Local PNW rider wins the 3rd stage of the Tour de France

Mount Rainier · Jul 4, 2011

Wenatchee native Tyler Farrar started racing at 13, and rode for Jelly Belly in 2003, Health Net-Maxxis in 2004, and Cofidis in 2006 and 2007. In April 2006 he crashed near the finish of the Circuit de la Sarthe and broke his collarbone and missed most of the season. For the 2008 season, he transferred to Slipstream-Chipotle.

He has won stages in the Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España, Three Days of De Panne and Tour de France. He wore the yellow jersey on stage three of the 2008 Tour of California after winning intermediate sprint points during stage two.

Farrar is very popular in Flanders, because he is fluent in Dutch and lives in the Belgian city of Ghent.

In May 2011 Farrar, together with the entire Leopard Trek team, withdrew from the Giro d'Italia as a mark of respect for his friend and training partner Wouter Weylandt, who was killed in an accident during the race.

Today, Farrar won his first Tour de France stage, Stage 3 from Olonne-sur-Mer to Redon, becoming the first American to win a stage of the Tour on the Fourth of July. :drinks:

Keep Going!

OK Red · Jul 4, 2011

Freaking Awesome win for Tyler AND the team!

That kid should never have to buy his own beer in his hometown again!

CAJW · Jul 4, 2011

Tyler beat the best of the best, congrats on an amazing accomplishment. Those guys compete at a level that normal cyclists (I for one) can't even fathom.

juniorfjr · Jul 5, 2011

Tyler grew up here in Wenatchee, his father was an orthopedic surgeon here. A couple of years ago he was riding his bicicle to work and was hit and run over by a distracted security guard. I took all of the right circumstances to save his life. Unfortunately he is now a paraplegic. Really neat family, the whole town is estatic over Tyler's accomplishments. Funny how life goes.