U.S. riders Vande Velde, Farrar to return for Vuelta
Christian Vande Velde has endured a tough 14-month stretch, one in which he crashed at the 2009 and 2010 Giro d'Italias and the 2010 Tour de France -- each time leading to his departure from the race.
A little more than a week after Vande Velde's exit from the Tour, Garmin-Transitions teammate Tyler Farrar -- who crashed in Stage 2, just as Vande Velde did - also pulled out of the race.
But on Thursday, VeloNews.com reported that both American riders will return to competition at the Vuelta a Espana, the third Grand Tour race of the season. The 21-stage event starts Aug. 28 in Sevilla, Spain.
Vande Velde's best Grand Tour finishes were fourth- and eighth-place showings at the 2008 and 2009 Tour de France. He's competed at the Vuelta four times in his career, his best result being a 25th-place performance in 2002. The 34-year-old last rode in the Vuelta in 2007 and was 39th.
Farrar, 26, is a strong sprinter who has three Grand Tour stage wins -- two at the Giro and one at the Vuelta. He will be a contender in the one individual time trial stage and the flat stages at the Vuelta.
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