Tour de Yorkshire. 2014
Discussion
Chuffed as a chuffed thing 
Barry Hoban comes from my village (I grew up next door to his sister) so in the 1970s the Tour de France was a huge thing here. Never ever thought I'd see it come to Yorkshire though. With all those Tour of Britain races that have been through the county, you'd think about it, then dismiss it instantly. I mean, its the Tour de France, and Yorkshire is a LONG way from anywhere vaguely European.
I had heard that the tourism people had been looking at applying to bring it here, but you know what tourism people are like, long on talk, short on action. Then this year, near the end of the TDF, it actually seemed like something had happened and people who actually mattered were saying the right things. They had been putting ads in the French press and trade magazines, and showing videos. But you'd have thought that they had some grainy black and white intimate photos from the result they had.
Let us hope that they get the whole package right, it could be worth a huge amount of money and prestige to the area, not just over a couple of days, but in the longer term. A big thank-you to the Olympic people too, I think the unexpected competence and feelgood factor that it generated had a big say in the decision.
Barry Hoban comes from my village (I grew up next door to his sister) so in the 1970s the Tour de France was a huge thing here. Never ever thought I'd see it come to Yorkshire though. With all those Tour of Britain races that have been through the county, you'd think about it, then dismiss it instantly. I mean, its the Tour de France, and Yorkshire is a LONG way from anywhere vaguely European.
I had heard that the tourism people had been looking at applying to bring it here, but you know what tourism people are like, long on talk, short on action. Then this year, near the end of the TDF, it actually seemed like something had happened and people who actually mattered were saying the right things. They had been putting ads in the French press and trade magazines, and showing videos. But you'd have thought that they had some grainy black and white intimate photos from the result they had.
Let us hope that they get the whole package right, it could be worth a huge amount of money and prestige to the area, not just over a couple of days, but in the longer term. A big thank-you to the Olympic people too, I think the unexpected competence and feelgood factor that it generated had a big say in the decision.
Some Gump said:
Madbadger has a point. Hows about a mass PH gatering at the top of a climb come the event? I'm figuring with 130 odd shirts sold, we could have at least 50. Dominate the chaliking of he road with car slogans, act like over zealous foolls at the top (it's how the french do it)...
Anyone running alongside should be shunned. 
Can't wait.
Amazed this has gone relatively unmentioned in national media, this is totally massive.
Biggest annual sporting event in the world.
Fantastic effort by Yorkshire Tourist Board "Welcome to Yorkshire" in securing the deal.
Yorkshire will look ace from the air on the official tour coverage.
I hope to do the following. If the route can be predicted.
Friday Evening: Team presentations in front of Leeds Town Hall
Saturday: watch the start in Leeds.
Drive to top of Sutton Bank or Terrington Bank for midpoint, then if time permits on to Scarborough for sprint finish on sea front. A long way off but my money would be on Peter Sagen given the likely route.
Sunday: watch start in front of York Minster, then drive to Holmfirth and ride to summit of Holme Moss, or Emley Moor.
Peter Sagen again...
Monday: early train to London, take in a mtg in City in the morning, nice lunch followed by sprint finish on the Mall in the afternoon.
Unlike the Olympic road race, it WILL stay together and finish with a bunch sprint. (Cav if he still has it...)
Three weeks later watch Chris Froome take top step in Paris.
Just can't wait
Emley
Amazed this has gone relatively unmentioned in national media, this is totally massive.
Biggest annual sporting event in the world.
Fantastic effort by Yorkshire Tourist Board "Welcome to Yorkshire" in securing the deal.
Yorkshire will look ace from the air on the official tour coverage.
I hope to do the following. If the route can be predicted.
Friday Evening: Team presentations in front of Leeds Town Hall
Saturday: watch the start in Leeds.
Drive to top of Sutton Bank or Terrington Bank for midpoint, then if time permits on to Scarborough for sprint finish on sea front. A long way off but my money would be on Peter Sagen given the likely route.
Sunday: watch start in front of York Minster, then drive to Holmfirth and ride to summit of Holme Moss, or Emley Moor.
Peter Sagen again...
Monday: early train to London, take in a mtg in City in the morning, nice lunch followed by sprint finish on the Mall in the afternoon.
Unlike the Olympic road race, it WILL stay together and finish with a bunch sprint. (Cav if he still has it...)
Three weeks later watch Chris Froome take top step in Paris.
