Friday, June 1, 2012

Ryder Hesjedal wins 2012 Giro d'Italia!


After placing 6th in the 21st and final stage (a 30-kilometre time trial) Ryder Hesjedal of Victoria, B.C. overtook former leader, Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver, to win the Giro d'Italia by a scant 16 seconds. He's the first Canadian ever to win one of cycling's three Grand Tours (the Tour de France and Vuelta a EspaƱa being the other two). In terms of Canadian cycling history this has to be ranked the greatest achievement ever.

Ryder, 31, began his pro cycling career in mountain biking where he was a top level racer. He first showed up on the road cycling radar a couple of years ago after placing 6th overall in the 2010 Tour de France.

This year his team, Garmin-Barracuda, placed enough faith in him to make him their team leader for the Giro. Of course, it's unlikely he'll be chosen to lead the team for the Tour de France coming this July. There's just not enough time for the body to recover. These days racers normally concentrate on performing well in one of the three Grand Tours.

The first Canadian to achieve success in a Grand Tour was Alex Stieda of Belleville, Ontario. In 1986 he became the first North American to don the Maillot Jaune (Yellow Jersey) as the overall leader in the Tour de France. He only held it for one day, but it was enough to make history.

In 1988, Steve Bauer, of St. Catharines, Ontario became the highest placing Canadian in the Tour de France when he finished 4th overall. That year he managed to wear the Maillot Jaune for five days.

Other notable Canadian cyclists - Alison Sydor dominated the Women's World Cup Cross Country Mountain Bike scene for three years in the mid-90s. Roland Green won the Men's version of the same event in 2001 and 2002. Clara Hughes of Winnipeg, Manitoba won two bronze medals in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta in the individual road race and the individual time trial.

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