Professional cyclists vying for the PoCo Grand Prix purse this summer will ride later in the evening than last year.
The slight time push is to accommodate retailers in downtown Port Coquitlam who have complained in the past about the core being closed off to traffic and their businesses taking a loss, city officials say.
Susanna Walden, executive director of the Downtown PoCo Business Improvement Association (BIA), told The Tri-City News she’s on board with the time change, which will see the major sports event and tourism draw start at around 2 p.m. and end at approximately 10 p.m.
“I think it’s better,” Walden said. “The later they can push it, the more it helps our members. It keeps the doctors and dentists’ offices on Elgin open in the morning as well as the retailers on Shaughnessy Street.”
Today (Tuesday), the city announced it had set Friday, July 13 for the third annual road cycling race.
The PoCo Grand Prix is one event in the BC Superweek series that happens between July 6 and 15 in five cities in the Lower Mainland, carrying a total purse of more than $140,000. The other sites are: Tour de Delta, New West Grand Prix, Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix, Giro di Burnaby and Tour de White Rock.
All have different time starts (the Gastown race on July 11 begins at 5:30 p.m., for example) but not all include a street festival like in Port Coquitlam with live music, a business expo and family-friendly games.
City spokesperson Pardeep Purewal said PoCo Grand Prix organizers are “trying to do our best” to ensure retailers and other commercial enterprises aren’t disrupted all day.
And more are adapting to the extra pedestrians outside their shops by offering deals and contests, Walden added.
Though the exact race times have yet to be determined, this year’s PoCo Grand Prix expects to see about 200 pro and elite male and female cyclists from around the world on the 1.3-km criterium-style track that loops the downtown.
Last year, some 45 participants were in the youth face while 330 children joined the free kids race and 18 teams were in the corporate challenge race (registration for the Norco Bicycles Kids Race, for kids aged three to 12, starts June 1).
• To volunteer, visit pocograndprix.ca/volunteer. Sponsors are also needed to keep costs down. Call 604-927-5218 or visit pocograndprix.ca/sponsors.
jcleugh@tricitynews.com
