Keep changing my mind as to where to watch. Was thinking Priory > Dorking sprint > pootle round some trails > Leith Hill KOM* > more trails > home.

* not sure why this is a KOM section – would’ve made more sense to have them climb Leith Hill Road the other way round IMO.

Anyone else heading out there?

Was planning to but no Bradley.

I might try and watch the finish as its a 5 min walk from home. Depends whether @teamhurtmore can make it. After watching the Olympic road races (men’s and women’s) and the time trial this might be one Surrey based race too far.

I watched it today come past my house. My next door neighbour counted 52 motorcycles. That’s more than the number of competitors isn’t it?

Yeah, shame about Bradders.

After watching the Olympic road races (men’s and women’s) and the time trial this might be one Surrey based race too far.

Same here. But it’s also right on my doorstep and something to be celebrated if only for an hour or two. No excuses seeing as there are trails thrown in for free.

Will be hitting the trails in the morning then aim o see doe of he action – the Barhatch climb has appeal.

probably Leith Hill because I know where it is.
then head off to flex my calves at the cafe on Box Hill and sneer at the Raphettes.

From the hospitality 😉

Wonders how this will go down with everyone..

I’m off up to Peaslake now for a 4hr hoon around on MTB – will then pootle over to probably Cranleigh to watch ToB come through while enjoying a nice Cappucino!

Wonders how this will go down with everyone..

Complete indifference it would seem…

Jambalaya, email sent. Not sure where/if to watch. Sprints, hills, finish, closest to home. After Uni run yesterday, I have more time free today, so will prob watch somewhere.

Is Barhatch the same as W’fold hill?

I guess G’ford will be mobbed?

Watched fly thru video, so answered Barhatch, Winterfold question!

I’m marshalling on the KoM at Crocknorth. Say hi, I’m very tall

Question: can you ride (Mtb) from top of Winterfold and get to somewhere later in time (eg shalford, g’ford)?

Assuming no road closures, ts estimated at about one hour gap

We were up on Dartmoor yesterday, right on the finish line for the 3rd KOM section.

Atmosphere was great and a brilliantly organised event.

Only slight downer was the local ‘bobbly’ telling the people from Skoda that ‘they had no right to be there’ and that ‘they were on private land without permission’. WFT! Could he not spot the tens of thousands of people either side of the road? Probably not through his ‘Dartmoor is for walkers’ tunnel vision.

My feeling is that if you’re close enough to go and watch, do it.

Saw it pass Knutsford in cheshire, and the start at Welshpool, the amount of effort, cars and motorcylists, alongwith us spectators, make it a fantastic sight, along with everyone being freindly as is expected of cyclists, a few angry motorists held up.

Also strange how all the coach nerds like me all flocked to the coach with SKY on the sides of it, and cheered when the curtain on the door moved.

You want be disapointed.

some pictures from the Welshpool start.

https://picasaweb.google.com/115867557921985666080/TourOfBritainWelshpoolStartAtPowisCastle#

I cant think of any other proffesioanl sport where you can get so close to the sportsmen.

Todays stage live on itv 4 this afternoon.

Highlights at 19.00 itv 4

I cant think of any other proffesioanl sport where you can get so close to the sportsmen.

Got to agree. Watched today’s start.
Both my daughter and I got the autographs of the whole Sky Team, also Dave Brailsford, Ned Boulting, Jonathon Tiernon Locke and Dan Craven.
It was brilliant!

Didn’t know it was passing near me until I went out on the motorbike and manged to catch them twice! Awesome! What a great afternoon! 🙂

Popped into town to see them go through…

Great atmosphere in Guildford for first sprint, so far less crowded than Winterfold looking at tv.

I cant think of any other proffesioanl sport where you can get so close to the sportsmen.

Isle of Man TT.
They aren’t all pros, but the atmosphere is the same. 🙂

I’m glad I got out there, noise level was great on the high street for Cav at the finish

I cant think of any other proffesioanl sport where you can get so close to the sportsmen.

For a free event, I’d agree it’s special but you can get that close to downhill mountain biking too

For paid professional sports tennis and basketball. Courtside at either is pretty special.

Watched the first time through Shalford, from the bridge, then walked into Guildford and watched from opposite White Lion Walk. Great view of the riders caining into over the bridge and up the hill. Good stuff. Well done to all involved.

Saw it at Barhatch Lane. The atmosphere was great – until an ambulance nearly took out a load of spectators and bikes as it swung round the corner!! We then did a quick dash to Chilworth and saw them coming through the bottom end on teh road to Shalford. We tried to beat them to Guildford but failed. A great day out.

rode out from Dorking just ahead of them and watched them go up Coast Hill just past Westcott. Then rode up Leith Hill Rd to do the KOM1 then over to Epsom and home.
Loads of people out on bikes of all types.

I have to say, the number of motorbikes is ridiculous – surely they don’t need that many?

Did you notice how much fun the motorbike riders were having, the policemen in particular? Good on them!

Souldrummer, we must have been rubbing shoulders!! Parked at Wonersh and rode with young son over Blackheath and up Winterfold to the top of the climb. More crowded than the Staples Lane hairpin on the Oly RR. Great atmosphere especially the old guy climbing up Winterfold just before the main event! He will live on that for some time. Sat on the steep slope on inside of top bend which gave a briilliant view.

