Trying to work out whether this weekend is going to be crazy mental or whether it’ll be mainly localish folk who are coming to line the route?

All sorts of nonsense statements going on – apparently the folk of Ilkley are all panic buying and emptying their, posh, supermarkets.

So who is coming from where?

I’ll be travelling down on Friday from Glasgow and staying with friends in Sheffield.

Can’t imagine it will be much busier than a normal Friday on the way down, heading back up on Sunday evening might be a bit more challenging though.

Just having a per flight beer at Melbourne airport

@antigee if you are coming from Australia for the TdF then this thread already has a winner.

I was planning to travel up from London (4-5 hours drive usually in Friday traffic) but as Wiggins isn’t riding I’m giving it a miss. I will try and catch some of the London stage finish.

Travelling from Reading on Friday night, watching stage two near Hebden Bridge on Sunday…

Driving up from Hampshire on Friday to stay with relatives in Sheffield so I can watch stage 2.

I don’t know whether the M1 will be thronged with billions of others doing the same, or just the usual billions doing regular stuff.

Combination of Tdf in local lanes and Australian school hols for kids means makes more sense than a 2sec flash past
Will be riding the Dales section and Mrs anti gee is riding London to paris

Coming down from Stirling on Friday, watching Stage 1 on Saturday and then doing tourist stuff around York with the wife and kids on Sunday before driving home. Slightly shorter than our usual annual trip to France which always coincides with the Tour.

A lot of the camp sites seem to be doing three night stays – Thurs – Sat, so it’s possible that many of the spectators will already be in place if you can only travel on Friday evening. Probably won’t make any difference mind 🙂

Would rather go to France, easier to get to from london, cheaper accommodation, great food and wine and a great atmosphere with no cyclist hating locals and people out to make a fast buck charging you to park. Quite fancy the Ypres – Arenburg with some pavé action or down to Reims which is a beautiful city.

I think you’ll find the locals suddenly love cyclists at £150 ‘camping’ for three nights (camping=a field with no facilities)!

coming from Finland, staying with friends in Shef. 2nd place ok???

Yes, I do wonder how many people will be put off by the parking charges. Going to be interesting watching it all unfold over the week.

I’m having my jabs this afternoon. Then we’re off across the border from Lancashire on Friday afternoon, til Sunday. I’ve got to admit to being a bit nervous. Tis a strange and mythical land over the other side of those big hills. The stories I’ve heard…. 😯

Joining friends who live in east London to watch it ; not sure exctly wehre, but there are many places that will be very easy to get to, and have places to eat/drink nearby. The route chosen has cleverly allowed very little disruption to traffic here, which is sensible given most people won’t be interested in the event. And we’ll possibly be riding the course once all the riders have gone through, as the route will still be closed to traffic for a bit.

Off up to Ilkley from Cirencester on Friday, staying until Monday. The little lady is Yorkshirian, so I qualify for temporary residency without the need for the usual paperwork.

I see that the nearest Waitrose will be six miles away though. Can anyone advise what we should do if we need any smoked paprika or organic manchego in an emergency?

Traveling from Glasgow on Friday with the family, wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m so excited!

Travelling up from south Oxfordshire on Thursday evening. Camping through until Monday. Yay! 🙂

I see that the nearest Waitrose will be six miles away though. Can anyone advise what we should do if we need any smoked paprika or organic manchego in an emergency?

It’s Ilkley – Waitrose didn’t come up to the required standard 🙂

There’s a Booths which may deign to serve you.

I’ll be travelling approximately 20 yards to the scaffolding tower viewing platform in my back garden. What do I win?

lol at the southerners thinking Waitrose is posh. 🙂

Waitrose isn’t posh though? Neither is booths they are just supermarket chains.

Paxton and Whitfield, Berry bro’s and Fortnums are ‘posh’

Im planning on getting as close to harrogate as possible on friday night and kippng in the back of my transit
Then hoping to watch the sprint finish on saturday. Is this likely to be a major ball ache ?

