

The team’s other GC contender, Christian Vande Velde also rode strong today, but finished a little off the leaders. However, he was ecstatic about his teammate’s ride and the wonderful lead-out David Millar gave the two into the bottom of the final climb — a crucial tactic.

David Millar - Tour de France 2009, stage 15

“This time I was with Brad so I got excited to be on the front,” he told Versus. “It’s not too often you have a guy like David leading you into the front! But I was caught a little too much wind [before that.]”

“You definitely have to look at Brad, after what he did today! It was a beautiful ride. I have no problem riding for [him.]”

Ryder Hesjedal also had a great day, riding strong in the day’s main break and up part of the final climb before the break was caught.

Ryder Hesjedal - Tour de France 2009, stage 15 Team Garmin-Slipstream, stage 15
1. Alberto Contador 5h03.58
5. Bradley Wiggins +1.06
22. Christian Vande Velde +2.41
44. Ryder Hesjedal +4.23
62. Martijn Maaskant +6.22
103. David Millar +12.11
104. David Zabriskie
115. Danny Pate +13.15
136. Tyler Farrar +18.12
148. Julian Dean

Team Garmin-Slipstream, GC results
1. Alberto Contador 63h17.56
3. Bradley Wiggins +1.46
12. Christian Vande Velde +3.59
57. Ryder Hesjedal +36.19
59. David Millar +40.34
81. David Zabriskie +59.32
91. Martijn Maaskant +1h07.07
128. Julian Dean +1h42.22
149. Danny Pate +1h57.42
158. Tyler Farrar +2h01.39


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This entry was posted on Sunday, July 19th, 2009 at 2:18 pm and is filed under Garmin, Garmin Web Site, Home Page, Race Reports and tagged with , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

  • Colin Barnes

    I hope Brad realises that the whole of Britain is pushing him on. It’s been massively thrilling to see him doing so well. Congratulations on a fantastic day of riding and for being such brilliant competitors in the Tour so far.

    GO WIGGO!!!!! GO GARMIN SLIPSTREAM!!!

  • phil

    Brad,you made a lot of Brits proud today,unbelievable.2nd place is there for you no worries.Keep going son.

  • ray & donna

    go go go go wiggo what a brill ride well done the whole team f in brill

  • Steve

    SWEET RIDE! That was as fine a display of team tactics and individual grit as I have seen from Garmin in this Tour. You guys were simply up to the task. Ryder in the break. Miller taking care of his boys and placing them right at the bottom of the climb in great shape. Wiggs riding lights out to the top. Bravo to the team!

  • JD

    WAY TO GO GARMIN!

    Great ride by Wiggins once again!

    Fantastic job Ryder out in the lead group! Let’s see some more of that in the last few stages!!!

  • andrew geary

    proud to be a garmin fan….

    loved seeing the team pulling all the way up the last col…

    wiggo ur a god….

    vdv great ride and a top 10 a great result now after the giro crash….

    well dine everyone…

    podium in paris here we come.

  • Slipstream Convert

    I got to hand it to Slipsteam boys, you are ripping the arse out of this tour. Wiggo is just amazing, what have you done to this guy? Last year you did with Vandervelde and you have done it again. We are rooting for you bad boy’s, just keep doing your thing and it will happen…!!!

  • Amy

    Great job, Garmin! Wiggins was awesome. Wished CVV could have hung in there a little further but he’s still in the hunt. Great job by Millar.

  • Sam

    France, 19th July 2009 – Bradley Wiggins returns faith to thousands, that there is hope of clean riders. Amazing, am I day-dreaming?

  • Dale S

    Great day everyone.
    Wonderful results.
    Have a good rest day tomorrow,
    looking forward to stage 16.
    Go Team Garmin!

  • Jeff McConnell

    A fantastic bit of riding today Brad. Try to get some rest tomorrow, you certainly deserve it.

  • Andy B

    Great effort guys. Brad, you da man, Christian, great to have two argyle right up there, and Dave, probably the most skilled, classy and unselfish domestique out there.

    Way to go Garmin Slipstream!

  • Stephen Frary

    Bradley Wiggins – British Hero!!!! What a performance!!! An extremelly modest response to questions on the top of that mountain – you deserve all the plaudits mate – YOU DID US PROUD!!!!!!!

  • Elise

    Go Argyle! Full steam ahead!

  • kb

    Great ride Wiggo!!! Thrilling to see a Garmin rider doing well again in the Tour. Christian – sorry to see it wasn’t your day, but maybe now you’ll be able to get some attacks in. Kudos also to Millar and Hesjedal. And pay no mind about what those other teams who will remain unnamed try to say in the press. Stay positive, keep riding hard!

  • Hayden

    This is sweet, sweet, sweet. Awesome ride, you guys. Lots of good mojo from the San Francisco Bay Area.

  • Practice Nurse Anthony Clarkson

    WOW !
    Not only Proud to wear ARGYLE but proud to be British too ! What a FANTASTIC Ride Bradley ! Hope the form holds Ready for the Time Trial ! Ready to leapfrog BIG TEX ? And a SUPERB Team effort everywhere
    Hope The form is building still for you Christian too
    GO -GARMIN rideHARDER !
    Anthony C Lincolnshire England proudly wearing 09 Team Argyle

  • http://www.tsururadio.com Tsuru

    The Lone Canuck in the breakaway!!! Great job today Garmin-Slipstream!

