Il Girolino di Burnaby, a “Pedal and Dash” race for kids five to twelve years old, was held on Hastings Street between Willingdon and Beta Avenues on Hats Off Day on Saturday, June 6, 2009. The new and exciting event was just like the professional race and featured a visit from pro cyclists, a fully fenced course, a race commentator, a course photographer, a Ferrari pace car and medals for all participants!
For more information about Il Girolino, visit www.girodiburnaby.com.
Click here to view a YouTube video that highlights Il Girolino 2009!
Il Girolino di Burnaby was created to help maintain the momentum of the professional Giro di Burnaby race while it has been temporarily suspended for 2009 to respect the financial challenges faced by both sponsors and cyclists. See below for more information on the Giro di Burnaby.
The Giro di Burnaby - an event of international caliber
The Giro di Burnaby (pronounced GEE-ro) is a part of BC Superweek, the richest event in Canadian cycling drawing professional racers from around the world. The Giro di Burnaby comprises just one cycling event, the Criterium, a race of several laps on a closed circuit, which is open to male and female cyclists competing for more than $15,000 in cash prizes!
To add to the excitement, the Criterium features numerous "Primes" (pronounced PREEms), short sprints whose winners are awarded cash prizes. A "Crowd Prime", consisting of spectator donations, will be collected during the race and will be split between the winner of the prime and a charity. In 2007, the Crowd Prime raised more than $400 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
The Giro di Burnaby was named in honour of Italy's most prestigious cycling race, the Giro di Italia, and is a nod to Burnaby's vibrant Italian community.
This City of Burnaby event is quickly drawing attention from athletic and promotional circuits around the world, doubling the number of spectators and drawing an impressive number of cyclist entries. The quality and safety of our course, the generous prizes and "Primes" (short races with prize money) and the unique atmosphere of the Heights neighbourhood have all contributed to the event's burgeoning reputation.
Photos on this page are from the 2008 Giro di Burnaby.
