Tour de Yorkshire, Cambridge...and oh yes France as well!!

[Panwearsjaune]

T minus 35 days and counting, to the Grand Depart from Leeds 5th July, with two stages in the White County, and then a third from Cambridge to the Mall in London. It's just soo exciting! It's the biggest biking event in the world, with approx 190 professional riders in about 20 teams racing across tarmac and cobbles, up mountains and down Dales and ending on 27th July on the Champs Elysee, Paris in the now traditional sprint finish there. So here's the thread to share in it all, swop info about accommodation for Tour watchers, road closures, the parcours (courses), peloton gossip, potential meet ups, tv coverage, who's got the nicest legs etc.. and everything to do with the thrills and occasional spills with the event that is a game of poker played out every day on 380 wheels. OF course if you are a newbie to all of this and are curious about the whys and hows of racing then ask and someone will pop up to answer questions. Hopefully.

So I'll depart here next with the routes of the UK 3 stages being taken so no-one gets lost and ends up in the dreaded broom wagon.

Ooh, I don't think I'm going to be squeezing any bottoms as they go past. They'll be travelling too fast anyway as will be winding up to West Park Stray....

Having done lots of research on brain injury recently, the three top risk sports are boxing, rugby and cycling. That's why we wear helmets, folks.

I am getting back on the bike on Thursday - wish me luck!

I was a bit mean to one of the other "cycling" parents recently: we were having a bit of banter, cos he thinks ds should give up rugby (he's a football supporter) and concentrate on cycling and he then made a comment saying he shouldn't play rugby 'cos of the risk of head injuries and dementia.

I replied, "Like the head injury from a cycling accident that caused the dementia that killed my mum"

I did ameleriote it slightly by saying that they think that they'll soon be able to stop the protein that in some people with head injuries means that the healing process becomes a destructive process and consequent dementia - and that most of the research has indeed come from rugby, American Football and boxing. And my mum's well documented brain will have contributed its wee bit to the research.

twitter.com/TrekFactory/status/481784566919991296

Shut up legs!

Brilliant Endoplasmic, I was just coming on to post the same thing! Go Jensie! shut up legs

I lost this thread and just found it again

Managed to watch the tour de Suisse and really looking forward to TdF now. We are heading in to town for it (we only live 3ish miles out of Leeds city centre) but I'm starting to think this is a terrible idea! Drove some I the route on my driving lesson last week and got very excited

6 month old DD has a Bianchi cap and polka dot vest to wear on the day (yes I'm that sad).

I'm a bit sad I'm going to miss the drumming performance in town because I would have liked to see that - there's no way we would manage to get down to the centre from where we'll be to watch the procession though. Scott Hall 'official' car park banners up at the point where there's going to be a spectator hub - £5. I wonder if all the people that are meant to be descending on places like Ilkley and Harrogate will actually manage to get there in time on the day.

So so pleased Jensie will make an appearance! it will be a strange peloton without him and miller

Don't start me on David Miller's last season as well as Jens....

No more David?

Nope :( and the poor chap had his house burgled and all his souvenirs he'd saved for his sons taken. Bastards. I suspect both will remain high profile in the sport even if they are not pros.

Bastards indeed. Hang'em high.

On a cheerier note...I am king of the clip-ins! Just been out, riding on the hoods, finding a sharp slope moving up a cog and doing some easy dancing, down in the drops with chin over the bars. Everything! I did fall off first, but reminded myself of How's immutable law of 'three falls', a submission or a knock out decides the winner, and vowed to never fall off again - I've paid my dues.
So now it's _

And Sylvain Chavanel is in the Tour with I AM Cycling! Fancy seeing a group of 3 escapados Miller-Jensie-Chavanel.

:D well done!

We have booked tickets for the 'Peloton Charity Brunch' which is on the steps of Leeds town hall on the morning of the grand depart. You get a good spot to see the riders sign on and see the start of the race, as also get a bacon butty, a brew, goody bag and entry to the bike show which is on at the town hall. So hopefully we will get a good view! I'm so excited

Sounds utterly fab Felix! Being in on it right at the start of it all.

Thank you SeaShells - it feels like a rite of passage to becoming a proper rider. Matey was giving me lots of advice riding with me on his old Bianchi. I asked why if he knew so much he was using toe clips. "Oh I couldn't ever master the clip-ins so I gave up. I am providing you with the benefit of my experience"....!!

Felix that sounds great.

Harrogate is really gearing up now, yellow bikes multiplying exponentially, road closure signs and parking restrictions all over the place. Many schools are closing early on Friday so the teachers can have a couple of hours off so that children all make it home before the traffic gets busy.

Oh Felix I am Wel Jel!

I will take pictures!

Pan I am in awe of you mastering the clip-ins. They are what puts me off getting a road bike (apart from the fact I'm rather chubby and have no time to go out cycling )

Thought I'd get that in first. Thanks for this thread. DH, DDs and me will be going to Yorkshire to hopefully see some s. I am very excited after years of watching the highlights every July. Delighted to read on here about the preparation and decoration going on. The links you have been posting will be really useful and hopefully we will find away through the road closures. No bikes with us and kids prob would not enjoy long tramp in countryside to viewing spot so will prob aim to be at start point in the city for stage 1. Time to look at some maps

Thanks Felix. In part it was sheer bloody-mindidness . Can't play out today as I've been pre-booked but will be out scaring meself on the roads tomorrow.
Lets - the road closures generally seem way OTT. My town of Glossop will be grid lock, man.

pbs.twimg.com/media/BrPi2_JIcAAAyWf.jpg:large

They've started on the poor sheep already.

Way to go!

Baaaaaa - that's brilliant. I thought the pink ones in N.I. were pretty good too.

Well I've got my shopping order in as nobody will be going anywhere next weekend, even my milkman isn't going to try and deliver on Saturday and nothing usually stops him. Have decorated 4 bikes, 2 scooters still to do for school next week and the mountain is ready to go up on Thursday (photo will probably follow although it will completely out me so I'm not sure!)

Have looked at race timings and worked out when the caravane is going to arrive - still chuckling at "cote de Blubberhouses".

Recording the road race this afternoon to watch later as awaiting imminent visit from relatives. In laws still reckon they're coming next weekend but they've got a long drive and think that Friday evening will be a sensible time to arrive - we'll see!

The council has put up SO many "All vehicles will be towed" signs along pretty much every road that I had planned to use for parking. Arse.

THe DDs are too small to bike a long way so I had planned to park about a mile away, cycle down a bridlepath to the route and then cycle along the route until we found a good spot. But the council have rumbled my plan.

And I still need to alter my Tourmaker uniform to resize it from mammoth to merely-ludicrous. And the guest-list chez-How keeps changing. WE have a mix of serious-cyclists and dilettante tourists staying, all of whom are requiring different meals/levels of hand-holding/spare sets of keys. NOt to mention two families who have informed me that they are packing sleeping bags in their cars, just in case they need to kip over with us if the traffic prevents them going home.

If I don't get to be a hazard-marshall after all of this, I shall be most put out.

On the upside, I got my bike-fit finished and treated myself to new handle-bars and a new saddle. I can't wait to get out......