Team rosters for the 2015 Tour of Alberta raise this year’s competitive bar with a winning field: officials

This week, officials and organizers with the Tour of Alberta p/b ATB Financial, happening from September 2 through September 7, announced the participation of several top-tier names and teams for this year’s event. It’s part of an overall competitive package, they say, that makes this year’s field perhaps the best in the event’s three-year history.

As the race kicks off in the Big Sky Country of Alberta, expect to see a few recognizable North American names, fresh back from the Tour de France and other high-profile races.

Current U.S. professional champion Matthew Busche, 7th-place Tour de France finisher Bauke Mollema, and Bib Hungels, recently crowned road race and time trial champion in Luxembourg, will be starting this year. For Orica-GreenEdge, meanwhile, San Sebastian World Tour winner Adam Yates and Michael Matthews, winner at the Tour of Switerland, Pais Vasco, Paris Nice, and a two-stage victor at the Tour of Italy, will be wearing team colours. For the Tour of Alberta, though, all eyes will be on the Canadian riders as the competition hits the hard, alpine terrain near Marmot Basin, one of two new additions to this year’s race. Considering the unique demands of this year’s race in that light, Canada’s elite selection of climbers will be in 2015’s spotlight.

The Canadian contingent, in fact, includes nearly all of the world’s top-ranked Canadian riders. Canadian cycling star Ryder Hesjedal of Team Cannondale-Garmin, 2012’s champion from the Tour of Italy, will be joined by Orica-GreenEdge’s Svein Tuft, the three-time Canadian time trial champion and silver time-trial medalist at the 2008 World Championships. Guillaume Boivin will be stating at this year’s race, too, while two-time Tour of Alberta winner Ryan Anderson and Tour of Utah podium winner Michael Woods also add their power to this year’s contention.

Former Canadian national road race champion Ryan Roth, of Silber Pro Cycling, and ach Bell of Team SmartStop round out the list.

“This truly is an incredible field that is being assembled,” said Duanne Vienneau, CEO of the Tour of Alberta. “The quality of the riders is a strong indication that the event has continued to build momentum in only three short years, Plus, we are so thrilled to include so many of the world’s top Canadians this year.”

Full details of 2015’s provisionary rosters for the 2015 Tour of Alberta can be viewed at this link.