Svein Tuft is set to debut in the world’s biggest cycling event.
The 36-year-old from Langley has been chosen to ride in the Tour de France after being named to the nine-man Tour de France team for Orica-GreenEdge, an Australian pro cycling team.
The Tour de France begins on Saturday (June 29) and runs until July 21.
Tuft, an eight-time Canadian national time trial champion, has twice raced the Giro d’Italia and once raced the Vuelta a Espana.
He earned his spot on the team in large part due to his versatility.
“Svein is a world class time trialer,” said Matt White, a sport director for Orica-GreenEdge.
“He’ll be crucial for our team time trial ambitions.
“He’s a strong guy with a huge amount of power to chase breakaways or look after the sprint train.”
Tuft also rode in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for Canada where he finished seventh in his event.