American Teams Shine at Tour de France, Van Garderen Earns Polka Dot Jersey

7/9/11- The BMC Racing Team successfully passed another test Saturday at the Tour de France, powering the pursuit of a breakaway and delivering Cadel Evans to the foot of the final climb ˆ which he rode to a third-place finish to keep his second place overall.

As Rui Costa (Movistar) was surviving out of the breakaway to take the stage win, Evans comfortably monitored a flurry of action in the final kilometer. Philippe Gilbert attacked and got a gap. Then Albertor Contador put in a dig. Damiano Cunego attacked and Evans successfully work his way out of being momentarily boxed in. Gilbert held on for second, 12 seconds behind Costa, while Evans led the chase of the reduced peloton home in third, 15 seconds later. "We didn't lose any time to the main contenders and that is what is really important at this point," Evans said. "So far, the guys have been great."

The BMC Racing Team did the majority of the chasing after a nine-man breakaway went away in the first 10 kilometers of the 189 km race and gained a six-minute lead. "We had five in the front, which was really good numbers, with a couple climbs to go," Evans said. "When it's going between raining and then dry, the risks are amplified. You take everything a little bit conservatively." Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervélo) finished in Evans's group to hold onto the overall lead. Sunday's stage includes seven categorized climbs in 208 kilometers across the Massif Central.

HTC-Highroad's Tejay Van Garderen is the Tour de France's new leader of the King of the Mountains competition after taking part in a daylong break on stage eight.

Van Garderen claimed maximum points on the toughest single climb of the day, the Col de la Croix Saint-Robert. He now leads the classification, tied on points with the stage winner Alberto Rui Costa of Portugal.

The American rider was also given the Most Combative Rider of the stage award after he constantly attacked on the final two climbs of the day.

"It's my first Tour de France so I'm very pleased with my performance," Van Garderen said, "I was trying to go for the stage win, but the group was not working together so well and I maybe got a little too nervous."

"I tried for the King of the Mountains jersey, got that, but I didn't quite have the legs to chase Rui Costa down after he attacked."

"Still, it's great to have the polka-dot jersey."