Team Garmin’s reputation for breakout performances at the Tour gained incredible momentum today when Canadian Ryder Hesjedal capped the Tour of his life with the climb of his life. With the legendary Col du Tourmalet shrouded in rain, clouds and fog, Versus’ crew lost track of Ryder in the final kilometers. With one motorcycle camera crew focused on the two leaders vying for the stage win and the overall classification, and the other moto filming the chasing group of contenders, pundits assumed that Ryder wasn’t able to keep up with the sport’s bigger names. But moments after the two winners and a lone chaser crossed the line, another blurry figure emerged from the clouds. Commentators couldn’t hide the surprise and admiration in their voice when they realized that rather than dropping off the back, Ryder had also attacked off the front of the chasing group and secured a fourth-place finish on the biggest stage of the sport’s biggest event. Those extra seconds – and in some case minutes – that he gained over his rivals propelled him into 8th place overall with three days remaining. Tomorrow should see a sprint finish, Saturday will be a thrilling time trial, and Sunday will be a celebration in Paris. Be sure to follow @JakesJournal on Twitter and stay tuned at the Team Garmin minisite for rider diaries, race recaps and Garmin Connect data straight from Edge 500 .  

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Team Garmin: Hesjedal gains clout in the clouds, 4th on stage & 8th overall