Tuft to Garmin

by australopithecine on Sep 25, 2008 5:07 PM EDT

Cycling News reports that Svein Tuft has signed a two year deal with Garmin-Chipotle. I think this is a great bit of news for a rider that has paid his dues on smaller teams and done well to boot. He will add great depth to the classics team.

His story reminds me of the great book "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer. He seems to be the archetypal wandering youth looking for himself... that should do it for 75 words then.

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Garmin do realise

that they need something other than time trialists don’t they?? They don’t seem to have signed any other kind of rider recently!

Good for Tuft though.

by Gemma on Sep 25, 2008 5:23 PM EDT reply actions

Get a proper train going for Julian Dean you mean?

So next year all those 8th places are suddenly going to turn into 6ths and 5ths. I’m sure Columbia will be grateful for the help.

by Monty. on Sep 25, 2008 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions

He'll be very useful in the northern classics. That's where being a big diesel is advantagous.

Maskaant’s going to love him at Flanders and Roubaix.

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

by Drew Davis on Sep 26, 2008 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions

nice catch

Is this new news? If so, he sure picked a great way to introduce himself to the world.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris Fontecchio on Sep 25, 2008 5:23 PM EDT reply actions

been rumored for many weeks (months?) but now official

by lyne on Sep 25, 2008 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Most excellent.

by Sui Juris on Sep 25, 2008 5:26 PM EDT reply actions

+1

i am liking Garmin more and more… :)

by nicknorco on Sep 25, 2008 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah!!!

I am interested to see how that Canadian National Jersey Turns out in Argyle I hope he keeps the helmet though,

I Like It

From Tour Of Missouri 2008

"...The mind has to rule the body and tell the body, shut up and do what I tell you to do..." Jens!

by Clydesdale on Sep 25, 2008 5:28 PM EDT reply actions

is this a plug for Target?

by brunopitton on Sep 25, 2008 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions

It's hard to frame a shot and wave a flag at the same time

You could say that Tuft was on “Target” for a 3rd place finish.

"...The mind has to rule the body and tell the body, shut up and do what I tell you to do..." Jens!

by Clydesdale on Sep 25, 2008 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Ryder Hesjedal

was ‘07 Canadian TT champ and wore the jersey with Garmin this year. Check out the photos from the Giro’s stage 1 TTT for pics. Tuft won the national TT in ’04, ’05, ’06 and this year.

by sylvan on Sep 25, 2008 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions

I am interested to see how that Canadian National Jersey Turns out in Argyle

Like this?

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 26, 2008 6:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Michael Berry

Tuft, this is the guy in Michael Berry’s Diary post over on Velonews right? Good stuff, that.

by phantom_51 on Sep 25, 2008 6:18 PM EDT reply actions

yep

quite the good timing on Barry’s and VN’s part to have that up right before the TT…

by guidemd on Sep 25, 2008 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions

So

Garmin will hammered the team time trials next year…

by semprenaroda on Sep 25, 2008 6:42 PM EDT reply actions

I have had the man-crush...

on Tuft ever since he won Richmond in the driving snow!

That was a beautiful race!!!

Glad to see him on Garmin.

Racing for Victory and Free Beer!

by DemonCats on Sep 25, 2008 8:42 PM EDT reply actions

yup

by Sui Juris on Sep 25, 2008 9:01 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

Mancrush indeed. Tuft to Garmin is excellent news all around.

by Jimbo... on Sep 26, 2008 12:55 AM EDT up reply actions

That was the race with the cobbled climb, right?

Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets

by Jens on Sep 26, 2008 1:59 AM EDT up reply actions

That's the one.

NBC went a bit overboard with the promo for that if I remember – “just like Belgium,” blah.

by plinytheelder on Sep 26, 2008 6:45 AM EDT up reply actions

Pretty damn cool race though.

by plinytheelder on Sep 26, 2008 6:45 AM EDT up reply actions

It was worse than Belgium!

