The 2000s began for Ryder Hesjedal on the mountain bike, continued on the road and conclude with the

Victoria rider being named Canadian cyclist of the decade.

The quietly intense Hesjedal, 2003 world mountain-biking silver medallist who in 2008 and 2009 became the fourth Canadian to ride in the Tour de France, was given the honour in balloting by Canadian fans conducted on CanadianCyclist.com.

Hesjedal received 31.4 per cent of the vote, in the results released yesterday. Runner-up was Marie-Helene Premont of Quebec City, 2004 Athens Summer Olympics mountain-biking women’s silver medallist, with 16.6 percent of the vote. Roland Green of

Victoria, two-time world men’s mountain-biking champion and 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games gold medallist, was third with 14.6 per cent.

“It’s a recognition of 10 years worth of hard work and a big honour,” said the Colwood-raised Hesjedal, in a phone interview from a training camp in Maui.

“I’m 29 and feel I have several good years left ahead of me. Maybe I can get the award for the next decade, too.”

Over the summer, the Belmont Secondary graduate and two-time Olympian became the first Canadian to win a stage in the Tour of Spain, which with the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia comprise the Grand Tour of pro cycling. It was the first Grand Tour stage victory for a Canadian since Steve Bauer of Fenwick, Ont., in the 1988 Tour de France.

When Hesjedal made his first of two consecutive Tour de France appearances in 2008, he became the first Canadian to ride in the iconic race since 1997.

“This sport is so hard. To have created a role for myself with a [pro club] of the calibre of Garmin, and thus knowing where I stand at this level, is very satisfying,” said Hesjedal, preparing for next year’s Grand Tour and the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games.

“It’s up to me to build on these successes.”

Hesjedal, who returns to Victoria this week for Christmas and training, was also named Canadian male cyclist of 2009 in fan balloting on CanadianCyclist.com, with 49.5 per cent of first-place votes. National mountain-biking champion Geoff Kabush of Courtenay, who won a World Cup event and placed fifth at the 2009 world championships, was second as the UVic mechanical engineering graduate received 22.3 per cent of first-place votes. Zach Bell of Whitehorse, silver medallist at the 2009 world track (velodrome) championships, was third by garnering 5.9 per cent of first-place votes.

UVic grad and mountain biker Catharine Pendrel of Kamloops, third overall in the 2009 World Cup points standings, was selected Canadian female cyclist of the year with a leading 35.5 per cent of first-place votes.