4 mile pootle on the canal to a watering hole on the start line. 8)

im getting the train from dewsbury to leeds on the saturday for the big set off and wander round the city centre in all its tour de francey glory. then im riding my bike from dewsbury to holme moss with me dad to watch the mad **** come up there. should be fun, reet lookin forrad to it i am.

Will be travelling over from Barnsley to Penistone and then combining a ride to Langsett with one up to do Cutgate, back via North America with a view to getting back to watching it from Midhop and then a ride back to Penistone.

Mmmmm, kinda feel I’m missing out. 🙁 Son is travelling from London to watch (he also watched the start of the Giro in Belfast) then a week afterwards he’s off to France to watch some more of the Tour.

Personally, I blame his mother for this obsession with bikes. 😆

Me.. I’m traveling 1/2 mile…

Mind I have to get to the farm which is a 3.5hr drive.. 😀

A gentle pootle out to Ripley on the Nidderdale greenway for me on saturday is becoming the plan as reckon any breakaway will be caught some where round the Ripon to Ripley area setting up the sprint trains to lead out from Killinghall inwards.
Plan is to work my way backwards from Ripley to find a nice spot and settle down for the afternoon watching the race unfold on my I pad, catching freebies from the caravan and cheering like a dementa as the peleton wooshes past.
And proudly wearing my Fat lad at The Back spare tyre top 😀

Sum total of distance to watch race = approx 4 km though I could opt to walk about 1 km to the finish line

Heading up to Leeds from the Midlands on Friday, Harewood Cycling Festival with the family on Saturday, maybe a ride out to catch a view on Sunday…

Driving up from Oxford as my family are still all in the area. Luckily all the plastic Wiggo fans with their wilting stick-on sideburns will be staying at home sulking, waggling copies of Cycling Weekly angrily at the TV when ever Sky appear.

Planning to ride Dalby Friday and Saturday, Monksie of this parish is passing on his York racecourse tickets for Sunday, otherwise we’d be somewhere in town. Gonna be heaving but awesome (and I’m a misanthrope who normally hates crowds).

Nettles is about as southern as my arse, he just happens to live down there – he was raised in Cheshire (went to school with Mike Davis but isn’t as handy on a bike. Or off it, come to that).

We’ve just heard that friends of ours have arranged to complete on their house purchase in Swaledale this coming Thursday, so we’re heading up there (from South Manchester so not all that far) on Friday night with airbed, sleeping bags, beer and other essential supplies.

I’ll be landing from Rio on Thursday morning and driving straight up to Carnforth. Still unsure whether to cycle over on Friday night and bivvy or risk an early ride on Saturday morning. I don’t fancy a long ride dodging in and out of stationary traffic… off road and bridleways looking good…

‘Crashie’- they went in the post this morning. You’re very welcome.
My wife (driving) and I (cycling) from Stockport will also be at the Stage 2 start in York.
Nothing like as far as some of you^ nutters!

Setting off from Glasgow tomorrow morning…

I wouldn’t travel to the end of my garden to watch it.

Paxton and Whitfield

my favourite cheese shop!

Couple of mates are cycling up to Harrogate from north devon over 3 days. I’ve just booked my sofa

I will not win this 😉

Saturday – I’m a tourmaker in a fan park 2 miles away from home. We officially finish at 3.30 but they have a big screen so I imagine I’ll be staying to watch the finish.

Then driving from there over to Oxenhope where we’ve got camping booked for Saturday and Sunday nights. We have stocked up on a selection of TdF themed beer. I reckon it will be our 2nd weekend away in a row within 25 miles of home. If it’s not Yorkshire it’s not worth travelling to 😉

We have booked Monday off work. Originally the plan was to go to Cambridge but I’m not sure I can be arsed and I may need sleep by then (I’m out Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with tour related events). And if it’s not in Yorkshire it’s not worth travelling to 😉

Not too far but traveling from North Wales on Thursday and camping at Rapha Tempest Festival, taking my own tent not glamping, staying till Monday. Looking forward to some rides taking in the stages, not decided if I’m entering the cycle cross events, may give the hill climb a go if that’s on.

I wouldn’t travel to the end of my garden to watch it.

Good, that’s one less.