TdF - Where you watching from?

jds_1981

Waterworks roundabout most likely. Enforced holiday by work
Would 14:00 be an okay time to get there? Pretty much the entrance in to Walthamstow.

supersonic

itboffin wrote:

how did you add that pic?

Dunno but it come out bloody big!

timothyw

Chapeau to the approximately 20 London Phoenix riders I saw heading north from Finchley on my commute, presumably to watch the stage today.

I'll be watching it from my office - can't decide whether to have the projector showing it on the wall yet....

roger_merriman

Probably green/trafagar fan zones, I might have a look at Waterloo bridge etc, but realistically though I'm capable of riding to the area, I would find standing around waiting hard work. So It's more to enjoy the event rather than watch the race as such.

lancew

Was I close enough?

CiB

It's good when a plan works out.

Drove north on Friday getting stuck in mental traffic on the M1 & M6, arrive at planned base to find no reference to my booking - heart on floor time, then recovery when I realise I'm at the wrong one. 10 minutes later, all sorted.

Saturday - superb 40 mile ride out to Skipton via Tod, Hebden Bridge & Keighley. The ride to HB is familiar but I've never been over the climb from there to Keighley, car or bike. On BikeHike it looked like 'a bit of a challenge' but doable, reality is chuffing hard work, esp into the side + crosswind. Made it at a steady pace then overtook the Land Rover + trailer that had passed me on the summit on the way down, hitting 45 before hauling it back down to make the square left for the run in to Keighley. Superb fun. Skipton was solid, watched it on the Grassington road where a decent cove had put a tv on his front lawn showing ITV's coverage. Atmosphere was superb.

Enjoyed it all, made a few friends then reclaimed the bike to make the return journey. All went well until hitting Oxenhope which was a bit of a grunt, made it as far as the cricket pitch where an unequal game with some oddball bowling against two kids (kids won) was a good excuse for a rest & a bite to eat & a couple of gels. Carried on, fought my way up Cote D'Oxenhope then almost enjoyed a full on blast back down to Hebden but was held up all the way down the drop by another duffer in a Rover with a penchant for brake lights. Probably should thank him/her for saving my life really - some of the bends on the way down it were tempting to hit a higher pace tbh. Fun though, and there was a distinct smell of burning rubber from my brakes by the left to Mytholmroyd, and Cragg Vale...

Done it a few times but not on the end of a 60 mile round trip. It's not steep, but it just goes on and on. I was passed by a chunky bloke on a mtb who I passed a bit further up, then let him roll past again soon after... Carried on, noting the new KM countdown markers, and noted with some pleasure my chum on the mtb rolling down at some pace soon after I saw the 4K line. No way had he made it to the top and got back down, but he's doubtless told all his mates he did, and dropped a bloke on a nice bike on the way up. Yeah right chief.

Crested the top, hook right to the White House pub at about 5:10,,, gah. Closed, again, just like last time I rolled up there at 4:40 after a 108 mile slog over The Peak District a couple of years ago. Doesn't this bloke want to sell me beer? Rolled down & up to the pub at Hollingworth Lake for a pint & chance to extend the sunburn, and was accosted by another 'nice bike mate' local. Sneer all you like but a nice looking bike with electric gears is the equivalent of a pedigree dog in terms of stimulating conversation. New Best Friend Count now = +5. Rolled back to base, watched the Dutch win the Q-final with the aid of a bottle of red (me not them) and slept like a log.

Sunday. Packed up, on bike for the 15 mile tootle to Blackstone Edge. Hooked up with 2 blokes (=7) on the edge of Milnrow as far as Hollingworth Lake where they went the quick way and I didn't, having instruction to check out the in-law's old house. Did so, nothing's changed, avoided temptation to drop in for a cuppa, carried on to Blackstone Edge. Laughed before realising I shouldn't when I passed a youth riding a rickety old bike (fair enough) but wearing pants under his shorts. Buffoon alert. Smiled more at the huuuuuuge queue for the shuttle bus to get to the top of Blackstone Edge. C'mon people; ride up it. That's why the council built the hill surely? Ground my way up, met new best friend #8 when he clocked the electric gears and engaged me in conversation about them and many other subjects (better than pondering the climb itself when fighting up it) then arrived at the biggest gathering of people ever seen at the top. 20,000 easily. Spent three hours in conversation with v nice m aged woman (#9) who knew my wife's schools and may well have taught her, and also caught a packet of Thé du Yorkshire (one handed) lobbed from the Caravan Of Tat. Pleased with self...

Tour passed, world + dog set off back down the hill making it a walk for the first half mile, then a steady walking pace swerveathon, then a full on blast after it thinned out. Hit 42+ on the descent; more fun. Returned to hotel, bike in car, drive back retracing preferred cycle route from t'grim north to the east mids via Wyaston and Yeavely then onto home, after being required to resolve PC issues for Pa.

Monday. Train into town this time with family, mooch around town for a while, stroll down to The Mall, nearly set best time on the Nuffield Wattbike challenge in Trafalgar Square (1 to 2 pm, 16.42s, best was 15.7 at the time) then off to watch at Buck House. Fab atmosphere, didn't see a chuffing thing. Brill.

It's become clear after swanning of to En Francais last year and all three days this year that Le Tour isn't for watching, it's for going to. All the pleasure is in getting there & having a jolly old knees up with people you'll never see again. The race itself is just a blur of knees, helmets & team cars.

Feltup

I was up on the barriers with my BeestonCC mates at the Cote de Midhopestones when who should rock up with bottles and gels for the Sky team but Rod Ellingworth. Top lad, I can see why he so liked by all the GB and Sky squad. He even gave us the left overs after the team had gone through although Rich lost his to Danny Pate!

roger_merriman

rode in, on the old MTB been a while since i've been down the embankment which is impressively knobblies easily spun up to 20mph give or take.

Green park was fun, though I got driven away by various company's advertising over the loud speakers, so headed down to Victoria embankment, having a cafe lunch there, and waiting on the wall for the rush of riders, impressively fast! who'd of thought that!

and slowly picked my way though until Parliament, where the roads where clear, and well rode home.

just after the race, some riders (ie spectators) riding at speed though the crowd was really anti social one even had a large "space4forcycling" sign on the back, which i felt was a tad ironic.

Kieran_Burns

Just remembered something I wanted to add: watching the closed roads and how much people were having fun cycling on them has made me really want to do next years London 100. It was a real breath of fresh air (pun intended) to see such quiet roads with people belting up and down them (responsibly) before the show started.