A PIECE of land art bigger than a football pitch has been unveiled in Stirling to mark its hosting of the individual time trials at the UCI Cycling World Championships.
The Big Bike in Kings Park will be visible from the sky and will be seen by people around the world as the three-day competition will be televised to an anticipated global audience of one billion.
The time trials will be the largest sporting event ever held in the city.
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Chris Kane, Stirling’s council leader, said: “We’re already welcoming competitors, cyclists and spectators from around the globe to our wonderful city and surrounding villages, so what better way to put Stirling on the map than with our very own ‘Big Bike’ visible from the skies.
“We were delighted to work with the event organisers to facilitate this striking piece of land art.
“This is a stunning statement that Stirling and its communities are ready to stage these exciting events. Together, let’s celebrate all Stirling has to offer and inspire everyone with the Power of the Bike.”
The Big Bike was created by specialist sports branding company Amayse using what it said were state-of-the-art tech and environmentally-friendly products.
Stirling will host the time trials from Wednesday to Friday for all categories – men’s elite, women’s elite, U23 men and men and women juniors.
Covering up to 48km of road, riders will set off from the King’s Knot in the shadow of Stirling Castle, before heading out west into the countryside and looping back into Stirling’s historic city centre, with a sprint through the city to the finish on the Castle esplanade.
Trevor Marks, 3D Signs Manager from Amayse, said: “There is no bigger or better way to get the message out that Stirling is proud to host this global competition.
“We are delighted to have been able to play our part, using our robotic technology and environmentally-friendly paint to produce a brilliant piece of land art at the city’s Kings Park, which is surely one of the largest for the championships.”
Trudy Lindblade, UCI Cycling World Championships CEO, said: “We thank Stirling Council and people across the region for hosting the individual time trials – it’s fantastic to see the championships celebrated on such a scale by the local community.
“The first five days of competition have shown how big and exciting this brand-new event is and an opportunity to showcase Scotland as the perfect stage for major events, while encouraging more people to discover the Power of the Bike.”
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