The two major wins by Team Garmin-Slipstream’s sprinter Tyler Farrar in the past week have fueled a lot of media coverage. Cyclingnews interviewed Tyler following his big win — and VeloNews’ Andrew Hood sat down with him to talk about his renewed motivation as he heads into the Eneco Tour and the Vuelta a Espana.
VN: Talking about Sunday, how did the race unfold for you and the team?
TF: It was a pretty low-key race. Two riders got away from the start, but as soon as we started up the first climb, the team did a great job helping get into position and taking care of me. I was always in the first 15 and I was always in good position. Even though half the team ended up hitting the deck, I don’t think they were seriously injured. Martijn (Maaskant) got 11 stitches on his knee and that will keep him out of Eneco. There’s nothing broken for Christian, but he’s skipping Eneco as well. I managed to skate through. It’s a one-day race, it’s really aggressive.
VN: Who was there to help you in the sprint?
TF: Millar and Christian did a great job taking care of me, keeping me out of trouble on the climbs. In the final kilometers I had Martijn and Chris (Sutton) there for me. CJ did a great job in the final kilometers to put me in the front. I was sitting on Columbia and Saxo Bank came over the top. Everyone was fighting for position. For awhile I was completely boxed and I didn’t even think I would be able to sprint, but with 150 meters to go, it opened up and I found some open road. I just went for it.
VN: What does a victory on this level mean for you?
TF: This is the biggest win of my career. It’s pretty satisfying. To win one of the classics is a huge goal that I’ve met now, but I’d like to win more. This is a race I’ve had my eye on all season. It’s the third time I’ve done it, so I knew it was a good race for me. It’s one of the classics that can end in a field sprint, so it’s an important race for me. I really came out of the Tour in good form, so timing-wise, it was perfect to capitalize on it. It’s been a really good season, I have good form and now things are going well. I hope to keep it rolling through Eneco and Vuelta and see if I can get a few more wins.
