Canadian all-rounder Ryder Hesjedal saves his team in the third stage
Team Garmin-Transitions is in second place in the team classifications thanks to a gutsy move by Canadian all-rounder Ryder Hesjedal. The 29-year-old cyclist instigated a successful break-away with five others which achieved a five-minute lead for the group, which was dominated by Quickstep team members. Hesjedal led the peloton, which with the help of Team Quickstep maintained the lead with all of Team Liquigas trailing.
“I didn't know exactly who was behind, but I knew that the selection would be a stellar group,” Hesjedal told Canadian Cyclist. “I was pleased to be able to hold them off as long as I could, and I had some hopes of being able to get to the line, but it wasn't to be.” The leader made another attack with 41 kilometers to go, but was eventually caught by a group led by eventual winner Fabian Cancellara. A final attack in the last kilometer only served to prompt the rest of the group to do the same.
“I couldn't get on Thor's [Hushovd] wheel, so I started to make sort of an effort, but it was into a headwind and I had to back off, or else I probably would have been last. I tried again after, but [fourth] was the best I could do.” Hesjedal ultimately finished fourth, behind Cancellara, Geraint Thomas and Hushovd.
“It was an epic stage. I left mountain biking and everyone said I’d be good in Roubaix but my first few experiences weren’t great. Once I got in the break at the start of the day I thought I’d just get up the road and see what happened,” he told Cycling News. “It would have been nice to win but there were some classy guys coming up and to be able to stay with those guys in the end was nice. Now we’ll see what happens in the next few days.”
In 2008, Hesjedal helped team leader Christian Vande Velde finish fifth overall in the Tour. Vande Velde was force to quit the 2010 tour after a crash in the second stage. “We all love Christian. At the hotel this morning it was tough and in a way that was a ride for him. He’s not just the leader of the team but a friend of mine. It’s tough. He gave me some nice words of encouragement this morning and I think I made good on that.”
Proud Canadian
Hesjedal began his career in mountain biking, and placed second in two world championships before becoming a professional road cyclist in 2005. His breakout year was 2007 where he won the Canadian national time trial championship and earned the mountain classification in the Tour of Georgia.
In September 2009, Hesjedal became the first Canadian to win a stage in the Vuelta Espana and at the end of the year he was named male Canadian cyclist of the year and the Canadian cyclist of the decade. “It makes me extremely proud. I was still not getting over that close call on stage 10 and I can’t believe I got another chance. I wasn’t going to let it happen again—so it’s pretty amazing and I feel that honor to be first Canadian but also it’s an outright honor for a lot of reasons.”
He first rode in the Tour de France in 2008, the first Canadian competitor in ten years, and 2010 is his third year as the only Canadian competing in the Tour. He finished 49th last year and 45th the year before. "I think I've proven I cannot just ride well and place high, but also place in the front," said the Victoria native. "Any time you can show that and prove that at this level, I think the team is hoping you can do that again and is looking at you to do that. Riders like myself, and others on the team, are going to be looking for those stage wins. I would be very happy if I can get myself in that situation."
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