The legendary Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix returns on Wednesday, July 8th with a loaded field of national champions, Olympians, and pros competing for over $50,000 in combined prize money. The 53rd anniversary edition of Canada’s most famous and historic one-day race will feature recently crowned Canadian and US Champions, past Gastown winners, Pan American Games champions, and former Olympians and National Champions. The action promises to be fast and thrilling from start to finish.
Following hot on the heels of Vancouver’s exciting month of hosting the FIFA World Cup, the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix will keep the city’s energy high with high-speed racing through the cobbled streets of Vancouver’s most historic neighbourhood.
Riders to watch in this year’s men’s event include recently crowned Canadian Road Race Champion Jerome Gauthier (Project Echelon) who surprised the favoured group of Europeanbased Canadian WorldTour riders winning an explosive sprint in Saint-Georges, Quebec. His teammate Luke Elphingstone won the US Pro Criterium Championship in equally impressive style, joining a group which broke away from the main pack early in the race and staying away until the end when Elphingstone blitzed to a thrilling sprint win.
Last year’s third place Gastown finisher Luke Lamperti (EF Education) brings WorldTour star power to the race with the Californian having beaten some of the fastest sprinters in the world to win Stage 1 of the Paris-Nice stage race this spring, holding the prestigious yellow jersey for two days in the process. Last year’s 1st and 2nd place Gastown finishers, teammates Lucas Bourgoyne and Cade Bickmore (Team Waldo), are back for another run at the title while US Criterium racing powerhouse team L3GION OF LA is bringing a full deck of elite racers with former Mexican Champion Eder Fraye and team founders Cory and Justin Williams aiming to add the 2026 Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix to their amazing list of wins.
The women’s pro field is also loaded with elite talent with 2025 winner and 2024 Canadian Olympic team member Fiona Majendie (Instinct Racing Team) back to try and defend her crown. That won’t be easy with stars like the Kiwi Bryony Botha (Fearless Femme Racing) fresh off her overall win in the 2026 Tour of America’s Dairyland criterium racing series eager to continue her winning streak. The L3GION OF LA women’s team is also a force to contend with, bringing Samantha Schneider, Skylar Schneider, and Alexi Ramirez to Gastown chasing the win. With former Canadian National Champion Ngaire Barraclough of Red Truck Racing and former Mexican Champion Yarely Salazar (Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing) highlighting the field alongside the best local pros, the women’s race will be fiercely competitive and lightning fast.
The 53rd anniversary edition of the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix starts with the Youth Race at 5:10 p.m., followed by the official opening ceremonies at 5:55 p.m. The pro women’s race begins at 6:15 p.m. while the pro men take the course at 7:30 p.m. The official award ceremonies are set to occur around 9 p.m. at the start/finish line at the corner of Water St. and Cambie St. in historic Gastown.
Live streaming of the men’s and women’s races is available on the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix website at https://globalrelayggp.org/.
A full list of road closures and traffic impacts can be found HERE.
Source: Global Relay
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