'We love showing off our beautiful city': Tour de Victoria to bring thousands of riders to local streets
In an already cycling-centric city, Saturday's Tour de Victoria is an event most two-wheeled enthusiasts mark on their calendar.
The 11th Annual Ryder Hesjedal’s Tour de Victoria will bring over 2,200 bikers of all skill levels to city streets and rural roads as the event returns to its normal August date for the first time in two years.
"We are thrilled to be back hosting the event," said tour director Seamus McGrath.
"We love showing off our beautiful city in the summer," he added. "This year, over 63 per cent of riders are from outside Victoria, with many making the trip from around the world, including the United States, Australia, Mexico and more."
In 2020, the pandemic cancelled the premiere cycling race in the capital region. In 2021, it made a comeback, but not until October.
This year, the ride will return to its original format with distances ranging from an agonizing 160 kilometres to 45-, 30- and 15-kilometre lengths for cyclists of all fitness and skill levels.
"I am so proud to be from Victoria and being part of the Tour de Victoria family," said professional cyclist, Ryder Hesjedal.
"This event brings such an incredible experience to our cycling community in Victoria, and I’m awed by the event each year."
As riders prepare to bask in biking glory this Saturday, with a welcome sunny forecast and a beer gardens at the finish lines, the race will also cause major traffic disruptions.
Tour de Victoria route map for 2022.
From East Sooke to downtown Victoria and Central Saanich, many roads will be either partially or completely closed to vehicle traffic.
The ride features some car-free sections for cyclists, controlled intersections and food and medical services.
The event starts at 7 a.m. next to the B.C. legislature on Belleville St, with the 160-kilometre and 140-kilometre riders, followed throughout the day with the other distances, with last riders being off the course by 3:30 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
For the first time in report's history, Canada's air quality worse than U.S.
Thanks to wildfires, air quality in Canada is now worse than in the U.S., according to the 6th Annual World Air Quality Report.
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
DEVELOPING Canada's annual inflation rate ticked down to 2.8 per cent in February, defying expectations
Statistics Canada says the annual inflation rate edged down to 2.8 per cent in February.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.