Cycling-Van Garderen remains cautious after near-perfect first week

By Julien Pretot PLUMELEC, France, July 12 (Reuters) - Tejay van Garderen emerged as a credible Tour de France contender after a treacherous first week, yet the American refused to get carried away ahead of two gruelling weeks in the mountains. Van Garderen is second overall and trails overall leader Chris Froome by 12 seconds after his BMC Racing team beat the Briton's Sky team by one second in the ninth stage, a 28-km time trial on Sunday. "The team in the first week has been incredible, we passed every test with flying colours, it gives me the morale for the mountains, it gives the team a lot of morale," Van Garderen, fifth in the Tour in 2012 and 2014, told a news conference. With an experienced team around him, Van Garderen survived bunch-splitting winds, cobbled sectors and escaped multiple crashes. "Everything is clicking, it's all about momentum and we've gained a lot of momentum this first week," the American said. Froome has singled him out as his main rival, but Van Garderen remained cautious. "That's tall order. First the Pyrenees are going to be the test, who's going to be fit enough to win the Tour and the Alps will show who's going to have the stamina to make it to the end," the 26-year-old said. Van Garderen was beaten by Froome in the Criterium du Dauphine last month but the Briton failed to gain a lot of time in the final climbs. "I think I'm pretty close to Froome, we're really going to know that in the first week (in the mountains) to see who really has the depth," said Van Garderen, "The Tour is a marathon, we're not close to the end." (Editing by Ed Osmond)