I’m very lucky to live within a stones throw of the route and local media is really building up the event. The most recent news for visitors and locals is that the roads on the route will close at 6:30am?
It appears, therefore, that if you aren’t in place by then, you are not going to be able to drive where you want to watch.
I think it might be an early walk for me to a suitable vantage point but places like hebden bridge are surely going to be occupied only by those who have stayed over or in the locality? If the main A646 is going to be closed so early, the town is going to be isolated from traffic.
Has anyone thought of a plan how best to get to get to their chosen spot?

cycle,

But from watching many stages of the milk race, the tour of britain and a few other road races, you wait for ages, then a load of motorbikes, a helicopter, some fast cars, then a lot of cyclists pass sometimes chating to each other like a club run, more motor bikes, and finally an AA van, an Ambulance and a van with a brush taped to its rear doors.

Then a huge rush as people run to their cars.

Watch on tv, much easirer and more to see.

Oh and the tour series starts next week Stoke on trent tuesday.

I’m going to walk up Blackstone Edge & take a footpath around the reservoirs to come out at the top of Cragg Vale.
Watch the riders then have a couple at the White House 😀

I live on the day 1 route, going to watch it rumble through town and then watch in the pub.

If you are retired with a campervan like my parents, you can get in position in the dales a few days in advance, watch it come past then watch it on the telly in the van!

I’m recoding it, then walking down to the Stray for the evenings party with a few guests we’ve got staying..

Details of all the road closures

http://letour.yorkshire.com/road-closures

Going to combine spectating on Cragg Vale with a mtb ride from Worsthorne.

A nice dawn start to the ride!

Ride there? That’s what we are doing.

The most recent news for visitors and locals is that the roads on the route will close at 6:30am?

Roads closed to cars from 5.30am according to BMDC website (and from what people living up towards Kettlewell have told me, they’ve been told). Guess it depends on what point of the route.

I’m riding up the PBW to the top of Cragg Vale. Based on this thread it’ll be busy up there.

Either top of cragg, or ripponden bank, although I suspect the latter will be carnage.

But from watching many stages of the milk race, the tour of britain and a few other road races

TDF at least on the continent usually involves a lot more spectacle, crazy floats, dancing girls, freebies, Haribo!

Nearest/easiest place for me to get to will be near Meadowhall/Centertainment at the end of the Sheffield stage – could get train to Meadowhall and then walk to roadside – will probably be easier than trying to park somewhere

I’m planning to get to ewden beck between midhopestones and bradfield on stage 2. Read on a Barnsley council leaflet that roads would be closed from midnight. Hopefully park stocksbridge somewhere then walk in. Suspect it will be pretty chocker.

The route passes within 10 mins walking distance of my house (just up Scott Hall Road, Leeds). The finish line is 5 mins from my mate’s house in Harrogate.

The plan is to watch the start from near my house, then hop on the train to Harrogate and watch the finish.

Devash good luck with that optimistic plan!

I’ll be one of the expected 50,000 up Holme Moss, and I’ll be riding there.

My original plan was to go out early, ride this

http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/outandabout/gettingactive/cycling/mtb/mtb-findaroute/mtb-route-granddayout/mtb-a_grand_day_out.pdf

to the top of Kidstones and watch from there before heading up Langstrothdale to finish. It’s a nice ride which avoids the road closures.

Beginning to think that Kidstones will be too rammed for me. Might just get above the valley floor onto the Dales Way somewhere around Kilnsey or Kettlewell, relax and just watch the circus from a distance.

I was thinking of getting an early morning train to Bamford and cycling up to Bradfield to watch the riders come over the last small climbs before Sheffield. The roads should be reasonably quiet up through Ladybower area hopefully.

I was going to head up to the Dales from the Midlands but I’ve sadly come to the conclusion it’s just not worth it. Much as I like the Dales and I’d love to see the tour it sounds like what I’d actually see vs. time/effort/stuck in massive crowds doesn’t really stack up for me.

I’ve volunteered to be a Tour Maker. I found out yesterday that I’ll be in sector 8, between Kettlewell and Kidstones.

Mr Salmon, you’ll be able to watch it on telly every other year.