Just can't wait
Emley
Well its 19 months away so I'm sure there's plenty of time to sort it all out. I'm lucky in that the in-laws live near Leeds and I live on the fringe of the NYM. I'm hoping that its glorious weather, and a chance to showcase what is arguably one of the most beautiful counties in England. I know there's a lot of chat on the 'net about where they'll go, and I would love to see Swaledale in on the route, however I doubt we'll see many big hills in the first couple of days. I reckon it'll head out from Leeds, towards Thirsk and then through the Yorkshire Wolds to Scarborough or Whitby. Day 2 is supposedly starting from York and onto Sheffield so not sure of that route as it looks a bit short if direct.
Super job by Yorkshire tourist board though. I was at the Yorkshire Show earlier this year and they pushed a signatures board in front of me for Le Tour. I honestly thought it was a joke! Signed it, but didnt actually think they'd get it. Delighted.
Super job by Yorkshire tourist board though. I was at the Yorkshire Show earlier this year and they pushed a signatures board in front of me for Le Tour. I honestly thought it was a joke! Signed it, but didnt actually think they'd get it. Delighted.
Emley said:
Can't wait.
Amazed this has gone relatively unmentioned in national media, this is totally massive.
Biggest annual sporting event in the world.
Fantastic effort by Yorkshire Tourist Board "Welcome to Yorkshire" in securing the deal.
Yorkshire will look ace from the air on the official tour coverage.
I hope to do the following. If the route can be predicted.
Friday Evening: Team presentations in front of Leeds Town Hall
Saturday: watch the start in Leeds.
Drive to top of Sutton Bank or Terrington Bank for midpoint, then if time permits on to Scarborough for sprint finish on sea front. A long way off but my money would be on Peter Sagen given the likely route.
Sunday: watch start in front of York Minster, then drive to Holmfirth and ride to summit of Holme Moss, or Emley Moor.
Peter Sagen again...
Monday: early train to London, take in a mtg in City in the morning, nice lunch followed by sprint finish on the Mall in the afternoon.
Unlike the Olympic road race, it WILL stay together and finish with a bunch sprint. (Cav if he still has it...)
Three weeks later watch Chris Froome take top step in Paris.
Just can't wait
Emley
You are being very optimistic about being able to drive around the race route and the immediate area whilst the race is on.Amazed this has gone relatively unmentioned in national media, this is totally massive.
Biggest annual sporting event in the world.
Fantastic effort by Yorkshire Tourist Board "Welcome to Yorkshire" in securing the deal.
Yorkshire will look ace from the air on the official tour coverage.
I hope to do the following. If the route can be predicted.
Friday Evening: Team presentations in front of Leeds Town Hall
Saturday: watch the start in Leeds.
Drive to top of Sutton Bank or Terrington Bank for midpoint, then if time permits on to Scarborough for sprint finish on sea front. A long way off but my money would be on Peter Sagen given the likely route.
Sunday: watch start in front of York Minster, then drive to Holmfirth and ride to summit of Holme Moss, or Emley Moor.
Peter Sagen again...
Monday: early train to London, take in a mtg in City in the morning, nice lunch followed by sprint finish on the Mall in the afternoon.
Unlike the Olympic road race, it WILL stay together and finish with a bunch sprint. (Cav if he still has it...)
Three weeks later watch Chris Froome take top step in Paris.
Just can't wait
Emley
If you can get into Leeds to watch the start, chances of being able to get out, get ahead of the race, find a spot and park are slim. The route will be closed to traffic for around 2 hours before they are due to arrive given all the sponsors trucks and things have to go through ahead of the riders. They cant use the rolling road blocks like they do on hte Tour Of Britain.
More likely you will need to be in your spot at Sutton Bank at the same time the peloton depart Leeds. Same for getting anywhere near Holmfirth on Sunday if you intend to be in York for the start...
As a guesstimate, given its the weekend, and if its nice weather, I would expect something like half a million people will be "on the route"...
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 17th December 10:00
madbadger said:
We really need to get as many people as possible in PH cycle shirts and flat caps.
Shirts yes, flat cap no.pablo said:
As a guesstimate, given its the weekend, and if its nice weather, I would expect something like half a million people will be "on the route"...
These roads are full of old gimmers driving exceedingly slowly at the best of times and the sunshine really brings them out, you won't be going anywhere quickly.Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff