Tejay van Garderen and The Switch

Tejay van Garderen and The Switch

Strange goings on at Tour of California: on crashing, cable routing and good turns

Amgen Tour of California Lachlan Morton Racing Tejay van Garderen

As the peloton wound its way along the glorious Pacific Coast Highway towards Morro Bay on stage 4 of the Tour of California, yellow jersey Tejay van Garderen suffered the first of several indignities during a chaotic day at the races.


Hitting the deck with 7km remaining, Lachlan Morton was quickly at hand to surrender his bike to his EF Education First team leader. So far, so good.


Then a tight right-hander saw the hapless 2013 California winner shooting straight on, wrestling Morton’s machine to stay in control, while his three pink-clad helpers sailed clean round the bend.


His misfortune in this incident appears to stem from brake cable routing. Van Garderen favours the American style (left lever, front). Unfortunately, his Australian buddy Morton goes with what is traditionally the British set-up (right lever, front).


As The Smiths asked back in 1984: “What difference does it make?”


Quite a lot, actually, Morrissey, you silly man on your punctured bicycle.


A few years back, I was loaned a lovely steel machine to ride the Gran Fondo Fausto Coppi in beautiful Piedmont. “Be very careful on the descent of the Fauniera,” I was told. “It is treacherous.”


The mountain is otherwise known as Colle dei Morti, or ‘pass of the dead’, which should have proved sufficient warning…

 

Rouleur Desire special out now


Sure enough, hammering round a tight bend that proved to be somewhat tighter than expected, I grabbed the front brake – only to find it was, of course, the back one. In a panic, I squeezed harder, exacerbating the skid already in motion. In an instant, the bike had turned 180 degrees and blown out the rear tyre. The only upside to the situation was not hitting the deck.

 

The tyre was ruined. On a hillside desolate… Who’s laughing now, Morrissey?


Scratching my head, trying to figure out what to do next, another unfortunate rider came haring round the corner but was unable to hold it up. The horrible sound of bike and human scraping along the road followed.


Clutching his bloodied leg, the poor chap said he’d be clambering in the ambulance when it arrived.


“Lend me your tyre then, will you?” I blurted, attempting to triumph over adversity – mostly his. The dazed and confused fella never stood a chance, as I wrestled his front wheel away, gave him all the money in my pocket and got back on the road in minutes, thanking him profusely.


Texting him hours later, attempting to return the loaned rubber and buy the man a beer, he replied that he’d forgotten all about it and was already en route home to Switzerland. “Pass a good deed on to someone else,” he wrote, magnanimously.


And the moral of the story? Never use a bike with brakes routed incorrectly. It may be an almighty faff, but switching them around the day before will make your day much safer.


And if you desperately need a tyre due to a mishap, I’m here for you, much like Lachlan Morton was there for Tejay van Garderen. Just be sure to fit it the right way round.

 

The post Tejay van Garderen and The Switch appeared first on The world's finest cycling magazine.

Amgen Tour of California Lachlan Morton Racing Tejay van Garderen

READ MORE

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig for MNSTRY

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig: ‘I want to be back racing with my heart’

The Danish rider has signed a two-year contract with CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto, changing her training, fuelling and mindset in order to get back on top of the...

Leggi di più
Tadej Pogačar at the 2024 Il Lombardia

UAE Tour 2025 preview and contenders: Can anyone deny Pogačar?

A raft of top sprinters are lining up to vie for stage victories in the year's second WorldTour stage race

Leggi di più
Demi Vollering 2025

Is FDJ-Suez the team that can help Demi Vollering to Tour de France Femmes redemption?

There are big changes for the Dutch rider in 2025 - will they pay off? Or could leadership issues arise again? 

Leggi di più
Tadej Pogačar to Paris-Roubaix 2025 – Legendary or laughable?

Tadej Pogačar to Paris-Roubaix 2025 – Legendary or laughable?

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider has teased his participation on social media, but is it a legitimate possibility?

Leggi di più
James Knox at the British Road Championships

‘Credit should go to Lefevere for working the market’ - James Knox on Soudal–Quick-Step’s evolution from the cobbles to Tour de France contenders

Now in his sixth year with the Belgian squad, the British rider discusses what has changed following the arrival and performances of Remco Evenepoel

Leggi di più

READ RIDE REPEAT

JOIN ROULEUR TODAY

Get closer to the sport than ever before.

Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines.

SUBSCRIBE