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World’s top riders highlight roster

The 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans of BMC Racing Team, the current world’s number 2 ranked rider Peter Sagan of Cannondale Pro

The 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans of BMC Racing Team, the current world’s number 2 ranked rider Peter Sagan of Cannondale Pro Cycling, and 2012 Tour of Italy winner and Canadian Ryder Hesjedal of Team Garmin-Sharp, headline a star-studded field for the inaugural Tour of Alberta, Sept. 3 to 8.

“We’re elated to announce the participation of some of the world’s top cyclists, which confirms our intentions of making this a great field in the inaugural year of the Tour,” said executive director Duane Vienneau. “To have a former Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, one of the most prolific winners today in professional cycling in Peter Sagan, and Canadian cycling hero and a Tour of Italy champion Ryder Hesjedal in the same race is amazing, and will make for a spectacular experience for everyone involved.”

Joining Hesjedal on Team Garmin-Sharp is 2012 USA Pro Challenge winner Christian Vande Velde of the United States, three-time Tour de France stage winner David Millar of Great Britain, seven-time U.S. National Champion in the time trial David Zabriskie, and Lachlan Morton of Australia, who won stage 3 in the 2013 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah.

Joining Evans on BMC Racing is Brent Bookwalter, who finished second overall in both U.S. Road Race and Time Trial National Championships this year; and Marcus Burghardt, a former Tour de France stage winner and winner of the Ghent-Wevelgem classic in Belgium.

Joining Sagan will be current Danish national time trial champion Brian Vandborg and rising star Damiano Caruso.

Belkin-Pro Cycling Team, the Netherland’s top professional team, will be led by Dutchman Robert Gesink, the 2012 Tour of California champion and winner of the 2010 Gran Prix Montreal World Cup race.

“We’ve certainly attracted a top-notch field for the first Tour of Alberta,” said Jim Birrell, Tour of Alberta race director and managing partner at Medalist Sports, the technical partner for the event.

The race will feature more than 20 professional cyclists from Canada and athletes from more than 20 countries.