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.

Winter, DP wants to go to the Rapha festival but we only live in leeds anyway and I'm not keen on camping with 6 month old dd!

Anyone live in the area have any good tips on where we can get a good spot? Wanted to go to the finish line but read it will be all cordoned off with 'VIP areas' Fancy going to a climb but dunno if it's a good idea with a baby as we will have to get there mega early and wait all day.

FelixFelix I considered getting to the finish line but it's going to be really tricky, and I have two boys that don't like waiting around in crowds (awkward).

The road closures are going to make it difficult too.

There's lots of useful info here:
www.northyorks.gov.uk/article/29020/Grand-Dpart-2014---spectator-information

including a colour coded map with how easy they think things are going to be to get to.

We're going to one of the green bits!

Lovely, shiny new thread.

I am working on dh, to persuade him to drive me down from Glasgow for stage 2. We'd like to park somewhere on Holme Moss, and watch from there. I'll be the one sitting with my crochet, whilst we wait for them to come past.

Ah lovely! Thank you

Oy Pan I have a very lovely friend who lives in Didsbury, would I be able to get up to Holme Moss way on the Sunday without too much trouble or do you think the whole of the west of the UK will be trying that too? I've got an aunty in Middlestown but I don't want to bother her too much or cross over the route to get home again!

I am getting excited I don't see how we can keep away really, the TdF HERE! .

I'm traveling down on the 4th and staying in York center with DH for two nights. We had booked it last year when the tour was announced and really forgot about it until the other week. Can't wait but we haven't a clue where or when to go to get the best view, this thread is a god send. Time to plan a bit I think.

Other than the Spectator hub in Harrogate, its unlikely you'll get close to the finish line. The Hub will be busy so get there early and mark a spot.

The starts are a good place to mingle and watch the warm-ups, assuming they are going to let us wander round like they did in London. York racecourse on the morning of Stage 2 would be a good bet.

Good info here

HowGood I love this! Whole stage in 13 minutes!
letour.yorkshire.com/stage-1/hyperlapse

Anyone know what's happening in Leeds and what would be fun to take a 17 mo and his grandparents to?

The hyperlapse is brill. I have also just read that York Racecourse is sold out so ignore me on that one!

Basically, watching the race itself is a tiny part of the day. IF you are on a flat fast section, they will whizz past you in seconds. If you are going to the route, go for the caravan, the freebies, the spectacle and enjoy the atmosphere. Then go home and watch the race on the TV where you'll get a good view, excellent commentary and lovely shots of glorious Yorkshire countryside.

Wow that hyperlapse is nuts. I drove on those roads quite a lot in my late teens up to no good .

My afternoon plans.

Lost, how funny! I've just been out & bought the very same

Great minds, eh?!

Am very excited as le tour comes through our village :), even better team sky came through on a practice run last week!!

cathpip stick a round here with vital information!

We knew what you meant, Pan. Methinks you were just getting a bit too excited at the thought of bike shopping on Saturday. Enjoy yourself, and do report back.

Lost I'm sure you've been enjoying the article starting on Page 48 of your Cycle Sport magazine

I did Drama, found it very insightful about how they choose riders for different specialities in the team and the differences in training methods between countries. Also scoured it to see how he will do against our beloved Cav. That's what you meant wasn't it? Was also saddened to realise that he's just too damn young for me to ogle without feeling slightly uncomfortable about it!

Better Pan?

yeah okay Endo

Yep, still sort of a bit worried about how small state-of-the-art road bikes look. I'm not a small bloke and my matey has a Bianchi that I just squash.
And yep, dying for Saturday to come!

That's just even more over board than Endo tbh.

Thing is, these bikes are the wrong colour.

We need a yellow one.

Endo I jokingly suggested this upthread. I think Pan nearly had a coronary after all the effort it took him to get a pink one, so don't let him hear you

I am watching from the dc's school playground!

I am still concussed so I blame spinny head for lack of posts.