Gastown Grand Prix

A few quick sketches from the Gastown Grand Prix, a couple weeks ago.  "Quick" is the word - this is a full-speed bicycle race around the cobbled streets of Gastown, not the funky little event I was expecting.  The participants are professional cyclists, including Olympic medal winners, they are fast, and there are a lot of them - 60+ in the women's race and 100+ in the men's.  The old brick paving rattles and roars as the herd goes by the huge crowd lining the route.  It was a very exciting place to draw, and probably the biggest challenge since I drew at the horse races a few years ago.  At least here, you get 30 or 40 tries at the blur of riders as they do laps in the race.

And, sitting in the middle of the crowd and the frenzy, this young man was reading a book.  I always like when people just do their thing.