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.

Great post HowGood.

Sounds like you had a wonderful day. Enjoy tomorrow as well & tell us all about it later

No such thing as "only" soft tissue damage - I bent my collar bone, yes bent, did massive damage to the ligaments and other soft tissue and had to have sub acromial decompression surgery twice. There was many a time when I wish I'd broken the ruddy collar bone - poor Cav. At least he'll get proper treatment, it took 12 months for anyone to agree that actually I had done rather a lot of damage and that it wasn't just a sprain/bruising.

I'll be amazed if he continues tbh, he won't do himself justice with such an injury.

I 'just' sprained my ankle last July - got stretchered to hospital and sent out from hospital without even crutches even though I couldn't really weight bare at all (I think I should have had crutches for a bit) - recently went to the Dr again about it - he thinks, now, that I actually broke one of the ligaments that goes around the side at the back - as well as doing plenty of damage to the ones in my foot, and probably doing something to those in my knee too - I think breaking it might have been a lot easier!

The coverage (watching the recorded 'live' coverage) isn't very good in terms of break-up of pictures - and they keep on breaking for commercial breaks when you get to an interesting point!

What channel was it on? I haven't seen any TDF items except on the news.

Seems to be ITV

Jonny Vaughters has posted on twitter that they went for dinner at a 'pay as you feel' charity cafe tonight which is literally 200 yards down the road from my house!!!

It's on ITV4 and Eurosport.

Oh right. Is Eurosport a Sky channel?

It's satellite, yes, but I don't think you need Sky to get it. Sorry, I'm not in the UK so I'm not clear about what channels are available there any more.

I watch Eurosport because I prefer the commentary, I can watch in HD, and I can record it to replay later, which I can't do with ITV4 although I can watch it live.

Sadly I'm stuck down south but I do feel strangely emotional at the idea of Emley Moor Mast all lit up for the Tour here

I live near Emley Moor mast and can see it from my house. It is always lit up at night.

Just been to have a look. The floodlights must have only been on for a short time. It always has the red lights on it.

Yes, but the Grand Depart people are saying it's being done differently for the Tour - weren't they going to use coloured lights? www.flickr.com/photos/51746586@N06/14600903383/

BBC Yorkshire says:

Nobody has enjoyed the yellow-fication of Yorkshire as much as this correspondent, but there are limits: the Emley Moor TV mast in Kirklees, for example. It has come to our attention that plans are afoot to illuminate the UK's largest free-standing structure later this week, turning it into the "world's biggest light sabre". Now, we are all in favour of a bit of decoration, but if there is any damage done to Emley Moor you will have Harry Gration to answer to, and his audience south of Huddersfield.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28118076

It doesn't look like that now.

Maybe Harry put his foot down?

I'm very jealous of you being able to nip out and check Emley Moor Mast. I want to go home!

Well that was amazing. Incredible - Yorkshire looked stunning. LOVED Jensie and the way you could hear his name being shouted the entire duration of his breakaway. Well done Spartacus for mixing it up but absolutely gutted for Cav. Losing is one thing but that looked so bloody sore :(

I would obviously rather have an uninjured Cav but a collarbone break is easier to recover from than a dislocated shoulder and ligament damage. Sadly, I think he should retire from the tour and get treatment. Not sure he'll be fit for La Vuelta.

Yorkshire looked beautiful yesterday, and I think the tour organisers expectations were surpassed in the way of spectator numbers. I have a feeling they'll bring the Tour back to the UK fairly soon, maybe to Wales next time. Or Scotland. Either would be interesting.

I am outside York minster. In slight rain but already people are nicely excited

Any news on Cav? Enjoy the race those watching today. We watched yesterday. Amazing spectacle and lovely atmosphere.

Checked everywhere and no word yet. I'd be amazed if he rides. If he does it will surely be ceremonial, can't see him being competitive against Kittel

I am so gutted for him.

DP has gone out with his club to Oxenhope. Very jealous! I'll be watching Eurosport from the comfort of my living room.

This is where we move between phases, from 'planning' to 'action!' isn't it?

Musette packed, with French garlic sausage slices, brie, mayonnaise on baguettes and a couple of French Golden Deliciouses. Coissants and coffee breakfast had. Water bottle slid into holder. Was going to come over all John Wayne and say "We Ride At Dawn". But that would be a bit silly now.

Weather prediction has changed from 'showery' to 'sunny and dry' all day. Hadfield peloton is 4 strong. It should have been 5 but one of us has been grounded by wife as it's their first weekend sans young children and she made her view on spending her time Tour watching crystal clear.