Ryder Hesjedal part of top-notch field of riders coming to Quebec

MONTREAL – Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal and Australia’s Cadel Evans, who won the Tour de France in 2011, are among the cyclists who will take part in Grand Prix races in Quebec next month.

The field in Quebec City on Sept. 7 and in Montreal on Sept. 9 is also expected to include Slovakia’s Peter Sagan, who won three stages at this year’s Tour de France.

Other participants will include France’s Thomas Voeckler, who won the Quebec City race in 2010, Britain’s Geraint Thomas and France’s Pierrick Fedrigo and Sylvain Chavenel.

”I didn’t think we’d attract this kind of field before 2016 or 2017,” Serge Arsenault, president of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Quebec et de Montreal, said Tuesday.

Some big names, including Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, will be absent.

Another no-show will be Spain’s Alberto Contador, who has chosen to ride in the Tour of Spain in his return from a doping suspension.

Victoria’s Hesjedal won the Giro d’Italia earlier this year.