Although Tyler Hamilton is a past doper, he is still one of my favourite cyclists, due to his commitment to finishing a race, like the 2004 Tour De France which I watched in amazement as he rode through the race with a broken collarbone to finish 4th and win a stage, ever since then I have been a fan, not go his doping or his lying, but his mental strength and bulldog like attitude. Therefore I have decided to start a story following the life of Tyler Hamilton starting in 1998, and will follow his rise through the professional ranks. Starting at team US Postal where he has a one year contract to begin with, and will be required to lead teams in smaller races and help team leader Lance Armstrong to win races.
Edited by JoeArmstrong13 on 03-08-2014 07:48
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Santos Tour Down Under
Paris Nice
Tour of the Basque Country
Paris Roubaix Tour of California
Tour De Suisse Tour De France
Tour of Utah USA Pro Cycling Challenge Vuelta a Espana
World ChampionshipsEdited by JoeArmstrong13 on 03-08-2014 08:38
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Full name Tyler Hamilton Age 26 years old Born March 1, 1971 Marblehead, Massachusetts, United States Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) Weight 65 kg
Teams
1994 Coors Light 1995 Montgomery Bell Cycling 1996 Montgomery Bell Cycling 1997 US Postal Service (was Montgomery Bell Cycling) 1998 US Postal Service 1999 -
Biography
Hamilton attended Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire, where he started cycling. After graduating in 1990, he attended the University of Colorado at Boulder as a ski racer and received a BA in economics in 1994. A back injury (two broken vertebrae while mountain bike training on a ski jump) at the University of Colorado developmental ski team in September 1991 ended his skiing and he switched to cycling.
He turned pro in 1995 for the Montgomery Bell Cycling team which later became the U.S. Postal Service cycling team and will race for them in the 1998.
Edited by JoeArmstrong13 on 03-08-2014 14:17
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Realistically this year is just about gaining experience as the team leader, as in the past I have worked for other people, so to be allowed to lead the team at the Vuelta is a great honour for me, and it shows that the team management thinks I have grand tour winning potential. I think in the Vuelta I could get a top 10 overall, and maybe a stage win, but I'm not expecting much as I have little experience of leading the team.
That is why the team has decided that I will lead the team at the Tour of California, USA Pro Cycling Challenge and the Tour Down Under to gain experience at leading a team before the Vuelta, which I see as an honour as American races are a very big goal for our team this year, as our sponsors are American so they want us to perform well when we are racing in America so it is a real honour to be asked to lead the team.
At the Tour De France I will be a support rider for Bobby Julich, as he aims to be only the second American to win the tour, my role will be to help him up the final climb of the stage. The team will also feature Kevin Livingston and Roberto Heras to help Bobby in the mountains, and Lance Armstrong who shall be the teams sprinter as he tries to comeback from his cancer. I think that I could get a top 15 on the overall classification, and maybe a stage win, but we will have to see as my main aim is to help Bobby get the win when there are some very strong riders like Jan Ullrich and Marco Pantani.
At Paris Nice, Tour of the Basque Country and the Tour De Suisse, I would like to get a top 5 overall in each race, which I think is highly achievable as all of the routes suit my style of riding. Although I won't be the main team leader, so I will try to help the leader as much as I can, but I think that getting a top 5 but still helping the leader will show the team that I am capable to win the big races.
The team have decided that I should ride Paris Roubaix as this years tour features some cobbled sectors, so it would be ideal preparation, meaning that we will send some of the tour team to recce some of the sectors, and as I have little experience of racing over cobbles, the management have decided that I should ride the race, as a team mate for George Hincapie, however I will only do work early in the race or try to get in the breakaway, so that I'm not at risk of crashing, which may impact on my season. Tyler HamiltonEdited by JoeArmstrong13 on 03-08-2014 08:39
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Another new signing to the team as we aim to win the Tour De France, with only the second ever American to achieve this, (hopefully) he will be backed completely by the team as he aims to achieve victory in the Tour, with the help of the team's great climbers, Tyler Hamilton and Paolo Savoldelli. Bobby is a specialist time trailers, who can climb with the best in the world, making him the perfect rider to win the Tour De France.
Paolo Savoldelli
Postal's new signing will lead the team at the Giro, as well as providing assistance to Bobby Julich at the Tour De France. Savoldelli is a great climber, who is an asset to have on the team, we guarantee that he will be seen often at the front when the road points towards the sky, however Savoldelli is also a great time trailer and overall victory at the Giro is a very big thing for the Italian star.
Tyler Hamilton
Tyler remains with the team after a strong year, which saw him perform with the best in the worlds at some of the most prestigious races, this year the 26 year old will aim to win the Vuelta, with help from Spanish climber Roberto Heras, and young American Floyd Landis. Hamilton is a superb time trailer, who can suffer like no other man can making him a key component in the Postal team.
Classics Specialists
George Hincapie
Postals main man in the cobbled classics, who will try to prove the potential that he showed last year in the races that some riders fear. George will also be a key factor in the Tour De France squad as a workhorse and expert for when the race hits the cobbles.
Magnus Backstedt
A new signing to act as a lieutenant to Hincapie in the classics, and another strong man for the on the flat. A rider that isn't afraid to take the race by the scruff of the neck, and attack, so he will be a key factor to our race strategy in all types of races.
Lance Armstrong
The comeback kid is back in the pro ranks after a long struggle with cancer, the legend of American cycling is back, and he will lead the team efforts in the Ardennes classics, as well as trying to fight for the green jersey at the Tour, as his climbing and sprinting skills make him the perfect rider to win the classification.
Bradley Wiggins
The young kid on the block, makes his debut to road racing after winning the junior work pursuit championships earlier this year, and finishing 4th in the points race last year. Wiggins is a strong hope for the classics as his time trial ability and diesel engine make him perfect for the classics, when endurance is key.
The Rest Of The Team
Kevin Livingston Roberto Heras Floyd Landis Jose Azevedo Dariusz Baranowski Yaroslav Popovych Peter Meinert Nielsen Claudio Chiappuci Ivan Basso Viatcheslav Ekimov Christian Vandevelde Sylvian Chavanel Frankie Andreu Marty Jemison Fabian Wegmann David Millar Pascal Derame Dylan Casey Benoit Joachim Thor Hushovd David George Michael Rogers Frank Hoj Jeremy Hunt Glen Magnusson
Edited by JoeArmstrong13 on 03-08-2014 15:06
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Bobby Julich
Paolo Savoldelli
Magnus Backstedt
Bradley Wiggins
Roberto Heras
Jose Azevedo
Dariusz Baranowski
Yaroslav Popovych
Peter Meinert Nielsen
Viatcheslav Ekimov
Sylvian Chavanel
Fabian Wegmann
Benoit Joachim
Thor Hushovd
David George
Michael Rogers
