Ryder Hesjedal, of Canada, competes in the men's UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Calgary, Saturday, July 3, 2004. The Victoria native is going to next month's Summer Olympics as a medal threat in mountain biking. But Hesjedal, 23, is also a good enough road racer he signed a contract this year with the prestigious U.S. Postal Service team, which is anchored by five-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong. (CP PICTURE ARCHIVE/Jeff McIntosh)JEFF MCINTOSH/The Canadian Press
Canada will have two rooting interests pedalling in the Tour de France after former mountain bike world champion Ryder Hesjedal of Victoria and Toronto's Michael Barry were named by their pro teams to their respective competition squads.
It will be the third trip around the French countryside for Hesjedal, while it's a career first for Barry, who has been a domestique or pack rider for the likes of Lance Armstrong, but never been called upon to ride in the sport's big show.
"Having two Canadian riders on the Tour de France is a reflection of the progress of our Canadian athletes on the international scene," said Jacques Landry, chief technical officer for the Canadian Cycling Association. Both riders are members of the national road cycling team and have represented Canada at major international events.
"Through our programming, we are looking forward to have increasing numbers of our Canadian riders competing at the Tour de France and other major events."
Barry has been selected by the professional squad Team Sky, getting the nod over New Zealand sprint specialist Greg Henderson in the nine-man team. Henderson has won four stage races this season, but the strategy in picking the hard-working Barry ahead of him apparently promotes the stock of British team leader Bradley Wiggins.
Wiggins will get the full attention of Barry, a dutiful 12-year pro, and other teammates, rather than seeing them dilute their work trying to get Henderson to the front.
Hesjedal, ranked 16th internationally on mountain bikes, rides on the professional tour with Team Garmin-Transitions.
Hesjedal, 29, is a two-time mountain bike world champion of the UCI - the French acronym for the International Cycling Union - in team relay (2001, 2002) and a two-time UCI world championship silver medalist in the mountain bike cross country (2001, 2003).
Hesjedal rode in the Tour de France in 2008 and 2009, and last season finished second in one of the Tour stages. He also won a stage of the prestigious Vuelta Espana. This season he has won a stage of the Amgen's Tour of California, in front of some of the biggest names in the peleton.
Barry represented Canada at many international events, such as at Olympic Games, world championships, Pan-American Games and Commonwealth Games. Barry finished ninth at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing in the road race.
The Tour de France starts July 3 and ends July 25. It will be made up of one prologue and 20 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,642 kilometres.