Hastings Street will close to traffic at 4 p.m. on July 12 between MacDonald and Madison avenues, and at 5:30 p.m. cyclists from around the world will race in the first Giro di Burnaby competition of the day.
That leaves 90 minutes to move barricades into position, to set up fencing and assemble the beer garden, to put hay bales down to protect cyclists, to place cones on Hastings Street separating cyclists going east and west, to hang signage and install portable toilets, to set up the athletes village and move the stage into place, to set up the start/finish line and construct the gantry across Hastings Street, to put up sponsor banners, do sound checks, get the pace cars 鈥� a Ferrari and Lamborghini 鈥� in place and to do a final sweep of the street before the Boffo Breve Youth Race starts at 5:30 p.m.
This flurry of activity over 90 minutes is done by an army of volunteers and crews of professionals to ensure the cycling criterium race runs smoothly. The Giro di Burnaby attracts racers from around the world as part of B.C. Superweek 鈥� a series of races that starts on July 8 in Delta and wraps up in White Rock on July 17 鈥� and organizers have been working hard to make the event experience equal the skill level of cyclists taking part.
Rainy Kent, race director of the Giro di Burnaby, pointed out that the Giro di Burnaby wouldn鈥檛 happen without the more than 200 volunteers who help every year.
鈥淲e have the most amazing volunteer team 鈥� I know everyone,鈥� Kent said. 鈥淚f I say we start at 3:30, they鈥檒l be there. So many have been here since the beginning, since 2006. They live in the community, they love the community.鈥�
Not only does the event attract more than 200 volunteers for setup and teardown, a team of 20 medical professionals volunteer their time to be at the event in case of any emergencies. This team is captained by Gertrude Lee and includes doctors and ER nurses from local hospitals including 麻豆传媒映画General and Royal Columbian.
One lap at the Giro di Burnaby is 1.14 kilometres and runs along Hastings from MacDonald to Madison, turns 180 degrees, then loops right on Gilmore, Albert and down MacDonald back onto Hastings.
The course is bookended by the Athletes Village at Hastings and MacDonald and the beer garden at Hastings and Madison.
The Giro starts with the Boffo Breve Youth Race at 5:30, the women鈥檚 race begins at 6 p.m. and the men鈥檚 race hits the streets at 7:15 p.m. The awards presentation is at 8:30 p.m.
With investment in sound and visual equipment 鈥� speakers and large screens to project the event out to the crowd 鈥� the race is easy to watch from almost any vantage point. Kent loves the sound of the race, as cyclists go around a corner 鈥� 鈥渨hoosh, whoosh, whoosh鈥� 鈥� and speed on their way.
Shutting down a section of Hastings Street during rush hour can be a hassle for commuters and locals, but the community of Burnaby Heights is starting to look forward to the event every year. Organizers also draw on sponsorship of local merchants to help put on the Giro di Burnaby.
鈥淣ow that we鈥檝e been around for so long, we鈥檝e become an event on people鈥檚 calendars,鈥� Kent said.
To spruce up Hastings Street, new banners will go up this year as the previous banners were getting tired looking, Kent explained.
鈥淭his year our investment and energy continue to be in community development,鈥� Kent said about the 11th iteration of the Giro di Burnaby, the cycling event whose name reflects the Italian heritage of Burnaby Heights.
The mayor and council host a VIP event for sponsors and supporters at Fire Hall No. 5, which is just next to the start/finish line. Mayor Derek Corrigan will also start the women鈥檚 race and Coun. Pietro Calendino will start the men鈥檚 race. The national anthem will be sung at the opening ceremony by local Burnaby product Stephen Scaccia.
Appia is the title sponsor this year, and others sponsors of the cycling event are the Burnaby NOW (media sponsor), Boffo Development, Solterra, FortisBC, Bosa Foods, Expert Physio, Code Sports, G&F Financial Group, Censorio Group, Still Creek Press, Steamworks Brewery, Fit First Footwear, SW Audio Visual, Grand Villa Casino, Chris Dikeakos Architects, Dolomiti Homes and Cobbett & Cotton Lawyers.
For race co-director, Greg Dion, it鈥檚 been rewarding watching athletes develop and grow year after year at the Giro di Burnaby. Five years ago, he watched Maggie Cole-Lyster, who trains at the Burnaby Velodrome, getting to the back of the pack in a pro race. She was only 14 years old and had special permission to race. She was almost called out of the race because she was so far behind when another racer leaned over and told her 鈥淕et on my tire and don鈥檛 let go.鈥� And she raced with an aggressiveness that got her to the finish line. The next year, she won the 鈥渃rowd prime鈥� and now she is on the international racing circuit.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been interesting watching her go from a teenager not evening hanging on, to winning a crowd prime (the next year),鈥� Dion said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 my favourite because we鈥檝e seen her progress at our race.鈥�
Kent agreed.
鈥淚f she鈥檚 at the starting line on July 12, she will race with the heart of a lion,鈥� she added.
