The Rake, tour of Britain on Sunday

Any locals going? @binners perhaps.

What’s people’s estimate for the time on the Rake? My guess, based solely on the road closure times would be about 1pm, so might try and get there for about midday.

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/tour-of-britain-women-preview

Official race schedule (which I have cos I’m working on the event…) says 12.36 for the expected time of arrival at the foot of the climb but there’s a window of 12.30 – 12.43 for it. I’d get there well before that, it’ll be “rammed” (see what I did there…)

Any idea what time it will go up the Brickworks on Saturday @crazy-legs?

It doesn’t go.up the Brickworks, it goes past the foot of it. Up from Bollington, turns left where Brickworks goes off to the right then heads back to Alderley Edge.

Prestbury – 12.27
Bollington – 12.34
Pott Shrigley – 12.39
Alderley Edge – 12.59

Plus/minus 10 mins either way depending on average speed.

Ah OK, thanks. I saw Pott Shrigley and presumed they would head up the Brickworks!

I had no idea this was going on until a work colleague asked if they could park on our drive to ride to it from our house

Found it really difficult to find decent info on it 🙁

Details have been slow coming out but here is the  spectator information.

Found it really difficult to find decent info on it 🙁

It’s been pulled together very last minute. Sweetspot (the previous organisers) went into administration last year; the 2022 cancellation of the last 3 days of the Men’s Tour of Britain due to the death of the Queen cost them shedloads of money, there were a lot of unpaid bills and I don’t think the riders from the 2023 race ever got their prize money. Then after that race in September 2023, they folded.

British Cycling set up a sort of subsidiary company called British Cycling Events which has now taken on the Women’s ToB, Men’s ToB and also the National Road Race Championships. They may have other National Champs (XC/DH etc) as well, not sure about that.

But it was a proper race against time to revive the Women’s Tour. It fell out of the UCI calendar in November/December 2023 so a lot of the Pro-Conti teams made other plans, then it got put back in in about February plus there’s been the work with councils, sponsors, police etc to get a route together in a timeframe of about 3 months. Normally, this will have been on the back burner for 12 months of background discussions, route recces etc and then another 8 months of full prep.

Although this is all fairly local around North Wales and the north west, it at least keeps logistics a bit easier and cheaper but the plan is definitely to grow the event up to a 6-day and a wider geographical spread.

Good info thanks CL

I’ll try to pop out and see them coming through Haigh Hall way on Sunday, but it might clash with the DH WC in Leogang.

It’s been pulled together very last minute.

Sorry crazy-legs I didn’t intend that to sound like a whinge. I know a hell of a lot has gone into getting it back on the calendar in a short space of time. When I come out of orchestra practice on Saturday the road closure will probably just be hitting (near Prestbury) so we might not be able to get out of the car park to go somewhere interesting – I fancied the steep little pull up into Mottram. No matter, I shall stand by the road and cheer.

We’ll watching in Pott Shrigley. Do we need to look out for you CL, can give you a wave 🙂

Sorry crazy-legs I didn’t intend that to sound like a whinge.

Oh I didn’t take it that way at all! No probs. 🙂

There’s been very limited time for “engagement”. I’m at the start in Welshpool and it’s apparent that many of the shopkeepers along the high street here where it’s starting were only made aware of it about 2 weeks ago at most.

However they seem to be generally accepting of it, there’s a kind of polite curiosity at the moment. Maybe it’ll build to genuine excitement and interest by the time the riders get here.

what car are you driving @crazy-legs? will watch for you on the coverage

Yesterday was a good stage. Quiet-ish start then it all blew up on the second QOM – a lone leader got closed down by a group of the favourites and once that group of 9 had gone, they were well and truly gone.

Lifeplus-Wahoo had all their bikes nicked from the hotel overnight. Some absolute scum around, this seems to happen at most bike races now. I think most are riding cos the other teams have rallied round to provide them with spare bikes although how that’ll go down with their sponsor Ribble is questionable…

Circuit around Wrexham today. Nice stage.

what car are you driving @crazy-legs? will watch for you on the coverage

In a change to my normal role, I’m driving the Forward Announcer car. The thing with the bloody great speakers on the roof that updates spectators at the roadside on the race situation. Also means I’ve seen **** all actual bike racing cos I’m 5km in front of the riders… 🤔

how that’ll go down with their sponsor Ribble is questionable…

Well their HQ is only in Preston, so they could always sling a few bikes in a van and pop them down.

Have the schools been coming out to see the race go by?

Have the schools been coming out to see the race go by?

The schools have been amazing. Someone has done some great work in getting them all out. Had a visit at the start yesterday from the local girls primary school to get special place on the barriers right by the riders but all the schools en route have been out in force with banners, flags and lots of cheering.

Lovely.

Good time of year for it, as they’re winding down for summer.

