After two-year absence, American rider Tyler Farrar is back to the Tour de France. The MTN-Qhubeka rider hopes to win a stage on this 2015 edition. The 31-year-old explained according to Velonews he is currently very motivated and in confident.

"Our goal as a team is to win a stage. If it’s me, or if it’s any other guy on the team, I’d be very happy. We have the guys to do it." Yesterday, he finished 163rd, eleven minutes after Joaquin Rodriguez. 

MTN manager Brian Smith approached Farrar with an audacious idea; to bring Africa’s first team to the Tour, and Smith wanted Farrar along for the ride. "He’s not a pure sprinter anymore. He’s not going to beat Mark Cavendish. We’re not asking him to win bunch sprints. We want to see him get into smaller groups, and try to win a sprint out of that."

Farrah agrees with his manager. Indeed, without a train to compete with teams like Etixx-Quick Step or Katusha, it is very difficult. "You certainly won’t see our jersey controlling the race with 5km to go. We’re going to try to mix it up. There will be stages for all of us to have a go. We’ll talk during the stage to see who has the legs and who’s feeling good."

But the American is here to help also African riders who are discovering the three-week races. "This is an international team, but at its heart, it’s an African team. There is a very special energy around this team, and I’ve enjoyed this season working with everyone. There is definitely an African vibe on this team. I really like it. I’ve had really good preparation for this Tour. I had the opportunity to just train for this race. I will help these African guys. This is my fifth Tour, and I’ve done 14 grand tours. I think I know my way around the peloton. We won’t have a GC guy here, so we can mix it up in different scenarios. Everyone’s very excited."