  • Richard

    What a great ride – looks like a podium next Sunday!

  • The johnson family, australia

    Well done Bradley. Fantastic effort. Keep going.

  • Lisa

    awesome ride guys!!!!

  • http://www.lunch.lt Kel

    Well done guys

  • Cathy

    Wiggo you’re a Golden Wonder! Have followed your awesome golds on the track. Hugely inspiring to see you now turn all that skill and determination into world class performance on the road – and with such great and intelligent support from David and the team. Keep flying all the way to Paris.

  • http://www.tvtr.co.uk Fixer

    Well done Brad….that was more interesting than the MotoGP. Keep your cool and tell the interviewers what you want to say and not what they want to hear. I think you’re an amazing ambassador for the sport of cycling.
    Podium in Paris??? I’m ready to party for that one!

  • John Jackson

    Wiggo you are about to make history – the first British rider on the podium in Paris. All of the country is backing you – awsome performance yesterday.

  • Kate

    What a team. What a ride.
    Now have knackered sofa from jumping up and down on it.
    Don’t care. Privilege to watch you, Brad.
    You’re a classy act – on and off the bike.
    All the best for the final week.

  • Jar de Rich

    Nice one Wiggo – brilliant effort.
    Got a bit emotional watching events unfold on TV yesterday afternoon. Been into bike racing for 25 years, living off scraps as far as British success is concerned, so to see you performing so well on GC is brilliant.

    Keep the dead pan comments coming when Ned Boulting shoves a microphone under your nose – thought he would have learnt by now!

  • M Van B

    Amazing ride Garmin! Wiggo you looked fantastic out there and VDV you still da man!

    Keep it up. I smell podium!

  • ryder_fanatic

    Ryder fantastic ride!

    It would have been even better if the breakaway had been successful. Oh well. That’s life! Rest well and show people what you are made of in the Alps.

    Thank you, thank you and thank you.

    A proud Canuck.

  • chrisp

    great stuff wiggins and millar

    get rid of the argyle please for next year!!

  • Joanna Farlin

    Way to ride Bradley, awesome day. And kudos to Garmin who stayed out of the high school antics of yesterday. I hate to see professionals act so petty…anyway, way to rise above it!

  • Jennifer

    OMG. Bradley, amazing ride! Great job guys.

  • Stsk

    Columbia leads with two jerseys… Pink for whining and Purple for boasting

    Sorry for George – he felt betrayed by Lance. Astana did a masterful spin job which certainly fooled “Jelly” Roll, among others, but Nocentini (in Equipe) pointed out that Columbia were the ones who screwed George’s Yellow, not Garmin. Sad.

    After Columbia’s dirty lead-outs for Cavendish day after day the stewards had finally had enough of it. Did we hear ANY coverage?…. anyone? Only the sound of Cavendish whining about Thor telling on him… I used to be a big fan of Cavendish. Now I’m just generally sick of Columbia.

    Looking forward to seeing Wiggo on the podium in Paris with Tyler winning the stage.

  • JaggedJeff

    Inside VDV is a heart of a LION! NOBODY recovers on a rest day like Christian – mark my words, he will absolutely ROCKET across the next several days.

    Go VDV and Wigmeister! The JAGGED boys are pulling for you!

  • Misty Mitten

    Brad you are amazing. You are truly one of the best in the world. You did it on the track now on the road. What a great team you all are. Good luck for the rest of the tour, all of us Brits here in France are behind you and screaming like loonies.

  • Bazza (ex-London)

    Brilliant what you’re doing, mate. Keep going all the way to Paris!!

  • http://Wiggins jonny

    Brad well done kid-no surrender-no pain no gain-give it to them over the next few days-everyone is behind you in UK.Keep up the fantastic work

  • http://www.xxcmag.com Jason

    Fantastic! Fun to watch. Keep it up, anything can happen!

  • Mwinq

    Outstanding work by the Argyle boys! Time to put the hurt on Lance and company … Keep it up

  • Will

    Years ago when I got into cycle racing, Britian was well and truly the laughing stock in the cycling world.But Rob Brailsford changed all of that which led Britain dominating the velodrome in the 2008 olympics. That sucess s finaly spilling out onto the road with Cavendish, Wiggins and Nicole Cooke. The Tour has been and always will be the place where cycling crowns its champion and I am begining to belive that some day Brad will be that person.

  • Mark Bryson

    Youv’e got it Brad , It’s a beautiful thing , soon you’ll be standing on the shoulder of giants , familiar to millions.

    Keep it Supersonic !

    All the best to you and the Garmin guys , from Mark (We met at the hotel in Montpellier ).

  • C-Fiddy

    Fantastic job to the entire Tour team! Strong riding, great tactics, make for a beautiful Tour. Keep it up, we’re all very proud of what you are doing for the sport!

  • http://Wiggins jonny

    wiggo go for it fella 2mo on Ventoux-no pain no gain!attack attack attack attack attack……………no surrender amigo………….lets c u on the podium in Paris……..u may get a knighthood!!!!!!

  • stephen mac

    Great work by Garmin- I’m especially proud of fellow Canadian Ryder with his excellent work and placement so far. He’s in third place on the Garmin squad. Fantastic to see a Scot, David Millar on the team, and another Brit, Wiggo, aiming for the podium.

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