Victoria native finishes 7th overall

In the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe came personal triumph yesterday for Canadian cyclist Ryder Hesjedal.

"It was a lifetime of work. Dreams do come true," said the 29-year-old cyclist, whose seventh place overall was the best result by a Canadian in the Tour de France since Steve Bauer of Fenwick, Ont., finished fourth in 1988.

"It was a lifetime of work. Dreams do come true," said the 29-year-old cyclist, whose seventh place overall was the best result by a Canadian in the Tour de France since Steve Bauer of Fenwick, Ont., finished fourth in 1988.And Victoria's Hesjedal was more than willing to share that work and that dream with other Canadians present at the finish after yesterday's 20th and final stage, a 102.5-kilometre ride into Paris from Longjumeau that was largely ceremonial.

"It was a lifetime of work. Dreams do come true," said the 29-year-old cyclist, whose seventh place overall was the best result by a Canadian in the Tour de France since Steve Bauer of Fenwick, Ont., finished fourth in 1988."I tried to stop and talk to as many people wearing the Maple Leaf or waving the Canadian flag as I could during our lap of honour," said Hesjedal in a phone interview from Paris.

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