Alex Stieda on the Tour of Alberta
Retired pro talks about next year's stage race
Today, I spoke briefly with Alex Stieda—a Belleville, Ont., native and the first North American to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. He’s one of the six members of the board of directors for the Tour of Alberta, a UCI 2.1 stage race that will run from Sept. 3 to Sept. 8, 2013.  Here are some of his thoughts on the race.
On the Tour’s route
The plan is to have a prologue in Edmonton. Then there’d be four stages in rural Alberta, but still close to Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer so that people can drive from those major centres to see the races. The final day would be a circuit finish in Calgary.
On bringing cycling to Alberta
The idea is to bring the race to the people. We want to educate the public here in Alberta about bike racing. There aren’t a ton of people who are hardcore cycling fans. We need to help them understand the strategies in a bike race.  There’s an initiative planned with the Grade 6 curriculum that will speak to different parts of cycling, including science, geography and nutrition. There will be a festival component that will create awareness about the race and also community pride, especially in the towns outside of Calgary and Edmonton.
On the race’s importance to the province
With a stage race, we will be able to show off the beauty of Alberta. And, we’ll be able to show the hospitality of Albertans, which is key. I’ve been here 16 years and it’s a great place to live. It’s very underrated. We have a lot to show here and a lot to be proud of.
On public participation
We’d love to be able to have amateurs ride the route on the same day as the pros like in the Tour Down Under and Tour of Utah. People ride the race course, and then watch the race go by a few hours later. It may not happen in the first year, but it can be done.
