Tour of Britain "it doesn't come past my house" thread

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  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    edited September 2021
    I'm the same, I didn't go out to it the closest it came to me in recent years (the Cardiff Bay finish a few years ago) because it was absolutely pissing down. However I did go and stand on the finishing circuit in Cardiff for the Kellogg's Tour in 1989...

    I've done Caerphilly Mountain a couple of times, and I'm going to go out to the TTT. It's a fair way from me, from just outside Cardiff, but I'm off work and I love that part of the world anyway.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • Pross said:

    It's more a tour of Wales & Scotland tbh. Doesn't even come close to a tour of Britain in my eyes.

    It's like the NFL calling the Superbowl winners 'World Champions', when it's the only country that plays in the tournament.

    Have you actually looked at the route? Four out of eight stages are in England with two a piece in Wales and Scotland. It covers more of the UK than most versions and the race only ever goes where Councils are prepared to pay for the privilege.

    But hey, why worry about facts.
    Yes I've seen the route. Doesn't come East though does it. Hence the reason why I said its more a tour of Wales and Scotland.

    Have a look at the map and draw a line down the middle of the UK. You'll see what I mean.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,131
    edited September 2021

    Pross said:

    It's more a tour of Wales & Scotland tbh. Doesn't even come close to a tour of Britain in my eyes.

    It's like the NFL calling the Superbowl winners 'World Champions', when it's the only country that plays in the tournament.

    Have you actually looked at the route? Four out of eight stages are in England with two a piece in Wales and Scotland. It covers more of the UK than most versions and the race only ever goes where Councils are prepared to pay for the privilege.

    But hey, why worry about facts.
    Yes I've seen the route. Doesn't come East though does it. Hence the reason why I said its more a tour of Wales and Scotland.

    Have a look at the map and draw a line down the middle of the UK. You'll see what I mean.
    I see - it doesn't come past my house. Therefore must be mostly outside England.
  • flite
    flite Posts: 219
    edited September 2021
    It has tended to not use Yorkshire (a BIG part of East England), as the Tof Y used it.
    IIRC it has finished in London/SE often enough in the past
    Wonder if the TdeF has fans moaning when it doesn't go to their area?
  • Surely some Son of Kernow will be along soon to insist the Cornwall stage isn't in England?
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217

    Pross said:

    It's more a tour of Wales & Scotland tbh. Doesn't even come close to a tour of Britain in my eyes.

    It's like the NFL calling the Superbowl winners 'World Champions', when it's the only country that plays in the tournament.

    Have you actually looked at the route? Four out of eight stages are in England with two a piece in Wales and Scotland. It covers more of the UK than most versions and the race only ever goes where Councils are prepared to pay for the privilege.

    But hey, why worry about facts.
    Yes I've seen the route. Doesn't come East though does it. Hence the reason why I said its more a tour of Wales and Scotland.

    Have a look at the map and draw a line down the middle of the UK. You'll see what I mean.
    That's like arguing the Tour de France is more of a Tour of Spain if the route is concentrated in the southern half of the country. It makes absolutely no sense. It is an 8 day stage race, it can't realistically cover all points of the country. In past years it has covered more of the eastern part of the country or the Midlands. The stages in Wales are in the western half so I suppose I could say it is more of a Tour of Ireland using that rationale.
  • flite
    flite Posts: 219
    It must be better to have some sort of logical route to avoid long transfers.

    Mind, I could fancy a Tour of Britain - the Celtic/Viking/Pictish version:
    Cornwall - Wales - IOM - NI - Scotland - Orkney and/or Shetland
    Who have I missed out?
    Logistics nightmare, and it wouldn't come past my door, but it would be fun
  • Pross said:

    It's more a tour of Wales & Scotland tbh. Doesn't even come close to a tour of Britain in my eyes.

    It's like the NFL calling the Superbowl winners 'World Champions', when it's the only country that plays in the tournament.

    Have you actually looked at the route? Four out of eight stages are in England with two a piece in Wales and Scotland. It covers more of the UK than most versions and the race only ever goes where Councils are prepared to pay for the privilege.

    But hey, why worry about facts.
    Yes I've seen the route. Doesn't come East though does it. Hence the reason why I said its more a tour of Wales and Scotland.

    Have a look at the map and draw a line down the middle of the UK. You'll see what I mean.


    4 on the west, 4 in the east.

    6 in the south, 2 in the north.

    HTH
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,876

    Pross said:

    It's more a tour of Wales & Scotland tbh. Doesn't even come close to a tour of Britain in my eyes.

