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2015 Tour of Alberta press conference gallery

By Cycling News

published 2 September 2015

Overall favourites ready for Grande Prairie team time trial

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The press conference gets underway in Grande Prairie(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

Ryder Hesjedal (Cannondale-Garmin) is one of the overall favourites for the week(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEdge) discusses this weeks stages(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEdge) will be going for the stage wins this week(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

Jan Barta (Bora-Argon 18) talking about the first stage team time trial(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

Ryan Anderson (Optum) happy to be back racing at home(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

Bauke Mollema (Trek) is ready for the week ahead(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

Fred Rodriguez (Jelly Belly) talks about riding his impending retirement(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

Riders and race jerseys lined up for the press conference(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

Ryder Hesjedal (Cannondale-Garmin) talks about cycling in Canada(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

The top riders for the third edition of the Tour of Alberta gathered in Grande Prairie ahead of the opening team time trial Wednesday to discuss the six-day 2.1 race with the press.

Tour of Alberta attracts Mollema, Matthews, Yates, Hesjedal and Formolo

Mountains, dirt roads and cooler weather on the radar for the Tour of Alberta

2015 Tour of Alberta start list

Matthews building for end-of-season success at Tour of Alberta

Tour of Alberta: Mollema, Hesjedal and Adam Yates to make their mark in Jasper

Overall favourites Bauke Mollema (Trek Factory Racing), Ryder Hesjedal (Cannondale-Garmin and Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEdge) were all in attendance at the press conference, with Hesjedal holding court as the local WorldTour rider. Combined with Davide Formolo, Cannondale-Garmin pose a double threat to the overall, and Hesjedal is confident his team can make it mark on the race.

"Definitely the races in Jasper are exciting, and I hope to be in the mix and contesting the overall, or a high overall placing, you know, looking at winning a stage and just getting the most that we can out of the team," Hesjedal told Cyclingnews on the eve of the race.

The Tour of Alberta will be Mollema's first stage race since the Tour de France, where he finished seventh overall. The Trek climber, who will be a teammate of Hesjedal's in 2016, will benefit from the inclusion of two mountain stages.

Orica-GreenEdge will start the race with the dual ambitions of supporting Clasica San Sebastian winner Adam Yates in the mountains and recently married Michael Matthews in the sprints. The Australian team is missing defending champion Daryl Impey in 2015, as the South African is currently occupied with the Vuelta a Espana.

Canadian riders Michael Woods and Ryan Anderson (Optum Pro Cycling) were also in attendance at the press conference and are two riders who have proved themselves more than capable of mixing it up with their WorldTour rivals.