Perhaps not all of you have managed to follow the Tour everyday, so you will be glad to know Canadian Ryder Hesjedal remains in the top third of the riders competing.
The Tour website has a very detailed History section. I discovered in it the quite remarkable Tour history of Steve Bauer, the most successful Canadian in international professional bike-racing ever, fourth overall in the Tour of 1988, and fourteen yellow jersey stages overall (plus an Olympic silver medal). Canadian Alex Stieda also wore yellow once -- first North American ever -- and Gordon Fraser, who rode but did not finish the Tour in 1997, completes the alltime Canadian contingent.
Though he has suffered in several crashes and has not yet been able to stand out, Ryder Hesjedal, who stood in the top thirty overall last year, may yet have a lot to contribute to the Garmin-Slipstream team. They are about to hit the Alps and we look for good things.
