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.
Whether you're into football, athletics, tennis, golf or cricket, join the dicsussion on our Sport forum.
Sports
Tour de Yorkshire, Cambridge...and oh yes France as well!!
Panwearsjaune · 31/05/2014 13:05
It's beautiful I was going to ask what colour it was the other day then thought it didn't sound very 'serious cycling enthusiast' 
. I like the more understated colour schemes, classy like. The geometry in my maths exam last year was very aggressive and made me cry but on the bike it just looks lovely. Clip on pedals though, urk, when there was a cycling club round here I used to hate it when a new lot of kids got their first clip ons, it was a painful session to watch!
Do you like the alternative I found to the spiderman cycling kit?
I wanted to ask what colour it was as well, but was afraid Id sound a bit girly 
Not girly at all - I was seriously contemplating the extra £100 on the Cannondale purely because of the colour options. Unless that makes me a bit girly too. The forks and the top tube and rear wheel stays have the flashes of silver and white.
Actually Lost I could get away with one of those! < adds striking skin suit and mean-looking wrap around sun specs to every increasing shopping list> 
It was wasn't it!
Watching the last few K's of today's stage, Contador's being a bit of a bastard
Ah Dr - that is wheely useful. I'd never considered the forks angle at all. Though it makes utter sense. I'd focused on the length of top tube, the head set angle and so reach, but none of that compares with the fork angle re pressure on the front wheel.
I'm not sure it's entirely to do with the rake degree but I'd see it's a massively significant factor.
Caught up on the TT and today's stage. All good stuff. Interesting to see Contador and Frome both staking their territory so early and that Nibali struggled so soon. Really pleased for Yates - a good finish for him today...
-----
When my Spesh arrives I'll line it up with the C.Boardman hybrid and compare the fork angles. 
That was a very exciting stage, wasn't it? Great racing. Nibali must have concerns about his form, which doesn't look anywhere near Froome's or Bertie's. He didn't enjoy those sharp accelerations at all. Very pleased for Yates as well.
I'm feeling a bit silly. I was getting very annoyed that there wasn't any TV coverage of the Tour of Switzerland and having a bit of a grumble about it. Only to discover it doesn't start until Saturday, and it will indeed be shown on Eurosport
We need a daily countdown to the arrival of Pan's Spesh
Hello Endo, thought I'd be the only one here!
Nothing much to say, really. I didn't see much of yesterday's race, just caught the end of the highlights. Saw some of today's stage, which seemed to be quite a tough one in very hot weather.
Great Jens fact Endo .
I have shamed myself by not managing to follow either of the last days racing and by skipping past any posts about it on FB so I could check up on it all later, then not doing it, I am totally clueless. Bad Losty!
Bugger! I was watching h/lights and for some reason the box decided to stop recording with 10 k to go on the descent into Gap. Which hurts as Gap was a stage finish I was at for TdF in the centenary 2003, and I wanted to see it especially. (nothing like Lost on the Alpe obv )
Damn. Just, damn.
Passes by my childhood home so will be there. Eh-up they're off!(
Endo You're a treasure! Will see this when I get home. Lovely memories of driving round South France with bestie.It was the year the temps were up near 50s and 1,000s of older folk died.
We tried to get on the Alpe the stage before but it was closed to traffic - ended up driving from Chamonix - Alpe - Grenoble - Gap - Chamonix.
am off to a presentation this evening to hear how Stage 2 will affect Glossop and Hadfield. Am hoping the Woodhead Pass will be open to bikes, and poss ride up the 'down side' of Holme Moss to the summit and see those twinkly feet dancing.
Don’t want to miss threads like this?
Weekly
Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!
Log in to update your newsletter preferences.
You've subscribed!
That was fab Endo thank you! We drove down that descent and it was tricky even in a car! Good to see an escapado winning a stage!
Echoing mistle's advice. I'd been to our presentation this evening and the detail of arrangements was breath-taking. I have posters and leaflets in the Tour typeset which really says 'yep the Tour is coming to your back garden'. And yes, the main road is open to bikes and yes we can ride up Holme Moss to the summit.
It's just absurd for me to think that the event I've followed for years is actually "coming home".
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.