2009 Garmin/Slipstream Team Profile
Jonathan Vaughter's Argyles - Living the Dream.

By Andrew Kappes

The disbandment of Team   Discovery Channel left American cycling fans feeling empty without a team in the Pro Tour, racing in Europe's toughest races. The successor was quickly found, in a team led by a former Postie. Jonathan Vaughter's dream came true when Garmin was given entry into elite races like Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France.

Garmin-Chipotle did not just show up at the Tour de France, they competed in it. A former lieutenant to CSC's best took America's hearts to the brink like Lance and Levi had done before. Even when most thought he had peaked as a domestique riding in support of others; Christian Vandevelde let his legs do the talking and opened the with the maglia Rosa at the Giro as the team swept to an impressive win in the team time trial.

Later in the year  at the tour Christian and the team would prove their mettle contending with the world's best. Vandevelde ended up finishing fifth,* only 3:05 off the pace of winner Carlos Sastre; the team acquitted themselves finishing 14th in the team classification with most of the riders making their grand tour debuts. Christian and the team had a "story book" year in 2008, but his best shot may be this year in the tour. He has a stacked team to help him, and a few other racers will be making noise in the Northern Classics, and the Grand Tours. (* with Bernhard Kohls positive test at the tour, brings Vandevelde's ranking to 4th on the G.C.)

David Millar and Magnus Backstedt lift the Christian Vandevelde on their shoulders as the team celebrates their team time trial win and taking the race lead. Photo © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti

Jonathan Vaughter and his dream have come a long way in 5 years; what started out modestly in 2003 as  a junior development team sponsored by 5280 a Denver magazine, morphed into the espoir team TIAA-CREFThe following year. In 2005 Vaughters expanded the team to a U26 team that gave a good accounting of itself being animators at the tours of Georgia and California. In 2005 Slipstream LLC was founded dedicated solely to promoting the ethical growth of American cycling. 

With Continuing momentum in 2007 Slipstream/Chipotle team raised its status to Continental pro and launched one of the first in house antidoping program with testing throughout the year, with the objective of a  cross-Atlantic schedule racing the USACycling Professional Tour, the European Continental Tour and hopefully a few ProTour wildcard starts. Vaughter's followed up at the team presentation saying confidently,  “We are happy to be growing - and growing at a rate that will put us on our objective of riding the Tour de France by 2009.”

Jonathan Vaughters introduces Michael Lange at the 2005 presentation.
Photo by Beth Seliga/ www.3catsphoto.com

Perhaps it was anti-doping stance and results drew more sponsors to the team; or perhaps it was the quiet confidence of of Jonathan Vaughters that showed he was a man with a vision capable of bringing it to reality... either way the dream realized in 2008 as Slipstream/Chipotle p/b HO3 garnered invitations to the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France a year ahead of Vaughters' seemingly impossible and ambitious goal he spoke of in the 2007 presentation.  By mid June Garmin signed on as main sponsor of the team and the team went to the highest level in pro cycling and re-launched as Garmin/Slipstream team. The vision was fulfilled on July 3 in Brest, France with the presentation of the team sponsors.

Vaughter's Garmin/Slipstream team led off the Qatari affair with Bradley Wiggins in gold and Hub Duyn in the blue jersey of Best Young Rider in the opening team time trial. Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

2009 Garmin/Slipstream Team (USA) Profile

Magnus Backstedt (Sweden - 33)
Classics specialist, loves the cobblestones.
Winner Paris Roubaix
Backstedt recently retired from the team and launched his own Swedish continental team,  Cyclesport.se-MagnusMaximusCoffee.com to do much for Sweden that Jonathan Vaughters has done in the USA. Magnus continues with Slipstream as a consultant for the young riders.
Personal Website: http://www.magnusbackstedt.com/
Team Cyclesport.se-MagnusMaximusCoffee.com

Blake Caldwell (United States - 24)
Time trial, climbing, Stage hunter
2008: 2nd overall, USA Road Championships
http://blakecaldwell.blogspot.com/

Steven Cozza (United States - 23)
An Aggressive rider, deadly combination of stage racing and the time trial, possible future in grand tours.
http://www.stevencozza.com/

Tom Danielson (United States - 30)
Danielson raced in collegiate and mountain bike making his mark in the Tour of the Gila in 2002 and signed by Saturn. it was only the beginning for the rider who went on to Discovery and then Slipstream.
Climbing and stage race vet, could put up some grand tour results in 2009.
Finished 6th in 2006 Vuelta a Espana
Personal Website: http://www.tomdanielson.com/

