Would much prefer to be on Holme Moss but very difficult getting there and getting away, what plans does everyone have for seeing the tour?
I dont mean to sound negative or anything but for anyone going wont it be a whole day waiting for about 10 seconds as they go past once? Or as usual am I missing something?
I am going with Danny Wilson and all his new signings, You are welcome to join us for some positivity if you like ?
I'm driving on to Skipton early doors, then cycling up to Cray (near West Burton / Aysgarth) to watch them climb a decent Hill, probably far quicker than I will have climbed it earlier ! ! Am taking the camera, thought it might be a good place to get some shots of them struggling a tad rather than just flashing past in the blink of an eye. Day 2, parking at a mates in Addingham and watching them from there.
On the bike up the TPT from Brampton to (hopefully) Salters Brook - just past Dunford Bridge where Le Tour enters Barnsley. At least the 21 miles back is downhill. The original plan was Holme Moss, but its just too much.
Yeah, you're missing plenty. People spend about 6 hours on the roadside, as there is so much happening / coming through ahead of the cyclists. Not to mention the additional activities organised by each community on the route. So with my zero interest in cycling, I will be heading to Bradfield on the Saturday (weather and taxi permitting), to a Beer and Music festival, to spend some time with my family, and my sister / enjoy the festival and watch on the big screen. On the Sunday I will be on a hillside between Oughtibridge and Grenoside, watching the racers go by on an uphill stretch. I think you're missing the scale of the event, the sense of community, and the opportunity to use the World's most famous cycling race as an excuse to enjoy yourself. (by the way, Bradfield has a BIG screen, which they turn ON at the appropriate time)! TDF Facts:- The Tour de France is the world's largest annual sporting event It starts at the end of June/beginning of July and lasts 3 weeks The entire race covers approximately 3,500 kms The Grand Départ is the opening of the race of the Tour de France The Grand Départ is regularly held outside of France - in 2012 it was hosted by Belgium A worldwide television audience of 3.5billion people watch the Tour de France annually Over 188 countries around the world broadcast the Tour de France 121 different television channels across the world show the race every year There are 4,700 hours of TV coverage annually The last hour of every stage is broadcast live across western Europe 2,000 journalists representing dozens of nationalities attend the Tour every year 1,200 hotel rooms are reserved each night for the teams, staff, press and tour personnel The Tour de France attracts 12 million spectators along the route in a typical year's race On average spectators travel 130km to see a stage of Le Tour They spend on average six hours at a time at the roadside 30% of those spectators are women The last time the Tour visited England was in 2007 when it raced from London to Kent 2 million people turned out over two days It's estimated it brought £88m to the south-east economy It generated £35m worth of media coverage for the area Yorkshire's Brian Robinson was the first Brit to win stage of Tour de France in 1958 Bradley Wiggins became the first British rider to win the Tour de France in 2012, this was followed up by a second British winner, Chris Froome, in 2013. On Monday 7 July, Stage 3 will take riders from Cambridge to Essex with a finish on The Mall in London.
I will be avoiding as much of it as I can. People all of a sudden interested in a sport just because it's going to be in Yorkshire. The vast cost to stage should be spent on the NHS, potholes etc instead. Sooner it's over the better with hundreds of roads being shut.
Miserable fecker !!!! The cost of staging it does not come from the NHS funding or anything like it !!
Not forgetting the huge boost to Yorkshire's economy..... I've not heard any local council grumbling yet.... It's bringing money in via tourism and expenditure, plus it's drawing in additional sponsorship and funding. I don't think there's anything wrong in being interested in a "once in a lifetime" event. By the way, the potholes near me have been resurfaced brilliantly, thanks.
The guy who runs the Picturedrome in Holmfirth was telling me that the influx of cyclists stopping off in Holmfirth before they go on to tackle the ascent of Holme Moss doesn't translate to much increased business in the town largely because they tend not to sup much beer or spend much when they're in the town. A lot of businesses are hoping to cash in on an influx of campers but some of the prices being quoted are astronomic and it serves them right if they get their fingers burnt in the process. The official car parks are miles away from Holme Moss and some surrounding roads are being closed to allow for people walking to and from the official car park or to allow those residents with cars who live alongside the A6024 with no off-road parking to have spaces to park their cars. Vehicle's won't be allowed to park on the route from Friday until the road is officially declared open on the Sunday which in the case of the Holme Moss road will be late on the Sunday afternoon. For people living above Holmbridge Church on the route up to Holme Moss with off-road parking they'll need to show a permit to move their vehicles from Saturday evening onwards and all vehicle movement will be banned from 7am on the Sunday and they're expecting a crowd upwards of 50K on Holme Moss for the race coming through. It's going to be a spectacle and will if the weather's good project a very positive image of Yorkshire but I'm not sold on the economic benefits argument myself in much the same way as the 'Olympic Legacy' proved to be as delusional for London 2012 as it was for Beijing 2008.
London is different. Everyone knows about it. It's not as if you say "Oh London, yeah, i'd not thought of going there until the Olympics was on!"