Tour de White Rock 2000 Adds New Challenge.

Already a favourite of local, national and international cyclists, the Tour de White Rock adds a new challenge this year to test the competitors and thrill the appreciative crowds.

Now, in its 21st year of hosting Tour de White Rock, the organizers are offering a Hill Club event as well as the high speed Criterium Circuit and the endurance Road Race. The Hill Club event will set riders off at 30-second intervals to climb 790 metres of a 16% grade. Cyclists and spectators can enjoy the Hill Climb event on Friday evening, July 21st, beginning at 6:00. The competitors begin the arduous sprint uphill on Oxford at Buena Vista and end just beyond Martin. All categories of Women and the Men’s Pro, Cat. 1, 2 and 3 riders will be eligible to compete in this new event.

The exciting shoulder-to-shoulder sprints of the Criterium Circuit are set for Saturday afternoon, with the Men’s Cat. 4/5 Race kicking off the event at 3:00, followed by the Women’s Race (all categories) at 4:00. The last group to hit the one-kilometre circuit at Johnston Road and Roper Avenue is the Men’s Pro Race which will include Cat. 1, 2, and 3 cyclists to fill the field. These races provide many thrilling moments as competitors surge ahead to chase cash in the Hot Laps challenges. Being in the lead pack and maneuvering for position is as exhilarating for the competitors as it is for the keen spectators.

The following day, the internationally-renowned Tour de White Rock Road Race takes cyclists through the beautiful landscapes of lower White Rock and along the popular Semiahmoo Bay. The long, steep climbs, sharp turns, and quick descents along this course demand keen attention, clever tactics, and a toughness known to seasoned cyclists. The Men’s Road Race sets off five minutes ahead of the Women’s at 8:00 Sunday morning, July 23rd. Leaving from a start/finish line at Marine Drive and the Pier, competitors in the Men’s categories will cycle 130 kilometers and those in the Women’s categories will cycle 82 kilometers, finishing by 11:15.

Tour de White Rock 2000 promises to offer more than ever to its usual 150 cyclists, the 150 volunteers that make the three-day competition possible, and the hundreds of appreciative spectators.

Tour 2000 At-A-Glance:

White Rock Muffler Hill Climb: Friday, July 21st. Start time – 6:00 p.m. Start line: Buena Vista @ Oxford, White Rock

ICBC Criterium Circuit: Saturday, July 22nd. Start time – 3:00 p.m. Start/Finish line – Prospect Avenue and Johnston Road

The Peace Arch NEWS Road Race: Sunday, July 23rd. Start time – 8:00 a.m. Start/Finish line – near the Pier on Marine Drive, White Rock