No news, in this case, is not good news — it’s possibly just bad news delayed.
No decision has yet been made on whether the PoCo Grand Prix bike race, scheduled for July 17, will proceed because of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
A spokesperson for BC Superweek, the series of nine professional road bike racing events around the Lower Mainland that runs from July 10 to 19 and includes the evening criterium through downtown Port Coquitlam, said discussions are ongoing with the organizing committees of the individual races.
But Brian Wiebe said there’s still no timeline to reach a final determination.
Pardeep Purewal, a spokesperson for the city of Port Coquitlam, said the organizing committee for its race is scheduled to meet next week to discuss its next move. Thursday, Delta's mayor, George Harvie, told the Delta Optimist his city wouldn't be going ahead with the Tour de Delta, a series of three races in Delta and Ladner on Superweek's opening weekend.
Cycling BC has already cancelled or postponed any events scheduled up to May 1.
Friday, Cycling Canada, as well as the Union Cyclistes Internationale, the federation that governs the sport and races around the world, is expected to make a decision about events scheduled from May 2 to June 14.
Cycling events around the globe have been severely affected by COVID-19 — from local competitions like the Escape Velocity spring series of races around the Lower Mainland to the professional Giro d’Italia, which circumnavigates Italy for three weeks in May — have been cancelled or postponed. Even the future of July’s Tour de France is uncertain.
That has pushed competitive cyclists to stay in shape on virtual training apps like Zwift.
Ed Veal, a Hamilton, Ont. racer who finished 18th in the men’s pro event at last year’s PoCo Grand Prix, posted on his Facebook page that he pedalled for 38 hours, and travelled 1,500 kms, on his indoor trainer last week.
“This past week was way more than just setting a time and distance record on the bike,” Veal said. “It was getting others out and doing the same.”
Veal added that getting on his bike for so long without actually getting anywhere was therapeutic.
“It is a place where I slow down and actually get to think sometimes,” he said. “With all the unknown right now and feeling a bit out of control, it is a little something I feel I can kinda take control of.”
