Hesjedal and Hughes to lead Canadian road cycling team at London Games

LAC MEGANTIC, Que. – Giro d’Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal and Olympic veteran Clara Hughes will lead the Canadian road cycling team at the London Olympics.

Hesjedal will be Canada’s lone competitor in the men’s time trial and road race.

The Victoria native, who competed at the Beijing Games four years ago, finished sixth at the 2010 Tour de France with the Garmin-Barracuda team.

He won the Giro last month, becoming the first Canadian to capture one of cycling’s three major tour titles.

Joelle Numainville of Montreal and Denise Ramsden of Yellowknife, N.W.T., will join Hughes on the women’s team.

Hughes is making her return to Olympic cycling after several years as a competitive long-track speedskater.

The Winnipeg native won two cycling bronze medals at the 1996 Atlanta Games and hasn’t participated in a Summer Olympics since 2000.

If she wins a medal in London, Hughes would become Canada’s most decorated Olympian. She’s currently tied with former speedskating teammate Cindy Klassen with six Olympic medals.

It will be a busy few weeks for Hesjedal, who will also ride for Garmin-Barracuda at the Tour de France next month.