When Lyne Bessette began riding a bicycle three years ago, the 2000 Olympics were nothing more than a dream.

But, as the Sydney Games draw closer, the 24-year-old from Knowlton has established herself as a strong contender for a spot on the Canadian team and a possible medal.

Lyne Bessette, 1999 HP Laser Jet Challenge
Photo: HP LaserJet Challenge

"When I started riding, the Olympics were at the back of my mind, but now it's one of my goals," Bessette said earlier this week as she prepared for Sunday's World Cup race on Mount Royal.

Bessette wasn't thinking about competition when she began cycling at the urging of an ex-boyfriend who was working in a bicycle shop. A bicycle was a means of getting from one place to another, but Bessette's competitive instincts - honed by 11 years of running track - took over.

"The first year I was riding, I entered a race. I won it and it just took off from there," Bessette said of a career that has indeed taken off since she won the gold medal in the road race at last year's Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Bessette was at loose ends when she started cycling. She had dropped out of school and a promising career as a middle-distance runner was on hold because of a hip flexor.

"I was tired of track after 11 years and cycling was a new challenge," said Bessette, who has been rolling up one victory after another this year..

She won her season-opening race at Redlands, Calif., in March, and followed that with a second-place finish the same month in the Sea Otter event. In April, she won the Tour of Willamette in Oregon. Earlier this month, she won the prestigious Tour de l'Aude in France.

Her string of successes have allowed her to climb rapidly in the International Cycling Union rankings. She was No. 127 in March and she is No. 30 in the latest rankings. The only other Canadian in the top 50 is Ottawa's Linda Jackson, the 41-year-old former investment banker who checks in at No. 13.

Bessette has joined the U.S.-based Saturn team, which is currently ranked No. 2 in the world. The stars of the team are Australian Anna Wilson, who is currently second in the World Cup standings, and New Zealand's Suzy Pryde, but Bessette has contributed to the team's rankings. She has also moved Canada to No. 10 in the national team rankings.

The World Cup race represents another step forward for Bessette. She finished 24th, in the trailing pack, in last year's inaugural race over Mount Royal. That was her only other test at the World Cup level.

Bessette has had her greatest success in stage races, grueling events that can run for as long as 12 days. The races reward consistency, but allow for the odd off day.

"In the World Cup races, it all comes down to one day," Bessette said. "You have one chance; you can't count on doing better tomorrow."

But Bessette, who will compete in another World Cup race next weekend in Philadelphia, knows that it's important to gain experience in the one-day events because the big prizes - the world championships and the Olympic gold - are decided in one day.

The world championships, scheduled for September in Verona, are the highlight of this year's calendar. But first Bessette will be after her first Canadian championship late next month in Sherbrooke. That event will serve as the qualifier for the world championships, as well as the Pan American Games this summer in Winnipeg.

Bessette said she doesn't set any goals, other than to "do my best in every race." She's reluctant to put a number on where she wants to finish in any given event, but she's hoping to put together a strong performance this weekend in her own back yard. A change in the course will help her if she can stay close to the leaders until the final lap.

"The finish is at the top of the mountain this year and there are two climbs at the end," Bessette explained. "That's good for me because I'm a strong climber, but I'm not the best sprinter."

Last year's race ended on the flats in front of the Universite de Montreal.

Bessette's climbing skills will come in handy next month when she competes in the 13-stage HP Laster Jet Women's Challenge, the richest road race for women with a total purse of $125,000.

"I think the winner gets $10,000, and that's a lot of money in this sport," Bessette said.

The winner of the Mount Royal race will collect $2,000.

"Financially, I'm doing OK, but that's because I'm still living at home and all my living expenses are paid," Bessette said. "It would be different if I had to pay for an apartment and heat and electricity."

Pat Hickey
The Montreal Gazette
Friday May 28, 1999