Van Garderen confident he can reach Tour de France podium

Tejay van Garderen said Wednesday that he is currently in better form than he was heading into the Tour de France last year when he finished fifth, and he is confident he can finish on the race's podium for the first time.

Growing up in Missoula, Montana, Pat competed in his first bike race in 1985 at Flathead Lake. He studied English and journalism at the University of Oregon and has covered North American cycling extensively since 2009, as well as racing and teams in Europe and South America. Pat currently lives in the US outside of Portland, Oregon, with his imaginary dog Rusty.