Last Saturday saw the 2018 Litelok Welsh Cycling Awards take place at the Mercure Hotel in Cardiff. This was a fabulous night celebrating the Welsh cycling community, attended by individuals who have helped propel the sport of cycling, as well as those who have encouraged others to get on their bikes and be active.
We were honoured to be the main sponsor of the event, and to present Geraint Thomas with the Litelok Outstanding Achievement Award. He has had a truly fantastic year, becoming the first Welshman to win the Tour De France.
In a pre-recorded video, as Geraint was unable to attend the event, he said, “It’s a massive honour to be presented with the Litelok Outstanding Achievement Award, just want to say a quick congratulations to everyone else who has won an award and been nominated tonight”.
Neil was also able to discuss our new innovative bike lock Litelok Silver with Geraint! And what a great match they are, being both light, flexible, strong and made in Wales! If you haven’t seen, check out our brand new Litelok Silver on Kickstarter.
The evening was hosted by BBC sports commentator Gareth Rhys Owen, who did a fantastic job introducing many inspirational people throughout the night. It was great to see the Kilsby Williams Lifetime Achievement Award given to John Richards of Blaenau Gwent CC who began the Junior Tour of Wales in 1981. An event that has kickstarted many professional cyclists’ careers, including Geraint Thomas.
The evening closed with an auction, where people could bid on items including a Litelok Gold, a Frog bike signed by Geraint Thomas and a Yellow Jersey also signed by Geraint Thomas. The Yellow Jersey fetched more than £2,000 in a fierce bidding battle.
We were also privileged to be a part of a Q&A session with three-time world champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Dani Rowe, current British Keirin champion Lewis Olivia, and Commonwealth Games Medalist Jon Mould.
The entire Litelok team had a wonderful evening and would like to congratulate the winners on their achievements. It was inspiring to meet so many people who promote Welsh cycling, not just here in the UK but worldwide!
Images by Huw Fairclough
