Giro di Burnaby a big success

By Dan Hilborn
Published July 29, 2006


There was an air of joviality in the Burnaby city council chambers Monday night as Mayor Derek Corrigan received the perpetual trophy and a replica winner's jersey from the successful Giro di Burnaby cycling race, held in the Heights neighbourhood on July 14.

"Oh, isn't that beautiful," the mayor quipped as he held up the distinctive pink and black racing shirt modelled after the winners' jersey used in the Giro d'Italia. "I assume we're going to have more of these."

An estimated 5,000 to 7,000 people showed up to watch the first ever cycling criterium race in the Heights neighbourhood on July 14, making it one of the biggest professional cycling events in the Lower Mainland.

And in a report to city council last Monday night, event organizer Rainy Kent said the race is now on solid footing and looks forward to growing over the next few years.

The only real "hiccup" was the slightly late arrival of the hay truck - it was stuck in freeway traffic - which delayed the start of the two races by about 10 minutes, and resulted in the men's race finishing just as twilight was descending, Kent said.

"There was not one mishap," Kent told council. "The RCMP said they'd never seen an event run so smoothly and, all in all, it was a huge success."

"I couldn't believe how exciting it was," added the mayor, who admitted he'd never seen a cycling race before.

Corrigan also paid tribute to the police, firefighters and city engineers who worked the event, the volunteers and merchants who helped out and the race's official artist, Luigia Zilli.

Corrigan also said that the event would not have happened without the dedication and work of Coun. Pietro Calendino, who fundraised more than half the estimated $51,000 cost.

Speaking after the council meeting, Calendino said he would eventually like to see a longer 'road race' added to the event, so that residents in both north and south Burnaby can watch the race go past their own neighbourhoods.

"My vision was to have a road race to start, but that meant a lot more planning, volunteers and more involvement by police and city departments," he said. "We want all of Burnaby to get the flavour of this."

Before expanding the race, the city hopes to have the Giro di Burnaby criterium race formally added to the Lower Mainland's 'cycling superweek' schedule, which features similar short track criterium races in Delta, White Rock and Gastown.

Calendino also said the race is well worth the price.

"For the entertainment it provides and the participation of the population, it's well-spent money," Calendino said. "One other thing, we'd like the merchants to have their foods out, so it becomes a fair along with a sporting event."

Racers from as far away as Ontario, Russia, Ireland, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and New Jersey were among the participants in this year's event.

Calendino also hopes that this year's winners - Heights' resident Gina Grain in the women's division and Australia's Hilton Clarke in the men's division - will wear their distinctive Giro di Burnaby winner's jackets when they come back to the race next year.