Second day on the job at LlTELOK and I’m already in the thick of it cycling towards the Tour of Britain 2021 in 29 degree heat. Very few people can say they got the opportunity to do a shoot for their company while watching one of the UK’s most prestigious races whizz through the glorious welsh countryside.
The Time Trial for the Tour of Britain has, for the first time, come to the historic Tywi Valley, Carmarthenshire. The winding route from Llandelio to the National Botanical Gardens, saw the riders venture past some of Wales’ best kept secrets, including Dinefwr Castle and Carreg Cennen castle on the outskirts of the Brecon Beacons. Not many routes within the Tour of Britain will be able to offer such a rich array of history within an 18.2km stretch. Stage 3 was a treat for our riders as well as those of us brave enough to battle the heat.
LITELOK is a proud sponsor of Team DSM, as their official security partner and were extremely excited to find out that the race was happening a stones throw away from the office. Nice weather, bikes to hand and an opportunity to see our guys race through stage 3? We couldn’t pass up on this opportunity.
Now, why did we cycle towards the event you may be thinking? Well, due to COVID restrictions, access to the site has been stricter than previous years and access to the teams has been prohibited. So, the Marketing team decided to take to the saddle and ride into the botanical gardens to get those action shots of Team DSM torpedoing towards the finish line. As it turns out, a fair few riders had also decided to ride in to get the best views possible, as well as a good glimpse at behind the scenes.
Team DSM is already pedalling their way to achieve great heights this year. After an amazing run during stage 1 with Nils Eekhoff coming in second and Max Kanter fourth during stage 2, it’s fair to say we can all expect great things from the men’s Team DSM in the upcoming stages. It was great to see Wales' own Owain Doull racing through the valley, as well as Team DSM's Mark Donovan and Mark Cavendish back on British soil.
We positioned ourselves on the final corners, surrounded by eager onlookers. Which was, as it turns out, the prime position to watch the end of the practice run and where the team cars would be parking at the end of the race for rider pick-up. It was heart-warming to see so many Tour of Britain fans out, despite the restrictions in place. Riders from all over had come to see the race and it was great to see the varied community that had come to support the teams.
From us here at the LITELOK community, congratulations Team DSM on coming fifth for stage 3 and we wish you guys luck as you traverse the next race through our homeland!
Martha Taylor