Especially since the Northern Classics that year were dry and warm!

The snow storm at the beginning was EPIC!!!

Racing for Victory and Free Beer!

by DemonCats on Sep 26, 2008 7:47 AM EDT up reply actions

Props to Tuft for that one

I remember thinking he looked too big to take off on that little climb, but he just powered away and made it stick. I do remember something about the Cuban Missile poisoning a break in the final laps, but Tuft definitely earned that victory.

by Softie on Sep 26, 2008 8:37 AM EDT up reply actions

So where are the pics of the epic snow?

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Sep 26, 2008 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions

It was on the way to RVA from Williamsburg...

They delayed the start and when racing started, they had horizontal wind blowing into them.

By the time they got to RVA, the weather was nicer.

I’m surprised you didn’t see that race. NBC broadcast a really good race.

Shame it moved north somewhere.

Racing for Victory and Free Beer!

by DemonCats on Sep 26, 2008 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions

link...

http://www.steephill.tv/2007/us-open-cycling-championships/us-open-snow-start.jpg

Racing for Victory and Free Beer!

by DemonCats on Sep 26, 2008 8:11 PM EDT up reply actions

link...

http://www.steephill.tv/2007/us-open-cycling-championships/finale-video.html

Racing for Victory and Free Beer!

by DemonCats on Sep 26, 2008 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks tons for the pic and video link.

Watching that was an enjoyable way to wind down a long day. :-)

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Sep 26, 2008 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Yep - Libby Hill

All we needed was beer. (Or mulled wine, really)

by Sui Juris on Sep 26, 2008 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions

A shame that the all-Canadian Symmetrics Cycling Team...

is shutting down after this year. This team did great things for Canadian cycling and was developing great riders like Svein Tuft. I’m glad for Svein he’s going to a good team and deserves a spot but the loss of Symmetrics is a step backwards for Canadian cycling.

by bikenik on Sep 26, 2008 2:51 PM EDT reply actions

agreed

by nicknorco on Sep 26, 2008 9:26 PM EDT up reply actions

So, was Tuft talking to JV during the ToG?

That would explain the gloves. Probably not, but you never know.

If I just had one more gear, I...

by SpunOut on Sep 26, 2008 7:47 PM EDT reply actions

since the TT threads have moved off the main page

… I’ll post this here, article from today’s Toronto Star about Tuft’s silver, love this quote:

Field (ed -Symmetrics manager) drew a Canadian comparison. “It’s like a guy from Junior A hockey in Saskatchewan coming into the NHL and taking a team to the Stanley Cup. It’s stunning.”

That’s probably the only way most Canadians can relate ;-)

by guidemd on Sep 26, 2008 9:00 PM EDT reply actions

and interview with Tuft at Pez

here

PEZ: Next season?
Svein: I’ll be riding for Garmin; we agreed to the terms at the Tour of Missouri. I know Jonathan Vaughters from the days we rode at Prime Alliance together, it’s a two year contract and I’m very happy with things.
The World TT championship will be a big target for next year; this year has been such an eye opener for me – it has let me see what I’m really capable of.

OT I like this quote from Fredrik Ericsson at the end of the article, when asked about the Armstrong comeback: " I’ve always been a fan of Lance and overall I think it’s a good thing for cycling; everyone is talking about the Tour already and it’s promoting a good cause – Livestrong. Having said all that, if I was Alberto Contador, I’d be pissed!’"

by guidemd on Sep 26, 2008 9:14 PM EDT up reply actions

local Vancouver TV station interviews Tuft by phone

here (direct link if it works), or here (less direct – click on “sports” then on “Svein Tuft wins silver” and hope that it hasn’t been displaced by newer stuff).

Interesting that Tuft says perhaps it was beneficial to be on a road bike at the end of the course because the end was quite technical.

by guidemd on Sep 27, 2008 1:16 AM EDT reply actions