COMMUNITY groups, schools, businesses and landowners along the west Dorset route of the Tour of Britain are encouraged to take part in a land art competition.
Organisers of the prestigious cycle race have launched its competition for the eight stages of the 2022 race, inviting communities to create eye-catching pieces along the route as a way of showing support for the event.
As reported, world class cycling is coming to the area in September with the Tour of Britain announcing its first ever Dorset stage, starting in West Bay and passing through Dorchester.
Land art 2019 competition winner Walmsley Primary School Egerton (Bolton)
The tradition of creating land art masterpieces along the route has long been the practice at the Tour of Britain, as well as other cycle races around the world. The Tour of Britain has organised a competition to select the best piece of artwork at every edition since 2018.
Previous winners include farmers in South Molton, Devon and Egerton Park and Walmsley Primary School, Greater Manchester, while the 2021 competition was won by Dr Jenna Ross of Craskins Farm in Aberdeenshire.
Tour of Britain Race Director Mick Bennett said: “The land art competition always brings out the creativity in the communities that we pass through.
"The entries never cease to bring a smile to our faces, and I am sure that of viewers around the world watching on TV.
“Over the past three editions we have had some wonderful entries to the competition and I am sure that the standard will be equally high this year.”
Land art 2021 competition winner Craskins Farm (Aberdeenshire)
The winning entry will be decided after the race by a panel comprising race director Mr Bennett, members of the ITV4 broadcast team and staff from race organisers SweetSpot. The winners will be presented with a trophy; two runners-up will also be announced.
Full details of the competition including on how to enter can be found at https://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/community/land-art/
The 2022 race starts in Aberdeen city centre and finishes eight days later on the Isle of Wight.
The race will begin its seventh stage, the penultimate day of the event, in West Bay on Saturday, September 10 and will pass through Dorchester, West Lulworth and Corfe Castle, before heading inland towards Wareham, Milton Abbas and Wimborne Minster before ending in Ferndown.
The free-to-watch sporting spectacular features Olympic, World, and Tour de France champions and attracts a roadside audience of more than 1.5m spectators.
ITV4 will continue to broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage and nightly highlights show, allowing fans in the UK to watch wherever they are. The race will also be shown in over 150 countries worldwide, thanks to the event's partnerships with Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network.
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