One of my colleagues went out to watch it yesterday, cycling to the top of the B4391. They said there were very limited numbers of people watching on the route.

Have to say they need to sack the cameraman in the Helicopter, they didnt really make the best of the stunning scenery they travelled through yesterday, you can see the difference in the TdF camera people/production.

Discovery+ said today starting 12:45, then 1pm, now 1:15pm !

I hope it does go from strength to strength. The Tour de Yorkshire days had amazing atmospheres and brought people out in their 10’s of thousands. I did masses to bring communities together and promote cycling.

Crazy-legs were you on the telly box at the start in Welshpool or was that a colleague?

Some absolute scum around, this seems to happen at most bike races now.

Thats shit, but it is Wrexham, and not far from Liverpool 😉

Hmm so it was Whitchurch not Wrexham (sorry Wrexham)

Definitely targeted then !

Where the hell will they sell the bikes though

not far from Liverpool 😉

Nice.

Crazy-legs were you on the telly box at the start in Welshpool or was that a colleague?

I do my best to avoid being on the tellybox at all times!

Big crowds on Horseshoe Pass which, predictably, blew the race to bits. It’s noticeable how much of a Pro vs “the rest” this race is. Kopecky is kind of like the female version of Tadej Pogacar in this sort of company.

Tempted to take the CX over to Potts Shrigley via Middlewood Way, then home via Gritstone Trail and the canal.

Weather has picked up! Was miserable this morning but lovely down on the start line here in Warrington.

*I realise that’s probably the first time the words “Warrington” and “lovely” have ever appeared in the same sentence… 😉

fossyFull Member
Tempted to take the CX over to Potts Shrigley via Middlewood Way, then home via Gritstone Trail and the canal.
Posted 21 hours ago

That’s what I wanted to do, but I’m still off a solo bike atm (tandem is fine, but nbt not around to pilot).

If I had known, I would have had the family wave at you as you came back through Appleton (your speakers got a mention). I have been pedalling round the Marin Trail so not back in time.

Big crowds out today, the QOM at Pott Shrigley in particular was rammed and the weather stayed kind.

Fairly sure there must have been some kind of organised “protest” in Prestbury and Bollington (and Alderley Edge to an extent) cos it was a nightmare with traffic. Lots of folk who just happened to be insistent upon pulling out of their driveways right at the moment the race started passing. Arguments with police and safety motos, civilian cars in amongst the race vehicles…

I suspect something along the lines of village FB group saying to all residents “ah well don’t do anything actually criminal but do make sure that you just need to drive to the shops at exactly 12.38 and make sure that all your deliveries are due within that timeframe too…”

I was just after the QOM in Potts Shigley on the first bend on the descent (on the inside) – I’d gone over on my CX bike so was already covered in mud. We had one dozey range rover driver who got stoped and told to get off the road – took her a few minutes to work out what to do and another telling off from the cops. Seemed to be more police and support vehicles than riders.

Bottom of brickworks was chaos with cars and bikes so I was glad to drop most of the riders there, and then hopped onto the Gritstone trail to Disley.

Trails and tracks are still wet and muddy.

 Lots of folk who just happened to be insistent upon pulling out of their driveways right at the moment the race started passing. Arguments with police and safety motos, civilian cars in amongst the race vehicles…

Ah yes, the very people who will be cheering on our lads and lasses, in off road, road and velodrome cycling events, come the Olympic games.

It’s a very car centric area and people on cycles are an inconvenience, even during a wonderful cycling race.

Anyway, race schedule for tomorrow is 12.36 for QOM start on Ramsbottom Rake (plus/minus 10 mins depending on average speed and obviously the first police motos will be arriving maybe 15-20 mins in front of the race).

I’ve just had a few pints in the rose n crown. Might revisit for another pint tomorrow as the race heads up the rake 😬

Just looking for my winter woolies then I’ll head over.

If you see a fat bike that might be me

Just looking for my winter woolies then I’ll head over.

And waterproofs!

Wet on the rake

Boy, the Rake was wet.

Too hard to work out how to embed.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2P5rEUakVapDif9d8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5QkWVb8jTvmsULzg8

@retrorick, I think we must have been pretty close.

I was opposite the police car that was sat in the posh driveway just below the church, near the top

That was mostly a thoroughly minging day with a few moments of dry roads and some vague attempts at sunshine.

Good attacking riding throughout though, a few abandonments during the stage due to the weather.

Good pics!

@MadBillMcMad – I’ve only just seen this. We’re away in Wales but have just watched them riding past our house before hitting the Rake on the ITV footage.  The weather looked very Ramsbottom!

The best thing about it is the council closed the Rake for a couple of days last week to fill the potholes as it resembled the surface of the moon 😂

Great photos!

I should have done some artwork really. This was the last one…