Canadian Giro d’Italia champion wins Roeselare critérium ahead of travel to London
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) has declared himself fit for the Olympic Games road race in London on Saturday, following his ‘victory’ in the post-Tour critérium in Roeselare, Belgium. The Canadian Giro d’Italia champion, dressed in the Maglia Rosa that he won in May’s race, beat Giro third place Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) in the exhibition race, after the three of them broke away in the closing kilometres.
Hesjedal started the Tour de France with a view of taking a possible Giro/Tour double - or at least improving on his sixth place of 2010 - but pulled out of the race after coming down hard on the crash-strewn seventh stage.
"In the stage to Metz I took a heavy impact been on my left leg,” the Canadian told Het Nieuwsblad. “After my abandon I returned home to Girona where I could start my rehabilitation. I only stayed off the bike for one day because I wanted to keep my muscles as smooth as possible.
“Naturally it was frustrating. I had won the Giro and also wanted to show some things in the Tour, but it was not to be.”
Having fully recovered from his injuries, Hesjedal is fit enough to compete in the Olympic Games in London. He will compete in Saturday’s road race, and the time trial next Wednesday, where hopes that his enforced rest will stand him in good stead.
“On Wednesday I travel from Kortrijk to London to join up with the national team,” he said. “I hope I can go well in the Olympics. I will be fresher than the guys who finished the Tour, we'll see how it goes.”