Ninety-nine elite riders from all over the world cycled through Lethbridge Thursday night, tackling over 100 kilometres of roadway. You could hear fans cheering throughout the downtown core, as residents lined the streets to watch the Tour of Alberta. The race was close throughout, and had a thrilling finish for those packed by the finish line.
A seven-rider group turned the corner onto 3 Avenue S, and 8 Street, where Colin Joyce lowered his head and narrowly crossed the line first. The 22-year-old credited his success to some tasty pre-race munchies.
“It feels really good! Those cookies that I had last night definitely paid off,” Joyce said. “It’s good to be able to eat some cookies and brownies and still be able to race well, and have a good result.”
The night was indeed, pretty sweet for Joyce, who also claimed the best young rider jersey. Top Canadian went to Antoine Duschesne, while Alex Howes and Robin Carpenter nabbed second and third place respectively.
It was an electric night, for both the fans and riders.
“It’s always cool riding through small towns and small cities with hundreds of screaming fans,” Joyce said. “I don’t do that a lot at races, so it’s really awesome to have that.”
It was a major advantage for Lethbridge to score the first stage of the race. Not only is it one of the most prestigious stages, it also carries a financial bonus, as riders, fans and event staff all come to the city several days in advance.
“It was fantastic to have them here for four or five days,” Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman said. “It’s a great economic investment in the city because they’re using hotel rooms, they’re using local businesses, they’re getting their meals.”
Tour of Alberta Executive Director Duane Vienneau would love to come back to Lethbridge soon but he’s still waiting on a firm answer from the City of Lethbridge.
“I was kidding with some people today saying, ‘we’ll see you again in two years’ and I didn’t get a no,” Vienneau said.
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