    It's like the NFL calling the Superbowl winners 'World Champions', when it's the only country that plays in the tournament.

    Have you actually looked at the route? Four out of eight stages are in England with two a piece in Wales and Scotland. It covers more of the UK than most versions and the race only ever goes where Councils are prepared to pay for the privilege.

    But hey, why worry about facts.
    Yes I've seen the route. Doesn't come East though does it. Hence the reason why I said its more a tour of Wales and Scotland.

    Have a look at the map and draw a line down the middle of the UK. You'll see what I mean.


    4 on the west, 4 in the east.

    6 in the south, 2 in the north.

    HTH
    Ridiculous map. Are you really trying to prove Dorset is in the east for example?
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,163


    Ridiculous map. Are you really trying to prove Dorset is in the east for example?

    Heresy!
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,595

    Pross said:

    It's more a tour of Wales & Scotland tbh. Doesn't even come close to a tour of Britain in my eyes.

    It's like the NFL calling the Superbowl winners 'World Champions', when it's the only country that plays in the tournament.

    Have you actually looked at the route? Four out of eight stages are in England with two a piece in Wales and Scotland. It covers more of the UK than most versions and the race only ever goes where Councils are prepared to pay for the privilege.

    But hey, why worry about facts.
    Yes I've seen the route. Doesn't come East though does it. Hence the reason why I said its more a tour of Wales and Scotland.

    Have a look at the map and draw a line down the middle of the UK. You'll see what I mean.


    4 on the west, 4 in the east.

    6 in the south, 2 in the north.

    HTH
    Ridiculous map. Are you really trying to prove Dorset is in the east for example?
    I must admit to being gobsmacked a few years ago to find out that Edinburgh is west of Carlisle, far less Bristol.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • Pross said:

    It's more a tour of Wales & Scotland tbh. Doesn't even come close to a tour of Britain in my eyes.

    It's like the NFL calling the Superbowl winners 'World Champions', when it's the only country that plays in the tournament.

    Have you actually looked at the route? Four out of eight stages are in England with two a piece in Wales and Scotland. It covers more of the UK than most versions and the race only ever goes where Councils are prepared to pay for the privilege.

    But hey, why worry about facts.
    Yes I've seen the route. Doesn't come East though does it. Hence the reason why I said its more a tour of Wales and Scotland.

    Have a look at the map and draw a line down the middle of the UK. You'll see what I mean.


    4 on the west, 4 in the east.

    6 in the south, 2 in the north.

    HTH
    Ridiculous map. Are you really trying to prove Dorset is in the east for example?
    I didn't make the rules.
  • larkim
    larkim Posts: 2,474
    Technically NI isn't in Britain (though it is in the UK) so you can tighten up the grid a little to border off the Scottish islands rather than the West of NI.
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  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    edited September 2021
    The centre of Great Britain (the island) is in the Blackburn/Burnley area

    (If GB was a flat sheet, it's where the centre of gravity would be)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • flite
    flite Posts: 219
    Haltwhistle also has a claim......
  • larkim said:

    Technically NI isn't in Britain (though it is in the UK) so you can tighten up the grid a little to border off the Scottish islands rather than the West of NI.

    Like I said, ask The13thcog, they made the rules.
  • flite
    flite Posts: 219
    Living on top of the North Pennines, I have a biased idea of east and west.
    My axis runs down the Pennines, and extends NW and SE
    This keeps Carlisle and Glasgow in the west and Edinburgh in the east
    Inverness is east and Ft William is west
    West and east Mids are i the right place, and London is stuffed in the south-east.
    OK - I just like playing with maps!
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 1,900
    flite said:

    Living on top of the North Pennines, I have a biased idea of east and west.
    My axis runs down the Pennines, and extends NW and SE
    This keeps Carlisle and Glasgow in the west and Edinburgh in the east
    Inverness is east and Ft William is west
    West and east Mids are i the right place, and London is stuffed in the south-east.
    OK - I just like playing with maps!

    It's even easier when you live 7 miles from Lands End.

    Everything past the Tamar river is the North East :)
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 12,608
    KG, you missed the 'Here Be Dragons' bit of your map.

    Anyroads. Pitching a bid for the furthest distance from home to see a stage. Resident of Oxfordshire, plan to catch a couple of views of the final stage Stonehaven to Aberdeen.
  • bm5
    bm5 Posts: 530
    Reckon you have that category sewn up then. Only 45 mins for me (by car) to nearest climb.
    Just hoping for good weather and a strung out race!
  • Tashman
    Tashman Posts: 3,398
    Living on the meridian line, you're all wrong. Most of the country is West whilst I can simultaneously be in both :D
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    edited September 2021

    Surely some Son of Kernow will be along soon to insist the Cornwall stage isn't in England?