I was slightly underwhelmed by speed of Oly time trial but this was completely the opposite. The speed with which they climbed W’fold was awesome. I know this was a key point in the race and you could tell. They blitzed it. Incredible power! Great to see pros ride stuff we ride week in week out.

Was right there with the ambulance incident and frankly think it was those team cyclists who were more to blame. And the guy with the mouth was frankly behaving like a prat, well that was my sons conclusion. We decided to do a few trails on the way back which was fun. But I underestimated the extent of fatigue for my son. As we came off Bheath down the fast BW to Shalford we saw the helicopter go past and we missed the second view by about 2 mins. Still we agreed the trails were worth it. Plus son properly blooded himself with some cracking road rash so can feel like a proper cyclist now!!!

Enjoying the highlights now!

Flying past fly tipper right now!!!!

Did you notice how much fun the motorbike riders were having, the policemen in particular? Good on them!

Should have seen them on the way to Blackpool lifting their feet up through the puddles like Kids do 😀

TeamH we were on that final bend on the right as you climb up – I had never ridden up there on a road bike before but have ridden there many times on the mtb – coming up the climb where the campervan was parked. We all had a good laugh at the old boy – hope someone filmed that for him!!! I have to agree with you about the riders on the corner – not clever at all!!!

SD – yes we came up that track and I rather hoped that they were going to be selling the food from that (green) campervan (if we are talking about the same one!). We dropped the bikes on the other side on the apex of the corner and sat on the steep slope by the bend, but on the other side from you. Great view as we could see them on the hill and then across the CP behind.

Having just watched the highlights, it looks like they were working bloody hard on the climb (phew!!) from the TV. But the speed the first guys flew round the bend was amazing.

First time I have heard the climb referred to as Barhatch Lane rather than simply Winterfold.

[amazing amount of kit just lying around. Lovely cervelo, dura ace-ed throughout just left by us the whole time. Very trusting owner. Fortunately no one in their right mind would nick my old bike!!

First time I have heard the climb referred to as Barhatch Lane rather than simply Winterfold.

Really? It’s what it’s called, Winterfold is just the area, not the road. There are numerous climbs up to Winterfold. It’s also known as Horseblock Hollow. I’ve never heard it called Winterfold hill!

We watched it go through Holmbury St Mary, then hooned over to the top of Barhatch, I got there with about 30 seconds to spare, got onto the outside of the bend looking down on the riders. Glad they struggled, had visions of them breezing up it!

Great fun in Guildford. The traffic coppers looning it over the bridge and up the High Street was great. On the highlights, on the traffic light crossing just before it starts up hill where they start the sprint, there’s a girl stood on top of the button box, in a red T-shirt, pointing and shouting ‘That’s Cav!’ as they came past.

That’s my girl, that is. She thinks she’s famous, because she’s been in the paper and now on telly.

TeamH = great minds etc…we were hoping for a brew and food from that van – the one festooned with flags. They could have made a fortune!!! As you say, thousands and thousands of pounds worth of droolworthy kit up there.

I know some bikes were nicked from spectators during the Olympic TT but I gather some public spririted folk apprehended them and called the police.

The traffic coppers looning it over the bridge and up the High Street was great.

Indeed. They were having fun after the bridge in Shalford too. They were all waves and sirens for the fans around the bends before the bridge and then over the bridge, visors down, PIN IT!!!

Njee – I appreciate that now, but all my roadie mates simply call it WF (probably from doing the legs of steel), so name just stuck with me. 😉 Incredible how everyone made it up there with all the crowds. No surprise that there was that one bit of aggro with the ambulance.

On the whole, we are a well behaved bunch though – no need for intrusive marshalling, lots of expensive kit lying around, everyone having a good time, especially the old boy. Love to know who that was, but didn’t look like a mtb-er!!! Brilliant day out – a bit of mtb-ing, a great pro race, introduced young ‘un to a few cheeky trails and everyone had fun!!

I have to say, the number of motorbikes is ridiculous – surely they don’t need that many?

If you want an effective rolling road-block, yes.

Watched ’em at Holmbury then a dash back over to Peaslake to pick up the road climb to Barhatch. They make the flat stuff look effortless & the climbs merely an inconvenience.

I was up on Barhatch too Nick – missed you! I was on the inside of the left turn at the top standing on the road. Aidan and Timelaps Matt were up there too. I’ve ridden up Barhatch more times than I care to remember and I’ve been ruined at the top every time. Looking at most of those riders unless you knew they’d just ridden up a 21% hill you’d never have guessed. Seriously impressive.

Oh heck, gee, you weren’t one of the guys arguing with the ambulance were you!!!! 😉

Njee, on the TV there were a few guys giving it a little blow as they went past the last driveway on the LHS before the final pull!! I am always glad to pass that in decent shape.

I also loved the showboating by Dan Craven – to look at him you would have thought he had just nipped out to get the papers rather than being at the end of a weeks racing and a 20% climb!!

Teamhurtmore – No – I’d left by that point although I saw the ambulance having difficulties getting round the corner. I was standing with a group of 316RT (I think?? – Red, white and blue kit) roadies so I guess it was them.

One of the riders had a massive crash on the tight right hander on the way back down to Rowly – Nick will know it as “Sam’s cornering practice bend”. Ambulance down there, stretcher, the works. We popped out at the bottom of Charlie Bronson and ended up right in the middle of it.

GB