Trek factory racing on a training ride with at least two support vehicles – on the A65 today.

Bernard Hinault presenting prizes and generally hanging out at Otley Criterium Races last night, along with other tour luminaries including Christian Prudhomme

I am now getting pretty giddy about it all

Cav rode through the centre of Harrogate today and Team Sky also rode through (although I have not seen photographic evidence of this yet).

I am very giddy too. Harrogate will be gridlock tomorrow though….

Convoy of TdF branded lorries on the A1 north of Ferrybridge this morning.

My office window overlooks the media/reception Centre.

Half of France seems to be out there and there is a stream of teams doing their pre race press conferences. OPQS have just gone and sky are now here.

My mate was overtaken by Team Giant Shimano on back road from Otley to Ilkley this morning too.

Off into Leeds for a pre-tour mooch around tomorrow

MIL reckoned a couple of teams passed through Holmfirth yesterday. Can someone send The Badger to Huddersfield Criterium tomorrow night. I’d reckon he be right at home in a provincial town on a Friday night when it all kicks off.

Rode with Team Giant Shimano (and about 150 other people!) yesterday afternoon, and then had a chat with Tom Veelers before he had to go off to check out the Stage One finish. A number of clubmates then had the privilege of riding out to Ilkley this morning with Bernard Hinault, including a stop for coffee and cake at the Box Tree.

Rode with Team Giant Shimano (and about 150 other people!) yesterday afternoon, and then had a chat with Tom Veelers before he had to go off to check out the Stage One finish. A number of clubmates then had the privilege of riding out to Ilkley this morning with Bernard Hinault, including a stop for coffee and cake at the Box Tree.

😯 😀 😀 😀

Where are the pics? Where’s the GoPro footage?

Popping out for a cafe ride with Hinault. I don’t think cycling bragging rights come much bigger then that. 😮

I only had my phone with me, so no really good shots, but I got this one of Marcel Kittell being interviewed before we set off.

Where the teams are staying.

Leeds –
Oulton Hall – BMC, Lotto & Movistar
Thorpe Park – AG2R, Astana & Cannondale
Weetwood Hall – Belkin, Bretagne, Garmin Sharp & Giant – Shimano

Harrogate –
Cedar Court – Cofidis, Orica Greenedge & Katusha
Rudding Park – IAM, Omega Pharma & Sky

Otley – Chevin Country Park Hotel – FDJ

Bradford – Hollins Hall – Europcar, Netapp-Endura, Tinkoff Saxo & Trek

Wetherby – Wood Hall Hotel – Lampre-Merida

Taken from the official Tour de France roadbook.

Taken from the official Tour de France roadbook.

Is there a link to this road book ?

Saw the Lotto Bellisol team out yesterday over the moors from Reeth.They got in my way a bit on the climbs !

Harrogates rammed with Tour event park and folks are meandering in the glory and sunshine of it all, fabulous totally fabulous.
FIL said this after noon there were teams riding up the paths either side of the one way from the bottom of the hill near Betty’s doing a reccie (cos the one way goes down the hill)
We’re entertaining guests fromBelgium and Holland at our campsite just up the road at the farm and in typical fashion the Dutch have been swigging beer from 11am. Piza ovens on full chat, musical rhymes chugging from the speakers, it’s all going swimmingly.
Bunting everywhere.
Bloody fantastic effort. 😀

BB you have a campsite in Harrogate? Will look you up 🙂

Is there a link to this road book ?

There might be but I don’t know. I copied and pasted from my cycling clubs website.

A group of 8 helicoptors went over Ilkeston yesterday evening. Looked a bit like Police choppers but no obvious Police markings, all had something sticking out under the nose.

Wondered if they were the TV helicoptors, I remember there being lots before but eight of them?

Stephen Roache on a bike, with mates in tow, just rode past the farm gates.. Then not 5 mins later a group of roadies trying to catch him up..

You gotta love it.

😀

I wonder if they allow roadside helicopter refuelling in this country? Watching the tour of Flanders I witnessed a TV helicopter land in a truck layby, a tanker hook up a fuel hose and top it up without stopping the engine/rotors 😯

Scuttler – I don’t think the badger will make it to Huddersfield because he’s having dinner with me tonight. 😀 Or at least we are both at the eve of tour gala dinner.

Emley Moor Mast was lit up last night – looked brilliant once it was dark.
RM.

Due to pee it down tomorrow morning!! 😕

Link to road book here http://velorooms.com/index.php?topic=2384.0
scroll down page for TdF 2014 link, note it is 320 MB file.
Enjoy

Yes, amusing that we’ve had lovely weather for weeks and now the eyes of the cycling world are on us it’s back to normal 🙂

Due to pee it down tomorrow morning!!

Only early on, sunny from 8ish- just polishing up the roads for the Tour!

Just saw the lotto team going through woodlesford, Leeds. Looked like they were going back to the hotel, Oulton Hall.

I wound the window down an gave them a big Allezallezallezallezallez! They seemed very impressed with my efforts……..

About an hour ago IAM rode out off the Stray towards Leeds (on the Leeds road)

R’ogate is rammed to the teeth with roadies, I must have counted at the very least 150 on the road out over the Skipton rd heading towards Summerbridge going Pately Bridge way.. *

I stopped in Prologue on Cold Bath Rd in R’ogate for a coffee to find it full of Parlees/Look 695’s and Cervelo R5’s.. And there was I thinking there was no money “up North” 😆

*I was heading to Stif !!!

AG2R outside Starbucks (they’re French!!!!) on the Headrow at 1200.

@hjghg5 tell him it’s 20 minutes on the train and he’ll be in time for last orders and a quick punch up.

Thought I saw Belkin heading into Skipton a few hours back. May just have been a nicely turned out club, though!

R’ogate != “up North”

And there was I thinking there was no money “up North”

Harrogate is swimming in the stuff.

It was sarcasm 😆