As the UK’s leading construction materials and solutions company – and an expert in roads – Lafarge Tarmac will sponsor the County Surrey, southern England stage of the flagship event. The race is a cornerstone of the British sporting calendar and attracts the biggest live attendance of any sporting event in the UK.
Over the last 18 months, Lafarge Tarmac’s Contracting division has undertaken a wide range of highways maintenance on behalf of Surrey County Council, including resurfacing and road marking across the county’s roads, helping to improve the local network and provide high-quality surfacing for cyclists and other road users. Works also included resurfacing the Box Hill Cycling Circuit, which formed part of the 2012 Olympic road race event.
The seventh stage of the Tour of Britain, which will start in Epsom before taking competitors through the Surrey Hills and local towns Dorking, Farnham and Woking, will take place on 21 September.
As part of the sponsorship, Lafarge Tarmac will be profiled in the event programme while the company logo will feature on the starting and finishing boards, as well as on gantries and podium.
Nick Shires, regional director at Lafarge Tarmac Contracting said: “Our long-term partnership with Surrey County Council means we play a crucial role in delivering high-quality roads for the county, so we felt it was appropriate to lend our support for this important race. A good, well-maintained local road network is not only vital to the success of this event, but is also crucial for all road users and businesses across Surrey. Hopefully, this elite race will inspire people of all abilities to get on their bikes more often.”
Paul Ainslie, who is project managing Surrey County Council’s involvement in The Tour of Britain, said: “The Tour of Britain will bring big benefits to Surrey by providing a boost to the economy and through encouraging more people to cycle. We already work closely with Lafarge Tarmac in improving Surrey’s roads and I’m looking forward to building on this relationship as we work together to host a successful stage of The Tour of Britain.”
Cyclist Kristian House of the Rapha Condor JLT team, who was victorious in the Skoda King of the Mountains competition in last year’s event says: “Smooth roads are fundamental to the sport and high-quality roads across the county will hopefully get the people of Surrey out of their cars and on to their bikes, benefitting their health and wellbeing. I am looking forward to competing in this year’s event following my success in 2012.”
