An expanded B.C. Superweek has already attracted entries from some of the top teams in North America and most of Canada's best riders.
Names like Whistler native Will Routley, the 2010 Canadian Road Race champion and 2011 runner up, and Christian Meier, currently riding professionally in Europe, have already confirmed, with more rider and team announcements expected to follow.
Having the first UBC Grand Prix on Tuesday, July 12, and the return of the Giro di Burnaby on Thursday, July 14, is a perfect way to bridge the gap between the two anchor races at B.C. Superweek: the three-race Tour de Delta from July 8 to 10 and the Tour de White Rock, with another three races July 15 to 17.
"B.C. Superweek is already the premier cycling event for best riders from Western Canada, and the addition of two more top quality races midweek will encourage more of their teammates from the top North American pro squads to come with them and stay," said Mark Ernsting, the race director for Tour de Delta and B.C. Superweek.
"It's going to be one of the best fields we've ever had at B.C. Superweek," Ernsting said.
This year's riders will join an impressive list of Superweek alumni that already includes top international names like the legendary Lance Armstrong, American veteran Chris Horner and Tyler Farrar, who will again be front and centre in this year's Tour de France.
The Canadian cycling contingent is just as strong, with Olympians like Svein Tuft, who rode B.C. Superweek last summer, and Brian Walton, who will be back this summer as an announcer at the Tour de Delta he helped to start, as well as Alison Sydor, Gina Grain and Erin Willock.
It has provided a starting point for countless local riders now competing on the world stage. Riders like Tuft, who first tested himself against Walton at the Tour de White Rock, and is now considered a contender for the road race at the 2012 Olympics. Other local riders have used strong performances at B.C. Superweek to get invites from, and eventually jobs with, professional teams.
"It's such an important event for the growth of cycling in B.C. and the Pacific Northwest," said Ernsting. "It would be like an NHL player showing up at the local skate - his presence shows everyone else what they need to do to take their game to the next level, and drives them to get better long after he's left."