    You called..?

    Given that it's literally never been to Cornwall I'm not very sympathetic with Mr. Cog's views...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ddraver said:

    Surely some Son of Kernow will be along soon to insist the Cornwall stage isn't in England?

    You called..?

    Given that it's literally never been to Cornwall I'm not very sympathetic with Mr. Cog's views...
    I suggest you take "twenty thousand Cornishmen" to discuss the issue with him. If they're finished with digging the Tamar through to the South Coast, that is.
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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Oi shall be along d'reckly
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • A bit of advice, please:

    I've now got Tuesday off work (yay!), but my original plan to cut across the dogleg and watch from 2 different places has been spoilt by the change of route (boo!).

    I've spectated a couple or three times when the Tour has come near, but always somewhere on the route just to watch them whizz by.

    Given it's the TTT, there's obviously not going to be a big sprint finish, but the finish is the end of the course just down the road from me, so can anyone tell me what the set-up is like at a finish? Is there lots going on and good to look around, free to move about ? Or is it spectators stand in certain places and everything else is sealed off, riders whisked away instantly, etc

    If I'm better off watching on the route, I've picked a spot out already - will be there earlyish with sarnies and a chair ;)
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 1,900
    ddraver said:

    Oi shall be along d'reckly

    Why rush?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    Defblade said:

    A bit of advice, please:

    I've now got Tuesday off work (yay!), but my original plan to cut across the dogleg and watch from 2 different places has been spoilt by the change of route (boo!).

    I've spectated a couple or three times when the Tour has come near, but always somewhere on the route just to watch them whizz by.

    Given it's the TTT, there's obviously not going to be a big sprint finish, but the finish is the end of the course just down the road from me, so can anyone tell me what the set-up is like at a finish? Is there lots going on and good to look around, free to move about ? Or is it spectators stand in certain places and everything else is sealed off, riders whisked away instantly, etc

    If I'm better off watching on the route, I've picked a spot out already - will be there earlyish with sarnies and a chair ;)

    Starts and finishes used to be great, you could easily mix and chat with riders. Back in the 90s we sat outside a cafe in John Frost Square, Newport drinking coffee with a few of the pros. Unfortunately they've become far more organised in the warm down routines in recent years so less chance and they are probably even more secure these days to minimise the Covid risk. Still probably as good a place as any though and you should get commentary and updates from around the course.
  • Pross said:

    Defblade said:

    A bit of advice, please:

    I've now got Tuesday off work (yay!), but my original plan to cut across the dogleg and watch from 2 different places has been spoilt by the change of route (boo!).

    I've spectated a couple or three times when the Tour has come near, but always somewhere on the route just to watch them whizz by.

    Given it's the TTT, there's obviously not going to be a big sprint finish, but the finish is the end of the course just down the road from me, so can anyone tell me what the set-up is like at a finish? Is there lots going on and good to look around, free to move about ? Or is it spectators stand in certain places and everything else is sealed off, riders whisked away instantly, etc

    If I'm better off watching on the route, I've picked a spot out already - will be there earlyish with sarnies and a chair ;)

    Starts and finishes used to be great, you could easily mix and chat with riders. Back in the 90s we sat outside a cafe in John Frost Square, Newport drinking coffee with a few of the pros. Unfortunately they've become far more organised in the warm down routines in recent years so less chance and they are probably even more secure these days to minimise the Covid risk. Still probably as good a place as any though and you should get commentary and updates from around the course.
    Digging deeper, it's clear covid has destroyed any chance of getting at all close to the teams; there were VIP packages that gave a "prime" seated view of the finish and close to the podium, but they're all sold... so I'm going to watch from the road near the finish, then hopefully womble in to the Botanics with maybe 20 minutes to go before the last team and have a nose at the podium.
  • carbonclem
    carbonclem Posts: 1,579
    I just won VIP passes for Tuesdays stage. One of those like and retweet things on Twitter. So that sorts out where I’ll be going.
    2020/2021/2022 Metric Century Challenge Winner
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646

    It's more a tour of Wales & Scotland tbh. Doesn't even come close to a tour of Britain in my eyes.

    It's like the NFL calling the Superbowl winners 'World Champions', when it's the only country that plays in the tournament.

    These days you get arrested just for saying your English
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm