Bicycle races serve up thrills and spills

It’s cycling season, which means it’s time to pull out the spandex and grab some of that pavement from motor vehicles. Every summer, there’s a long list of road races taking place across the province. Here are six in the Lower Mainland.

CANADA DAY POPULAIRE (July 1) It’s a 150-kilometre road ride in Langley, starting and finishing at Yorkson Community Park.

TOUR DE DELTA CYCLING RACE (July 7 to 9) Since its humble beginnings in 2001, this race has blossomed into one of the top events of its kind in Canada. This year, the marquee White Spot | Delta Road Race hurtles through the streets of Tsawwassen, starting and finishing adjacent to Dennison Park. It’s the first of four events on the calendar of B.C. Superweek, which offers more than $125,000 in prize money.

GASTOWN GRAND PRIX (July 12) Because it takes place on cobblestone streets, this is perhaps the most challenging and thrilling race of them all, and the most prone to wipeouts. It’s also the only local competition ever won by Lance Armstrong, as well as the oldest one-day cycling race of its kind in Canada.

GIRO DI BURNABY (July 13) The name pays homage to the Italian roots in North Burnaby. This will be the 10th anniversary of this criterium that runs along Hastings Street in the Heights neighbourhood.

POCO GRAND PRIX (July 14) This will mark the second year of the race around the 1.3-kilometre track, which is part of B.C. Superweek. This family-friendly event includes a play zone, minirace track, photo booth, and bike demonstrations.

CYPRESS CHALLENGE (August 13) Cyclists can choose the 5-kilometre climb to First Lookout or test their stamina with a 12-kilometre ride up to the Hollyburn Nordic Area. Punishing those sartorius muscles is all for a good cause: money raised through this event funds pancreatic-cancer research at the B.C. Cancer Agency and the Pancreas Centre B.C.