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Tour of Alberta Lethbridge Leg Just Days Away

Aug 29, 2016 | 12:28 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Only a couple more days until the city welcomes professional cyclists from over 25 countries.

On Thursday September 1, The Tour of Alberta will receive international attention with live broadcast distribution to 200 countries.

Lethbridge will serve as a the starting host city for the Tour of Alberta’s five-day event.

Cyclists will take to the starting line at approximately 4:50 p.m. on September 1st.

Duane Vienneau, Tour of Alberta CEO, said that the race will give fans in Lethbridge the opportunity to view more action than other races that employ a conventional time start race formula.

“We are diving right into the circuit racing. There is going to be nine loops of the course which is essentially built for the fans to see the cyclists. Some races cyclists might come into a community and complete a couple of laps of the finishing circuit. With this circuit fans get to see cyclists live for two-and-a-half to three hours.”

Vienneau, noted that out of the 13 teams of eight, spectators should keep an eye on Canada’s top podium contender, Ryder Hesjedal.

“Ryder has announced earlier this summer that he is retiring soon so this could be one of his final races. Being the only Canadian in Canada’s only major stage race he will be very exciting to watch.”

Hesjedal won the 2012 Giro d’italia, considered the biggest race outside the Tour de France.

Equally interesting, for the first time in the Tour’s four year history, a defending champion will look to defend their title.

Bauke Mollema, who won the 2015 Tour of Alberta, finished 11th overall at the Tour de france this year, but had been positioned for a podium spot.

Along with watching the action live, spectators can follow the race on their smartphones with a Tour Tracker App.

The app can be downloaded by Android and Apple device users; a web-based version is also available.

Prior to the event, the app shows course previews and team rosters, and during the event, app users can watch live video coverage, GPS tracking and text commentary.

Post-race, the Tour Track App posts results, standings and summaries in real-time.

Watching the world’s top cyclists compete is not the only draw for spectator’s attention the event.

Throughout the week, a free festival will be set up with several events and activities scheduled leading up to the big day.

An Opening Gala is scheduled for Wednesday, August 31, at the Coast Lethbridge Hotel and Conference Centre.

The event is open to the public and will provide fans with the unique opportunity to see the cyclists up close and listen to interviews with select riders.