Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing) is aiming for the Tour de France in 2016(Image credit: Daniel Benson)
Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tejay van Garderen at the San Diego Low Speed Wind Tunnel(Image credit: Tim De Fresco)
Tejay van Garderen was third overall when he cracked on stage 17 and abandoned(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tejay van Garderen (BMC)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Following speculation that Tejay van Garderen could be entertaining a move to Trek-Segafredo, the 27-year-old has committed to BMC Racing by signing a contract extension. The American joined the team in 2012, finishing fifth and winning the best young rider classification at the that year's Tour de France and has since been a key GC rider for the team.
"This will be my fifth year with the team so when you get to know everyone so well over a period of time you become more like family," van Garderen said in a statement from the team. "I really like the way the team operates. I like all of the guys and I definitely think this is the perfect environment for me to flourish with my career. My main goal is the Tour de France, it is the pinnacle of the season and I'd like to shoot for the podium or victory over the next few years.
"I think BMC Racing Team offer a higher level of support than what you get at other teams. The training camps, the altitude camps, wind tunnel testing, there is no stone left unturned."
Prior to joining BMC, van Garderen rode for the HTC team in 2010-11 having first ridden for the Rabobank Continental team.
BMC's general manager Jim Ochowicz explained the extension of van Garderen's contract helps to secure a strong base for the team's ambitions going forward.
"Both Tejay and BMC Racing Team continue to strive towards reaching some of our goals which have not yet been accomplished together. It also solidifies his leadership in the team, in that Tejay is one of our captains. It's important for the team as a whole to have Tejay continue on with us as a leader of the organization and completes what we started with him four years ago," Ochowicz said.
"We've recently announced the extension beyond 2016 and Tejay is part of that extension. We are happy to be able to announce today that he'll be continuing on with us in the future."
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Van Garderen started his 2015 season by finishing second overall at Tour of Oman, before claiming a stage win at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. He then dueled with Chris Froome at the Critérium du Dauphiné, finishing second on the eve of the Tour. Van Garderen was sitting in third place overall when he was forced to abandon the race on the day after the second rest day on stage 17. A return to racing at the Vuelta a Espana was immediately successful as BMC won the team time trial but the Spanish grand tour would end in disappointment as van Garderen crashed out of the race with a broken shoulder.
