Here’s a look at the three races that make up the Tour de Delta:
• The weekend begins on Friday evening with the MK Delta Criterium in North Delta. Having replaced the race-against-the-clock prologue and the hill climb prior to that, the North Delta crit has become a hit with fans.
It sees riders travel in a pack over the 1.2-kilometre circuit, reaching speeds up to 70 km/h on a downhill section.
The women will complete 30 laps, while the men will do 40 laps of the circuit that starts and finishes on 84th Avenue, just west of 114th Street.
• Saturday evening’s Brenco Criterium sees riders race on an almost one-kilometre route on the streets of Ladner Village.
It takes roughly one minute for racers to make their way around the course, so there’s almost constant action for spectators. Riders can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h during the criterium, making the colourful peleton a blur as it goes by.
There are many great viewing opportunities, including makeshift patios of the restaurants that line the course.
• The weekend concludes on Sunday with the marathon-like White Spot | Delta Road Race in Tsawwassen.
The men cycle an exhausting 157.8 kilometres, while the women will cover a total of 105.2 kilometres.
The start and finish lines will once again be at Dennison Park, but changes to the course this year will see the riders tackle two separate loops, which will see them pass the start/finish line every eight minutes instead of every 16 minutes.
