Newly-crowned Canadian National Champions head star-studded fields for Tour de Gastown 2007

July 16, 2007
Fresh from victories in last week’s Canadian national road cycling championships in Quebec, Cameron Evans and Gina Grain will be the riders to beat in the men’s and women’s events at Wednesday’s Tour de Gastown, British Columbia’s premier bicycle race and the centrepiece of the BC Super Week series of bike races.

Evans, who rides for the Vancouver-based Symmetrics Pro Cycling Team, won the men’s elite road race at the Canadian nationals on July 11 by 36 seconds from team mate Andrew Randell. Another seven Symmetrics riders were among the 21 competitors who finished the race.

Burnaby’s Gina Grain, winner of last year’s Tour de Gastown women’s race, took the national women’s elite road race title on July 10 for the Expresscopy.com team by just three seconds from Symmetrics rider, Marni Hambleton.

The Symmetrics team’s domination of the men’s elite event at the nationals under-scored its standing as Canada’s leading pro cycling team and one of the top teams in North America. There is little doubt that Symmetrics riders will want to shine on Wednesday in front of their home crowd, which is expected to be close to 40,000 strong.

But Symmetrics will not have the men’s race all to itself. Last year’s winner, Australian, Hilton Clarke of the Navigators Insurance team, will put up a hard fight to retain his title. Clarke is in top form having won the Saturn Rochester Twilight Criterium in the US on June 23.

Grain’s success at the national championships came hard on the heels of a spectacular victory in the Yaletown Grand Prix on July 1.

Tour de Gastown Event Director, Jonathan Wornell, says interest in the Tour de Gastown from top teams has never been higher.

“With Symmetrics leading the way, we have riders from many of the other prominent North American teams including Navigators Insurance, the Health Pro Cycling Team presented by Maxxis and Jittery Joe’s. We also have the Jazz Apples team from New Zealand here again on Wednesday,” says Wornell.

Crowd favourite and multiple past winner of the Tour de Gastown men’s event, Gord Fraser, is coming out of retirement to compete in this year’s men’s race, and could well surprise some of the other riders.

“Gord is fiercely competitive and is taking the race very seriously,” says Wornell. “He is definitely someone to keep an eye on.”

The event is free for spectators, but they should arrive early to get the best vantage points around the 1.2km circuit. Racing starts at 6.15pm with the women’s event followed by the men’s race at 7.35pm. The day’s festivities begin at 1pm with a family festival and expo that includes exhibition cycling and fun events for kids.

The event has a new presenting sponsor for 2007 - BC Hydro Power Smart. Hydro’s Community Investment Manager Larina Lopez said her organization is committed to providing clean energy and encouraging energy conservation in B.C. and actively supports organizations and activities that also work towards that goal. BC Hydro also sponsors the Symmetrics Pro Cycling Team.

The Tour de Gastown title is contested by men and women in separate races over a super-fast 1.2 km course on the streets of Gastown. Riders battle for more than $15,000 in cash prizes. Past winners have included seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong.

The women’s race, over 30 laps (36km), is expected to attract about 60 riders, while the 50 lap (60km) men’s race has a maximum field of 130 riders.

With the start and finish line at the Gastown steam clock on Water Street, the course includes a 165-degree hairpin turn onto Cordova Street, a three-block downhill sprint to a sharp left turn onto Carrall Street, a sweep through Maple Tree Square before a 250-meter dash to the finish line along Water Street’s cobble stones.