Summer cycling race returns to Gastown with Gastown Grand Prix

For the first time since 2008, there will be professional cycling on the cobblestone streets of Gastown this summer with an announcement today that the Gastown Grand Prix slated for July 11.

The race replaces the old Tour de Gastown, which began in 1973 and was held every year until 1993. It was revived in 2002 and staged until it fell on financial hard times four years ago. Today, however, Global Relay, a Gastown-based technology services firm, has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal to bring high-level cycling back to the heart of the city.

The race will loop on a 1.2 kilometre course through Gastown with the start and finish line at the corner of Cambie and Water Streets. The event, which once attracted crowds of more than 40,000, is free to the public and will be a highlight of Cycling B.C.’s Superweek, which also includes the Tour de White Rock, Tour de Delta, Giro di Burnaby and the UBC Grand Prix.

“The announcement of the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix is fantastic news for the cycling community and for fans of the sport as it joins the B.C. Superweek series,” said Mark Ernsting, Race Director in a release. “Gastown has gone without a pro cycling event for several years due to a lack of sponsorship, and now Global Relay is stepping in to fill that gap.”