Tejay van Garderen to compete at Spanish Vuelta

PARIS (AP) Tejay van Garderen will ride in the Spanish Vuelta next month after abandoning at the Tour de France because of illness.

The American rider, who pulled out of cycling's biggest race during the 17th stage when sitting third in the overall standings, will compete at the Vuelta for the first time since 2010.

Van Garderen will be leading the BMC Racing Team alongside Samuel Sanchez, the 2008 Olympic champion and 2009 Vuelta runner-up.

Van Garderen said he initially planned to ride the USA Pro Challenge, a minor race in Colorado, ''but after what happened at the Tour, I need to prove myself on a bigger scale. The more I have thought about it, the more excited I am about doing it.''

The Vuelta starts on Aug. 22.