Gastown Grand Prix joins USA Crits Championship Series

Vancouver’s Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix has been added to the prestigious eight-year old USA Crits Championship Series. The 11-race series runs from March to August. The Gastown Grand Prix is part of BC Superweek and rolls this year on July 9, three days before the next criterium in the series in Boise, Idaho. The Gastown race is the only one in the series outside the U.S.

The Gastown Grand Prix was part of the series back in 2008 when the race was still called the Tour de Gastown. The Tour de Gastown began in 1973 and went on hiatus twice: once from 1994 to 2001 and again from 2009 to 2011 before Gastown-based technology firm Global Relay became the title sponsor and operator.

In 2013, in the 29th edition of the event, American Ken Hanson (Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies) won the men’s race, while his Canadian teammate Leah Kirchmann reigned supreme in the women’s race.

BC Superweek begins with the Tour de Delta on July 4. The USA Crits Championship Series kicks off March 22 in Delray Beach, Fla., with the Delray Beach Twilight.