“Growing up cycling on the roads and trails of Greater Victoria provided me the skills and solid cycling foundation to achieve 7th in the 2010 Tour de France.” ~Ryder Hesjedal
Ryder Hesjedal’s rise to fame in last year’s Tour de France has not gone unnoticed in his hometown of Victoria, B.C. In response to Hesjedal’s success, local news organizations have turned a spotlight on cycle racing, a formerly obscure sport lucky to garner a few seconds of coverage between hockey trivia and baseball scores.
As the first Canadian TdF contender since Alex Stieda’s run in the ’80s, Hesjedal may be doing as much for bike racing (and cycling in general) in this country, as his counterpart Lance Armstrong has done in the United States.
The man whose name spells cycling has made time in his busy training schedule to promote local races and community events. His participation in the hill-climb event boosted interest in the three-day Robert W. Cameron Law Cycling Series, last June. In September, he hosted a meet-’n-greet, in part to raise funds to expand opportunities for young cyclists.
Now he has put his name to a new endeavor. The Tour de Victoria, scheduled for May 28th, 2011, is a “supported mass participation cycling event, catering to all ages and fitness levels.” The tour offers three routes: 140km, 90km and a modest community ride for beginners and families. Registration opens on January 10th and will be limited to 1500 people.
As part of the non-profit Victoria International Cycling Festival, the TdV will be just one event in a month-long “celebration of cycling” in the Capital, designed to raise awareness as well as funds for charity.
Already recognized as bicycle-friendly and as a training centre for Canadian racers, this latest high-profile addition to Victoria’s cycling calendar can only add to the Capital’s reputation as a cycling Mecca.
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Actually, there have been other Canadian TdF contenders since Alex, who won Canada’s first maillot jaune. Steve Bauer from Fenwick, ON, actually held the yellow jersey for 5 days in 1988, and for 9 days in 1990! Also, British rider Jeremy Hunt (Sky), who rode for a number of BIG pro teams in the late 90’s and 00’s, was born in Macklin, Saskatchewan! But he wasn’t a contender at the level of Stieda, Bauer, or Hesjedal, and he rides for GB.
I was on temporary assignment for 6 months in Victoria, so I became quite well-acquainted with its back roads, and I heartily concur with Mr. Hesjedal’s comments. That hill climb up Bear Mountain is tough, especially on a fixie! I loved doing Munn Rd and Millstream Lk Rd. The most challenging road has to be Finlayson Arm; I did it on the fixie east to west (mostly STEEP downhill). You need low gears indeed to do it the other way!
Thanks for adding Bauer to the roster on this page–as you’ll see by following the first link, the omission here was more due to “deadline” constraints than anything else.
Victoria cyclists are indeed lucky to have so many varied and scenic routes packed into a relatively small area. The only problem route planners have in Greater Victoria is deciding which amazing and challenging roads to include in their rides.
During my stint as Vancouver Island route coordinator for BC Randonneurs, I think I managed to work most of the best ones into one event or another.
I’d say the descent of Finlayson Arm may be as difficult as climbing it–as far as challenging cornering skills! Watch out for loose gravel. And no discussion of local riding terrain should omit Ross-Durrance Road.
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