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

984 replies

Panwearsjaune · 31/05/2014 13:05

Bike 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. Bike

OP posts:
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FelixFelix · 07/07/2014 08:59

Here's a pic of the breakaway at Oxenhope which DP took yesterday. He took a great video of the peloton passing through too!

Tour de Yorkshire, Cambridge...and oh yes France as well!!
TunipTheUnconquerable · 07/07/2014 09:00

Renata, that sounds good!
East Yorkshire missed out this time round but the Wolds are very popular with cyclists, so let's hope they get to play in the future.

FelixFelix · 07/07/2014 09:01

Pan we saw that turn on Eurosport Grin

Looks like everyone had a great day.

mistlethrush · 07/07/2014 09:07

There have been quite a few comments about people standing in the roads etc... Taking 'selfies' is clearly mad and dangerous - but the rest seems to be very much similar to what I have seen in previous years in France - but perhaps that's my memory getting it wrong?

Lilymaid · 07/07/2014 09:11

Cambridge now has road closures - managed to get to the station before 7am when the road outside would close.
Now sitting in my office overlooking the Embankment (London) which will close for road traffic after 10 am. I shall have a view of the Tour from my office desk!

ariadneoliver · 07/07/2014 10:05

Been out for a recce. The Tour makers in charge of the official crossing spot near my choice of position are there already. So I'll probably head out again around 1pm.

DramaAlpaca · 07/07/2014 10:09

I was sure I saw that turn on Eurosport too.

Hope everyone watching today has a great day.

EndoplasmicReticulum · 07/07/2014 10:12

I'm looking forward to watching the third leg on the telly today. Should be spectacular going through London.

People always stand in the roads, there's a thread over on AIBU started by someone who has obviously never watched the tour in the Alps or the Pyrenees. Selfies are stupid. My husband took photos of the peloton but he wasn't looking through the camera, he was watching and just set the camera to take a "burst" of shots - got some lucky ones!

FelixFelix · 07/07/2014 10:19

End I saw that thread too!

The majority of MN hate cycling don't they Blush

TunipTheUnconquerable · 07/07/2014 10:19

Would anyone mind linking to the AIBU thread?
Thanks.

EndoplasmicReticulum · 07/07/2014 10:23

Complaining thread one:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2125953-I-dont-get-the-Tour-de-France-excitement?msgid=48132379#48132379

Complaining thread two:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2125621-Why-are-the-spectators-being-so-badly-behaved-at-the-Tour-de-France

actually in chat not AIBU - and to be fair, lots of people have come on and said what a great time they've had watching.

RedToothBrush · 07/07/2014 10:40

I love how this only gets the MN sidebar treatment with title 'at street near you' AFTER the tour has already passed through Yorkshire and will be in London today.

MNHQ, respect the north!!!

London will have to go some to beat the Yorkshire welcome.

TunipTheUnconquerable · 07/07/2014 10:56

Thanks, Endo!
I am chuckling a bit at this post, given the superlatives that are being thrown about by the organisers: 'Then Yorkshire people have nobody to blame than themselves if that is the last they see if such events.'

MirandaWest · 07/07/2014 11:10

My mum is at her spot outside the Fitzwilliam museum in Cambridge :) Will watch it on the television and see if I can spot her Grin

ariadneoliver · 07/07/2014 11:34

From yesterday some people found Jenkin Road a bit too easy Grin

twitter.com/mjpegg/status/485871019966869504/photo/1

EndoplasmicReticulum · 07/07/2014 12:12

I saw that Ariadne - not sure they'd manage that all the way up!

stealthsquiggle · 07/07/2014 12:25

Just found this thread and need to rad it through (and post some photos as soon as if have downloaded them). Marking my place for now. We were on buttertubs on Saturday - if you saw a mahoosive green tent just behind the fenceline before the first cattlegrid, that was us Grin. Fantastic day, slightly complicated by DH spraining his ankle on the way back down the fell - got to take him for an x ray in a moment.

mswibble · 07/07/2014 12:32

We went with a friend who wasnt particularly into cycling but after it was over he couldn't get over the 'rush' he felt with the whole thing. The crowds, the riders - he was mightily impressed with it all!

It was so nice when kids were cycling up Holmes Moss in the morning, the whole crowd cheered them on, rang the cow bells. They loved it! Little kids pedalling their little hearts out, every single one beaming from ear to ear! Its not everyday you get thousands of people cheering you on, bet that experience will stay with them for a very long time!

Ive seen utter idiots at all the tours (we watch them all on tv), people were actually pushing the riders up on a climb on one! I think we can be very proud of ourselves with the way the majority of fans behaved.

EndoplasmicReticulum · 07/07/2014 13:08

Selfies "the new pain in the arse" for cyclists, apparently.

Just for cyclists? they're a bit of a pita generally.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jul/06/tour-de-france-2014-selfies-pain-arse-riders

weebairn · 07/07/2014 14:48

Watched them go past our street in Sheffield yesterday, it was great!! Brilliant atmosphere everyone was really into it

MissHC · 07/07/2014 15:37

They're coming past my office. We're allowed to go outside to watch - I'm not that interested but I'll go have a look in 20min or so.

DoctorTwo · 07/07/2014 15:46

I just watched the stretch from Saffron Walden to Finchingfield (I think) and I've discovered how to get a road resurfaced. Book Le Tour. Every single metre of the road they took today has been resurfaced in the last 3 weeks. When I drove on them they were full of potholes.

Ilovenicesoap · 07/07/2014 15:48

Amazing day !
They came through our tiny village which was packed - I think every single villager was there.
I got up at 6 am as I couldn't sleep and we wandered down to the deserted barriers at 8.30. Street party !
Scored prime position and had a beautiful view as they came along the road and up and out of the village over the bridge.
whoever up thread described it as a rush is right.
It was breath taking - I think I did hold my breath Grin
We then walked home and watched them go through the rest of the Essex fields of gold Smile

MirandaWest · 07/07/2014 16:07

600m to go...

frostyfingers · 07/07/2014 16:10

Oh my gawd that was an exciting finish - really wanted Renshaw to get it for OPQS but hey ho, Kittel seems unstoppable.

Loving the history lesson as they zipped through London - I'd love to be the person who produces the notes for the commentators!

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