Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix

The Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix is a criterium bike race held in Gastown, Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood. Riders complete repeated downtown laps each July. The start line is at Cambie Street and Water Street, placing the race within the city's historic brick-and-cobblestone streets rather than on a distant road course. It originated in 1973 when local dentist and bike racer Roger Sumner sought to make top-level Canadian bike racing accessible for public viewing. The race attracted professional cyclists from across North America and drew crowds of 20,000 to 30,000 spectators. Early events featured elite fields, including Canadian, Mexican, and U.S. riders. Davis Phinney competed as a teenager, and Alex Steida won here before achieving major career milestones. The first champion, Bill Wild, defeated Max Grace in a final-lap sprint, receiving a colour television as the prize, reflecting the event's early, unpolished character. Gastown has also experienced intermittent periods, including a significant break, a relaunch as the Tour de Gastown, inclusion in BC Superweek, and a subsequent revival offering substantial prize money for a North American criterium.