Kris Dahl discusses the 2015 Tour of Alberta ahead of the first stage

The Tour of Alberta has special significance for Kris Dahl. Not only has he ridden in the western stage race since its inception, but the ToA had a role in the Calgary rider’s move to the pro ranks. In 2013, Team SmartStop, the Alberta Peloton Association, Banff Lake Louise Tourism and the Tour of Alberta ran the Making the Tour program. The highest-placed under-23 rider from Alberta at that year’s Banff Bike Fest Stage Race would get a stagiaire contract with SmartStop. Dahl won that spot. He’s been on the team since.

Dahl says he’s learned a lot since joined the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based squad. “Learning from the staff, learning from a guy like [director] Mike Creed—he’s a wealth of knowledge—also guys like [fellow Canadians] Rob Britton and Zach Bell, those guys have so much experience, so I’m really lucky to be able to train with those guys and really get to know them,” Dahl said. “They taught me more than I could learn on almost any other team.”

For his third ToA, Dahl is hoping to be in the mix in the sprints, either helping his teammates get to the line first or looking for his own opportunities.