I’ve volunteered to be a Tour Maker. I found out yesterday that I’ll be in sector 8, between Kettlewell and Kidstones.

Manning the portaloos at Buckden…yay!

If that’s all they’ve got for me, I’m not playing. 😉

you’ll be able to watch it on telly every other year.

Yeah, you’re right and that does nag at me a bit…

I shall watch them coming past the house then walk down to the Dales Bike Centre to watch the finish on the big screen he’s having the the camping fields. It’s going to be ace, chaotic but bloody great.

Another volunteer here …
BUT
I live in Harrogate but have been offered section 7 … Between Embsay and Kettlewell so couldn’t get much further away 🙁
Accepted it for now but plans may change to
Ride out to Poole to see tour go out then ride back home to see it come back some where round Ripley – Killinghall by using e Nidderdale greenway to get out there.
Taking the I pad to watch the finish before collecting bidons and pootling back home

I don’t think a lot of places have thought it through properly. There are tons of places around Otley with Pay on The Day car parking posters/banners etc. I don’t think they’re anticipating the roads being closed from 0630.

I’m gonna go to the end of Littondale while it meets the Wharfedale road. Be plenty of parking off the road. I live in Littondale & will have a six week old baby by then. The wharfedale road shuts at 6am and the caravans r due to go past round 11.30am with the bikes at 1.30pm. Access into Littondale is still possible due to the roads over the tops from Settle being open. I can’t wait. Once in a life time opportunity to have it on your door step.
I know http://www.stonelandscottages.com/ has a few cottages now available due to a large cancellation.
Enjoy everyone!!!

Re: freebies & haribo, was looking forwards to these all day in Paris 2012 but when caravan passed nowt forthcoming. Was briefly disappointed!

Mrs Oldman and I will be camping there and walking up to Cogden Moor then down to the big screen for the finish.

Nice thread, must get organised. My daughter works for the council and she’s been working on TdF stuff since she started in September.

I actually saw the TdF go through Hampshire back in the 70’s (?) and yes they all “just” spin by but it’s still a spectacle and if you get to a pub or watch it on a mobile device/tv it’s still a buzz. A chance to watch Wiggins and Froome the last two tour winners ride past on home soil, why wouldn’t you ?

To avoid the chaos my idea is to park the van in Lancashire, then take the MTB over, ideally finding a Bridleway or simular that just drops onto the Route.

Any on the Route of either stage ?

I’d love to see the race but I seriously can’t cope with crowds as I get clostraphobic (sp)

Huddersfield town plus its got pop up bars etc afterwards 😀

http://letour.yorkshire.com/faq
http://www.northyorks.gov.uk/article/28354/Grand-Dpart-2014—road-closures-and-map
http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/livinghere/letour/tdf-faqs.pdf

I am so excited too. I don’t care if they just flash past, I want to be there to see something that will only happen in the Dales once in my lifetime.

Will ride from home to somewhere near Kilnsey/Kettlewell/Buckden. Might ride the MTB up and over Hawkswick to drop down to Wharfedale. I am guessing that Littondale will become a car-park as people drive over from Ribblesdale then meet the closure.

Once it is al over, I will ride home and watch it time and time again on the TV

C

Like the anniversary dambusters flyover at Ladybower I assumed it’d be chocker so I parked at the foot of Hagg farm and rode over. Same principle,..

plus stay away/watch on tv? Exciting stuff. Best not go to a gigg either as you cant eat your tv dinner huh..

The Leeds council website isn’t very helpful for non cycling fans. It still says that details of the route and road closures will be updated nearer the event. It’s now less than two months ago. I work in Harrogate and a lot of my colleagues live in leeds. Those who aren’t into cycling are still blissfully ignorant about how they will get to work on the Sat and Sun

It could be that our road got missed out but for those of you living in Leeds have you received any info through the letterbox as yet from the council on road closures etc?

I know its on the website but we live about 200m from the route and have seen nothing, I’m predicting angry residents and chaos.

We never get anything through our door here in Trafford yet 3times a year the roads shut for most of the day. The info comes from occasional yellow signs. Simple and effective.

What do you need? A tv campaign?