Ryder Hesjedal's Tour de Victoria is like a puzzle that pieces together the region’s best cycling routes: The undulating hills of Munn Road, the picturesque waterfront ride through Saanich and Oak Bay and the final stretch through the Inner Harbour.
“This ride really puts together some of our favourite courses in one long ride and really showcases the city,” said Andrew Attwell, a 49-year-old from Saanich who had just finished the 140-kilometre route on Sunday. “It also allows a lot of people to experience some elevation, some suffering.”
Despite experiencing some of that suffering himself, Attwell said cycling is “the new golf.”
“It combines a lot of good things, doesn't hurt your knees like running does and you have to be lean and fit. It's very social, it's a great sport to get into.”
Approximately 1,500 cyclists got the rock star treatment on Sunday as fans cheered them across the finish line on Belleville Street. Experienced cyclists participating in the 140-kilometre Harbour Air Seaplanes Epic left downtown at 7 a.m. and the fastest riders were coming in less than four hours later.
Nathan Brown, an American cyclist who races for UCI ProTeam Cannondale–Drapac, came across the finish line first, well ahead of the pack with a time of 3:50:56.
Brown, who held the polka dot jersey for dominating the mountains in stages three and four of the Tour de France, said he enjoys the more casual rides where cyclists can set competition aside and just have fun.
“I really enjoyed it today,” Brown said. “I think it's huge for Victoria. It's good to get so many cyclists together in one place and have a ride like this. We need more of these [events].”
Cyclists also had the option of less punishing routes, with the 45-kilometre Christie Phoenix Challenge or the 90-kilometre Trek Legend.
Saanich’s Clarie Townsend, who has been cycling for more than 15 years, said the event attracts cyclists from all over the world who get to see why the sport is so popular in Greater Victoria. She said while she was riding the longest route, a cyclist from the Lower Mainland asked her “when does it straighten out or flatten out?” She said: “Never, there’s another 50 K of this.”
The event is organized by Ryder's Cycling Society of Canada, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting cycling.
After posing with fellow cyclists for photos in front of the legislature, Hesjedal told the Times Colonist he’s happy to see the event flourishing in its seventh year.
“This is the seventh year running, I mean that's just incredible. It kind of speaks for itself that the city and the community and everyone wants this type of event and the community deserves this type of event,” said Hesjedal, who was raised in Colwood and whose triumph at the 2012 Giro d'Italia elevated him to one of the top cyclists in Canada. Hesjedal, who announced his retirement from competitive cycling last year, hopes the energy around the Tour de Victoria will be infectious for young people thinking about joining the sport.
“I think a lot of people go away from these events and they're even more motivated because they can see what's possible and they see a whole range of abilities and different styles,” Hesjedal said.
,