Julian Dean (New Zealand - 33)
Sprinter, former lead out man for Thor Hushovd, still settling into leadership role.
2008 New Zealand Road Race Champion
Personal Website: http://www.juliandean.co.nz/ 

Hans Dekkers (Netherlands - 27)
Talented Sprinter, one day racer, classics and stage hunter.
2008 Nationale Sluitingsprij Champion (Beat Tom Boonen)
Personal Website: http://www.hansdekkers.com/

Jason Donald (United States - 28)
Nick name: 'the Duck'
Time trials, climbing.
2008: 1st, Stage 1 Tour of Utah
Blog

Timothy Duggan (United States - 26)
Time trials, climbing.
2007: 3rd, National Time Trial Championships
On the comeback trail after a brain injury after a crash in the Tour de Georgia last year, raced well in the Tour Down Uncer.
Ust Go Harder Foundation - Education scholarships and mentoring

2008 Tour of Qatar: Duyn Huub Best Young Rider has a "Cycling Royalty" moment posing with cycling king Eddie Merckx Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

Huub Duyn (The Netherlands - 24)
Classics rider, Sprinter, stage hunter.
2008: 2nd, Stage 1 Tour of Qatar
Personal website: http://www.huub-duyn.nl/

Lucas Euser (United States - 25)
All rounder, Climber, Stage racer, potential breakaway winner.
2008: 1st, Univest Grand Prix

Tyler Farrar (United States - 24)
United States' best hope in Classics and sprints.
2008: 1st, GC Tour of Bahamas

Michael Friedman (United States - 26)
Sprinter - Track racing in his blood, sprint train, and one-day races.

William Frischkorn (United States- 27)
All around talents, One day and stage hunter.
2008: 2nd, Stage 3 Tour de France
Personal Website: http://www.willfrischkorn.com/

Ryder Hesjedal (Canada- 28)
Remarkably consistent rider, big engine - threat in one day races, and stage hunter.
Given the opportunity to lead a G.C. threat.
2008: 47th overall, Tour de France
http://ryderhesjedal.ca/

Trent Lowe (Australia - 24)
Stage racing threat, still working on his climbing.
2008: 2nd overall, Tour de Georgia

Martijn Maaskant (The Netherlands - 25)
Classics expert, could be the next great one-day racer.
2007: Dutch national road race champion.

Daniel Martin (Ireland - 22)
Stage race specialist, Ireland's best hope for stage race success in the coming years.
2008: 1st overall, Route du Sud, Irish road race champion.

Christian Meier (Canada - 23)
Up and coming all around Canadian racer, prefers the stage races.
2008: Canadian road race champion

Cameron Meyer( Australia -m 21)
All round rider  time trial, G.C.threat, track

David Millar (Great Britain - 32)
Time trials, prologues, can climb G.C. threat Stage hunter.
2008: 2nd overall, Tour of California

Danny Pate (United States - 29)
All around talent, time trials, Climber
Stage race specialist, time trials,climber - aggressive and  capable of winning out of the long break. stage hunter, competed in both the Giro and le Tour last year.
2008: 3rd, US Road Race championships.

Kilian Patour (France - 26)
All round rider - track rider.

Thomas Peterson (United States - 22)
tage racing body, time will tell if he develops into a supporter or leader.
2008: 3rd, U23 US National Road Race
Blog: Life on Two Wheels

Chris Sutton (Australia - 24)
Sprinter -  track talent
4th Touour of Qatar 2008

Svein Tuft (Canada - 31)
All around strength and speed -Great one day racer, hard man Classics, time trialist
2008: 2nd, World Championships, Time Trial, G.C. threat.
4 time Canadian TT champion.

Ricardo Van Der Velde (The Netherlands - 21)
Future one day racer, another Dutch talent in the Northern Classics.
2008: 1st, Stage 4 Tour de l'Avenir

2008 Giro d'Italia stage 1 - Christian Vandevelde on the podium in Pink.  Photo © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti

Christian Vandevelde (United States - 32)
One of the elite stage racers, will challenge for the yellow jersey this year.
2008: 4th overall, Tour de France
Personal Website: http://www.christianvandevelde.com/

Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain - 28)
Prologue king, adds another time trial threat for Garmin.
2008: 2 gold medals on the track in Beijing
Stage 1 Tour of Qatar

David Zabriskie (United States - 30)
Time trial dominator, most colorful personality in the American in peloton and best sense of humor.
2008: 3rd, World Championships, Time Trial
USA Time Trial Champion
Personal Website: http://www.davezabriskie.com/

Team website: http://www.slipstreamsports.com
Main Sponsor: Garmin http://www.garmin.com

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