By nature, cyclists are an early rising bunch. But even for the most hard-core rider, Sunday in British Columbia came extra early.
In downtown Vancouver, Thomas Eleizegui opened up the Musette Caffe shortly after 5 a.m. By 8 o'clock, the cycling-themed coffee shop – named for the canvas feed bags handed out to riders during a race – was standing room only.
Wearing spandex shorts and colourful team jerseys busy with corporate logos, the crowd had gathered to sip espresso and watch fellow British Columbian Ryder Hesjedal win the Giro d'Italia. The victory marks the greatest cycling achievement ever by a Canadian and was extra sweet for enthusiasts in a place where bike riding is deeply ingrained in the culture more than in any other province.
"It's huge. It's massive," said Mr. Eleizegui of the Victoria-born Hesjedal's historic victory.
"I want him to bring that trophy here. He's got to pick up his lifetime coffee card that I'm going to have made for him."
Mr. Hesjedal first burst onto the international stage as a mountain biker, a sport that was pioneered in the North Shore Mountains and on the peaks of Vancouver Island.
Eight years ago, he gave up mountain biking for full-time road racing, a gruelling activity that has been popular in places like Italy, France and Belgium for more than a century. His unprecedented win of one of the sport's three grand marquee tours, will only increase the stature of the already popular sport in B.C., said Jason Kennedy, who owns Strada Cycles, a high-end bike shop in Vancouver's Gastown neighbourhood.
"I've never seen this many people interested in the sport. It's crazy," said Mr. Kennedy, who, like Mr. Hesjedal, began road riding as a way to train for mountain-bike races.
B.C.'s relatively mild climate, mountainous terrain and sporting culture makes it Canada's most ideal location to train for competitive cycling. Still, the vast majority of the province's cyclists are recreational riders drawn to road riding by the camaraderie and the physical health benefits.
On weekends in the spring, summer and fall, popular cycling hubs around Vancouver such as Horseshoe Bay have become so busy that so-called "bike traffic" is now a problem. B.C. boasts the best system of bike lanes and routes in the country, a testament to cycling's popularity with both hard-core riders and commuters.
Road riding is not a cheap sport. Mr. Kennedy said the carbon-framed bikes he sells typically retail for between $5,000 and $8,000. In some B.C. business circles, road riding is overtaking golf as a popular way to network. Nonetheless, many of the most dedicated riders are people with average incomes.
"When they fall in love with the sport they are all in," Mr. Kennedy said.
Inspired by the Hesjedal victory in Italy, a group of cyclists including Laurent Dallaire was preparing Sunday morning for an epic ride into the North Shore Mountains. The Montreal native, spending the spring and summer in B.C. as a semi-professional rider with a cycling team sponsored by H&R Block, was going to climb the roads of all three North Shore peaks – Seymour, Cypress and Grouse. The 21-year-old expected the ride would take between four and five hours and said the fact that a Canadian had just won cycling's second most important prize would help with the pain of the arduous climbs.
"It is a really big deal. A grand tour is almost like winning the Stanley Cup," he said.