Phonak Hearing Systems
2004
In 2004 Tyler joined the Swiss based Phonak Hearing Systems Team for the opportunity to be the team’s sole leader and focus on winning the Tour de France. He played a large role in selecting the team’s equipment, riders and staff. By the start of the 2004 season, Tyler had reached the highest level of the sport.
For the second year in a row, bad luck interfered with Tyler’s ambitions at the 2004 Tour de France. Another massive pile up within the finishing straights of Stage 2 left his back badly injured. He had somersaulted over the handlebars at speeds above 45 mph and landed squarely on his lower back leaving 5 vertebra fractured and his kidneys and spleen badly bruised. After fighting through the 2003 Tour with a fractured collarbone, he thought he could ride through the injury. But diminished strength in his back impeded his ability to climb. When the Tour hit the high mountains during Stage 14, he could not continue at race speed. For the first time in 8 starts, he was unable to finish the Tour de France.
Tyler quickly regrouped and worked hard to mend his injuries in time for the Olympic Games in Athens, scheduled just over a month after he abandoned the Tour. He made the 1 hour Individual Time Trial the sole focus of his training and recovery. On August 14, 2004 Tyler achieved a life long dream of becoming an Olympic Champion.
Two weeks later Tyler started the Grand Tour of Spain called the Vuelta Espana. Having abandoned the strict training necessary to prepare for a three week long race to focus on the Olympics, his fitness level was not ideal. While he trailed greatly in the overall standings of the race by the half way point, he had been able to win the Individual Time Trial stage, making him the first American to win a stage in all three of cycling’s Grand Tours.