Sunday 6 July 2014

Le Tour de Yorkshire (formerly known as The Tour de France)


6th July 2014: Harrogate, North Yorkshire
 
Me and my brother fly the flag on Stage 1
Tour de Yorkshire (formerly known as the Tour de France)

I think everybody involved in Le Tour this year has been blown away by the reception that they’ve received from the Yorkshire public, with the weather holding off to provide riders and spectators alike with some blazing sunshine (Press words not mine). The truth be told, it was a comfortable 19C!! 

Stage 1 from Leeds to Harrogate (190.5km) was won by the German sprinter Marcel Kittel from the Giant Shimano Team after a long and brave early break away by Nicolas Edet (Team Cofidis), Benoit Jarrier (Team Bretagne) and the 42 year old powerhouse of pro cycling, Jens Voigt (Trek) was pulled back after over 140kms. 
 
Jens Voigt, Benoit Jarrier and Nicolas Edet
The speed of the peleton was then kept high enough to assure the tens of thousands who had gathered around the finish line in Harrogate a thrilling sprint finish. They weren’t disappointed, although sadly, it wasn’t to be the finish the British had hoped for.

Indeed, the final position standings at the end of the stage don’t tell of the dramatic crash involving Mark Cavendish (Team Sky), Simon Gerrans (Team Orica-Greenedge) and Bryan Coquard (Team Europcar) just a few hundred metres from the finish line which left Cavendish out of the Tour with a dislocated shoulder, and Gerrans and Coquard lining up for Stage 2 with undoubtedly some very painful bruising.

Stage 2 from York to Sheffield (201km) was perhaps for many riders a surprisingly tough one, and one which would rival some of the non-mountainous stages that France can offer.   

Stage 2 Peleton, Nr Blubberhouses
It was certainly a stage that was tough enough to split the field up with Stage 1 yellow jersey winner Marcel Kittel (Team Giant Shimano) finishing some 20 minutes down on the eventual Stage 2 winner, and newly crowned Italian road champion Vencenzo Nibali (Astana Team) who classically stole away with just 1.5 kilometers to go and held off a charging pack on the line.

The race results however fail to tell of the hundreds of thousands who turned out on day, or who had camped out to witness Le Tour, whether arriving by car, on foot or even bike, some perhaps seeing the light of day for the first time after a long period of inactivity!!! The enthusiasm of the Yorkshire public as they lined the roads and streets to cheer their favourites, learning a little more at the same time about the tough sport of cycling was palpable. Indeed, the announcement that 2015 will include a UCI Tour de Yorkshire road race will surprise few in Yorkshire.

Having once again been left off the start sheet :-) I’ve been out on my MTB bike scouting the countryside for good vantage points from which to watch the event. In fact, this morning (6 July) I even rode part of Stage 2, and everywhere, even at 7.30am was greeted with an ‘Allez allez’ or a ‘not far to go now mate’ by people seated on the side of the road enjoying Le Tour English style with coffee and crispy bacon sandwiches to await the arrival of the race.

You (Dear Reader) will probably have your own favourite online locations to go to in order to read a more comprehensive and no doubt accurate review of each of the opening two stages, and so I’ll sign off here for now. Vive Le Tour!

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