True BB, but only if your’e remotely interested in cycling. You know as well as I do what the majority of the population of Harrogate are like. Non cyclist who travel round the corner to M & S in a Range Rover.

You are indeed correct. My FiL is hating every minute of it… but to be fair to him he does have to go to the hospital 3 times a week for treatment.

Must be pretty crap if you are stuck in the “loops” circuit… you certainly are blocked in (seems like an odd thing to do for the organisers IMO, close all roads…. because that inner loop must have 1000 houses inside it)

So I do see everyone’s POV.

I’m looking forward to today’s events, just hoping the weather stays nice enough for people to come outside.

Well the weathers not that bad today. Sunshine with a few scattered dark clouds, but it’s warm and the road outside the farm is dry…

I think I met that warm dry front about 5 yards from my office. Belting it down when I left the house this morning. The end of our village is/was flooded clean across as I got there, not seen it like that in a few years.

I hope it holds for the riders today.

Nice in both Richmond (start location) and Harrogate at the moment but it did chuck it down earlier.

I stopped at s garage just north of Harrogate on the way in to jetwash the car – very important that the official cars are spotless! – and there was some woman in the queue in front talking to the cashier saying how many people has gone away bout of Ripon just to avoid it all.

Although she wasn’t actively slagging it off so I suppose that’s a positive. I reckon the crowds will build now. TTing is dull at the best of times, now we’re getting into the road races it should be much more engaging.

I find it incredible that according to an early survey by the council a huge 78% of businesses did not attend any of the pre event road shows put on to let folks know what was happening, how they could take advantage and what impact it may have on their business 😯

I hope they do a follow up to ask why not….

crazy legs – are you in the Merc?

When the Tour of Britain came through our small town of Marple,(a few weeks ago) everyone seemed to get on board. Local cafes, shops and eateries did well and definitely had extra custom.
Of course this was a one day and not a week.
When the Tour of Britain was set for a few days in Cumbria, last year it brought in millions of pounds in tax receipts.

crazy legs – are you in the Merc?

Slumming it in a BMW 5 Series this week.

Sunny R’ogate… #nocars

Twin discs??
Let the froth begin..

Twin discs??
Let the froth begin..

Not sure about froth but mounting the caliper on the right back-to-front? 🤢

2006 project bike from canyon..

2006 project bike from canyon.

Ah well, as you’re in starling you can get all the froth you like on a coffee if you’re so inclined. They also do a good line in caramel shortbread. And beer.

TTing is dull at the best of times, now we’re getting into the road races it should be much more engaging.

I must say I’d have bookended the week with the elite road races. I do think TT is better for spectating though.

Men’s juniors just passed through the village. Still a pretty tight pack this far in apart from three or four straglers well behind the others. Assume they had early tech troubles maybe.

Le Fin..

Junior Rd race interesting. I’m off into the shed to aero my brake levers. 😉
You know on tdf Eurosport and they criticise the french tv producers for the choice of tv shots? Have the beeb hired Pierre the Producer?

Assume they had early tech troubles maybe.

Few small crashes and lots of punctures

Yay – pissing down again !

one or two regretting their cassette selection

one or two regretting their cassette selection

Yup, should have iPods, much more selection….

one or two regretting their cassette selection

Most of the Junior Men simply won’t have ridden on roads even close to this steep and technical. The Seniors will be a bit more used to it from Tour of Britain, Tour de Yorkshire etc.

Got a chance to chat with one of the Kuwaiti women – first time she’d ever ridden in the UK and she LOVED it. Said the weather was mental, never seen anything like it. She was really keen to race on Saturday. 🙂

close to this steep and technical

I remember doing a ride from Harrogate off road out to Buckden via West Burton some years ago. I was ruined by West Burton so skipped the off road section from there towards Hawes and took the road I’d somehow convinced my self was flat from there to Buckden. I actually had to get off the bike and have a bit of a cry followed by a strong word with my self when I turned the corner to find the very definitely not flat kidstones bank.

Brian Smith is SUCH an arse. Eurosport commentary….

On the BBC coverage it looks like carnage – so many crashes!

The American who’s done most of the work will sleep tonight. Fair play.

cafe stop!

Well, it was blooming fabulous 👍👍👍🤗

Yes it rained for a little while, but that’s nothing compared to what the riders endured…. rather enjoyed 🤣

The winner:

The police have snipers all over the place..

What IS that last photo?😳

What IS that last photo?

Anti-terror barriers.
To be honest they’re not really there for anti-terror, it’s because **** locals can’t be trusted not to attempt to drive through/around simple cones and it means the marshals get a bit less stick.

They have barriers everywhere in town, some are those really large cast iron bases… designed to stop vehicles “in a bit of a rush”

That one ^^ is at the bottom of Montpellier Gardens, spans the road and all the way up to Bettys Tea Rooms.. clearly expecting a smash and grab of the cakes 🤣🤷‍♂️🤧

To be fair to the crowds, those that I talked to this is the first time they’ve been to a UCI event… came for today and back the rest of the week.. so it does look like more people are appearing for the latter events… and judging by today’s crowd most stayed to cheer the last rider over the line 👊👏👏

And the suns out again 🌻🌞🌞

, it’s because **** locals can’t be trusted not to attempt to drive

FTFY

Aaah. I had no idea. Country living muppet here so I don’t see this sort of stuff normally.

Twin discs! Yes please. Currently my trike has twin rim brakes. Both on the front wheel of course.

Watched the start in Richmond with work and saw odd bits of the tv coverage. The Colombian lad in tears was heartbreaking! Really glad he got to finish!

The Dutch have arrived 🤣🤣🤣

This Junior Women’s race is a bit crashy. 🙁

What’s the weather like over there ? It’s sunny’ish but windy in Harrogate ..

**** sake, this is awful to watch. American rider taken out in the feed zone by the Polish soigneur moving too far into the bunch.

It’s sunny’ish but windy in Harrogate

Same, breezy in places but dry. God only knows the chaos if it was raining!

Watching on TV until they get into town.

No loops today, for those coming into town. They just come along the finish from the bottom of Parliament St….

Rain just starting in Harrogate….