Getting set for a wheely good day
Town prepares for OVO Energytour
Visitors to Motherwell on Tuesday, May 15, will be able to enjoy the top cycling action from The OVO Energy Tour Series as well as live music and entertainment from Clyde 1.
The best of British men’s and women’s cycling teams will compete over the town centre circuit, starting and finishing on Hamilton Road from 5.30pm.
Earlier in the day, local school pupils will be able to cycle around the circuit before amateur cyclists from across Scotland take part in races organised by Scottish Cycling.
From 4pm to 7pm, DJ Cassie from Clyde 1 will host a live stage in Farm Street, with performances from Ashleigh Burns, a 16-year-old singer songwriter from Glasgow, and the Banghra Beatles, who fuse the songs of The Beatles with the beats of traditional Punjabi folk music and Bhangra.
There will also be cycling demonstrations from Wishaw Mountain Bikers and Accessible Bikes as well as a smoothie bike, climbing wall and coffee pods from M&DS Scotland’s Theme Park selling hot chocolate and doughnuts.
“When the OVO Energy Tour Series visits Motherwell it’s always a great day out for everyone who comes along,” said Councillor Allan Graham, convener of North Lanarkshire Council’s enterprise and housing committee.
“This is the fourth year we have hosted the event and it’s getting bigger and better, with highly competitive racing from the best British cycling teams and, this year, entertainment for all the family at the Clyde 1 live stage.
“The event is free for spectators and you get a great view of the action wherever you are around the circuit, so put May 15 in your diary.”
A number of organisations have helped bring the Tour Series to Motherwell: Mears, The Bell Group UK, Amey, Scotland the Perfect Stage, North Lanarkshire Leisure and Scottish Cycling.
North Lanarkshire Council will have a promotional stand within the entertainment area, with information about services offered by Culture NL, North Lanarkshire Leisure, Visitlanarkshire and about the European Championships Glasgow 2018.
Strathclyde Country Park will host the triathlon and rowing events as part of the event, which runs from August 2 to 12.
The OVO Energy Tour Series is unique, as the focus in both the men’s and women’s competition is on the teams, who battle for the overall title based on the performance of all five of their riders in each event.
The Tour Series has grown over the past few years with some of Team GB’S best riders taking part.
These include Britain’s most decorated Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey who brought her own team, Storey Racing, to the town and Scotland’s Katie Archibald, fresh from winning gold at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Olympic champion Katie also spoke to around 200 pupils from Ladywell, Logans and St Bernadette’s Primary Schools about her career in the sport and took time to answer their questions.