THERE’S just days to go before Carmarthenshire plays host to stage three of the 2021 Tour of Britain.

Hosted by Carmarthenshire County Council, Britain’s largest free sporting event will see some of the world’s best professional cyclists racing through the Tywi Valley in an exciting team time trial that forms stage three of the race.

World champion Mark Cavendish, hailed as the greatest sprinter of all time, and Tokyo 2020 Olympic medallist and six-time Tour de France stage winner Wout Van Aert are amongst those competing.

The event takes place on Tuesday afternoon, September 7, when teams will start the time trial at Ysgol Bro Dinefwr in Ffairfach, finishing at the iconic National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthne, covering over 18km in just under 25 minutes.

The route has been marked with yellow advanced warning signs in the run up to The Tour.

On the day, a full road closure will be in place from 10.30am to 4pm and traffic management will be in place - a short stretch of the A476 from Ffairfach to the junction with the B4300 towards Llanarthne will be closed, and the B4300 will be closed all the way to the junction with the B4310 and on to the National Botanic Garden of Wales.

Spectators are being encouraged to plan their journey to their preferred viewing location in advance to avoid the road closures and take advantage of limited car parking facilities.

There will be no parking available along the route on the day - vehicles obstructing the race will be towed away.

Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Tourism, said: “This is the third major professional road race we have hosted here in Carmarthenshire, which is cementing its reputation as the cycling capital of Wales.

“We look forward to seeing the best cyclists in the world - some fresh from the Tour de France and Tokyo Olympics - racing through the picturesque Tywi Valley.

“As well as be a spectacle to watch, we hope this will encourage more people to enjoy cycling for leisure and travel which is one of our priorities as a council, helping to get more people active.

“People are welcome to watch the race along the route, but please take extra care as the race will travel through at high speed. We want to make sure that you enjoy this event - respecting not just the riders, but the local communities and Covid-19 safety guidelines too.”

Cllr Emlyn Dole, Leader of the Council, added: “Bringing major events such as the Tour of Britain to Carmarthenshire provides a major boost to the local economy.

"Businesses and hospitality providers will benefit from not only on the day of the race, but with live televised coverage across the world we are able to showcase what Carmarthenshire has to offer, and that helps attract to visit and spend their time and money here.”