Le Tour

[BigColSutherland]

Not too long now til the Tour de France rolls through this sacred land.

Anyone else planning on taking it in?

[RedJ]

I'll be going to the opening stage with a few family members, possibly the second one too.

[BigColSutherland]

Good man.

Pal of mine lives near Hudders. They'll go straight past his front door. I'll be there in time for le caravane.

[Donnywolf]

I think it will be great for Yorkshire and its economy in the immediate and longer term

I have been trying to book a cottage or similar along the route and they are either sold out already or almost double the price of the week before or after

Bradfield Brewery seem to be doing a Concert with Camping (check that out) with of course plenty of their brilliant beer

The one downside is that I think people will be (possibly) disappointed when they have waited hours and the Peleton comes shooting past at 30 to 35  mph and ... well that's it - all over in seconds . True the Caravan will be a sight to see I suspect and keep the crowds interest rising as it should take about an hour to pass by

Personally I now intend to go to Leeds to watch the start then get a train to Harrogate and get as close to the finish as possible) Stage 2 probably train to Meadowhall and just watch them building for the finish somewhere near Don Valley Stadium - what a weird finish !

[BigColSutherland]

True Wolf, that's the thing with cycle spectating - gone in a flash.

Luckily, I'll be able to sit and watch it on telly, pop out for the caravan and the race, then pop back in doors. I can imagine if you've forked out a fortune for accommodation and that then you might be a bit miffed though. Especially if it's raining.

[RedJ]

I think the atmosphere of it all makes up for it though really - especially with such a big race.
 
If you do manage to get a decent spot for the finish it's bloody brilliant. I managed to get a good place near the finish line for the final sprint in the Tour of Britain first stage a couple of years back when it was in York and it was such an adrenaline rush.

[i_ateallthepies]

Can't think of anything I would less rather do than wait at the side of the road to watch folk riding a f**king bike.

[RedJ]

Well it's just as well that nobody's forcing you to then, eh.

[Donnywolf]

I think the atmosphere of it all makes up for it though really - especially with such a big race.
 
If you do manage to get a decent spot for the finish it's bloody brilliant. I managed to get a good place near the finish line for the final sprint in the Tour of Britain first stage a couple of years back when it was in York and it was such an adrenaline rush.

I saw Edvard Boutsen Hagen (that does NOT look right) win at Gretna a few years back but at least the finish was a 4 mile straight from Kirkpatrick Fleming so they were in sight for a long while

Afterwards I met some of the Sky Team which was quite good



Stage 2 ... my mate says a good place to watch is near Oughtibridge (Sheffield) where the riders climbin view for a long long ascent (but to them a pimple I suppose) so I may check that out

Best thing to do though is as suggested watch the spectacle on TV and nip out for the Caravanne and the Race - then get back indoors

[wilts rover]

I am certainly hopefull of getting up north to watch the world's biggest annual sporting event, especially as it is free. If you think that watching someone ride a bike at 30, 40, 50, 70mph (depending on where you are) is not exciting, then you have obviously never tried to do it. I believe they are expecting around 2 million people there, so the more moaners that keep away the better.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Have they confirmed the end of Stage 2 yet? Last time I looked, they were planning on sending them up Jenkin Road in Wincobank a couple of km from Le Finish. That'd be fun if the sprinters are jockeying for position. It's about 300m at 1:8, with one bit that is as near vertical as makes no odds. And quite narrow.

[Muttley]

Excuse my ignorance, but what's the caravan? Just the support vehicles?

Anyway, I'll be watching on the tellybox.

[BigColSutherland]

Yes billy, they are going up Jenkin Road: http://letour.yorkshire.com/stage-2

Muttley - the caravan is the promotional vehicles that run ahead of the race itself. Floats, buses, vans etc. all chucking out little freebies, raising brand awareness etc. It's said to be quite a spectacle.

[Muttley]

Crass commercialisation of sport...sounds like my worst nightmare!

[RedJ]

Aye but you get free stuff - can't be turning free stuff down.

[BigColSutherland]

Crass commercialisation of sport...sounds like my worst nightmare!

It's been going on  a while in le Tour. Since 1924 in fact.

[Donnywolf]

I have been looking for accommodation and as I said earlier there is an amount of opportunism BUT check this out ...

http://www.yorkshire-cottages.info/yorkshire-dales/wensleydale-area/winville-cottage/availability?monthyear=2014-07&nights=7&changeover=6&changeover_fixed=6

.... for some reason it is the first one I have found with availability !!! (Funny that)

[BigColSutherland]

What's an extra 2k between friends.

[wilts rover]

Crass commercialisation of sport...sounds like my worst nightmare!

Le Tour was actually started just to promote a French newspaper.

[wilts rover]

What's an extra 2k between friends.

If you have just done 198 other kms immediately prior to it - its a bloody long way

[RobTheRover]

I've been invited up to my friend's sister's place to see them hurtle past.  The company should be good, at least.

[Donnywolf]

I've been invited up to my friend's sister's place to see them hurtle past.  The company should be good, at least.

... for them or you ?

Here is a randomly picked bit showing Peleton passing (somewhere in France)

Just substitute the background for Hawes Reeth Leyburn or Middleham and you will get the picture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9XcQhkt4eA

[RobTheRover]

Well thats rubbish, Wolfie.  No crashes or owt.

[GazLaz]

Does the caravan parade go all the way with them? Do they throw Haribo down the sides of mountains? I can't take cycling seriously with all the cheats, it just seems pointless to me.

[Donnywolf]

Yes is the answer and here are the timings

Caravan is 2 hours ahead of the race "on average"

http://letour.yorkshire.com/timings

[BillyStubbsTears]

Cote de Blubberhouses

Genius!

[Donnywolf]

Yeah must admit that one got me too !

[CusworthRovers]

I'm going to this. We booked ages ago when it was first announced. Even then, everything had sold out signs up.

We've ended up on a camp site in the dales. We couldn't book for Sat/Sun so had to book the more expensive Thurs/Sun, the robbing buggers. The dads are going up Thursday, put the tents up, find a pub, find a Dales whore house. We'll mountain bike Friday day, afore the bitch's come up with the bin lids after school.

Looking forward to it