Yorkshire to host Tour de France

Just been announced on the BEEB website!!

Get in! Route?

I can see the Planet-X marketing machine going up a gear for this.

“Bikes from the home of the tour de france” 😉

“Race likely to start in city of Leeds and then make its way south over two days to take a ferry to France”

only problem is it then heads to London….why?? every stage race that heads to London is dull as dishwater!

this is the image that the TdeF twitter feed used for the announcement;

Maybe it’s off road for the first few days?

this is the image that the TdeF twitter feed used for the announcement;

Racking brain to work out whether that’s the Yorkshire bit or the Derbyshire bit…

Shane they can’t all head across the NYM, up Sutton Bank, a bit of twirliness then Rosedale Bank too. Might be interesting.

Yes Rosedale Chimney would be cool, but I’ll be camping out on Holme Moss!

Wooooohhhooooooo!

**** sake, edinburgh would have been much better! (and ahem much closer)

Got this this morn

As a valued member of Welcome to Yorkshire I wanted you to be one of the first to hear the fantastic news that Yorkshire has won the bid to host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2014.
I am absolutely delighted that our Back le Bid campaign, on which so many of us have worked so hard, has been successful. This is terrific news for our county. Together we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to stage the biggest annual sporting event in the world, in Yorkshire.
Two billion people watch Le Tour live on television every year and the Grand Départ, which is held outside of France every two years, is the most eagerly anticipated and widely publicised few days of the whole race.
More details about Yorkshire’s Grand Départ will be revealed in January but for now, thank you for your continued support of Welcome to Yorkshire and helping to secure this amazing achievement.

Shane they can’t all head across the NYM, up Sutton Bank, a bit of twirliness then Rosedale Bank too. Might be interesting.

It’d be a harsh first day for sure!

They’re going to York and Scarbrough so a pootle through the moors isn’t unfeasible.

The other bid IMO looked stronger in terms of route and location for the grand depart, but it seemed very cobbled together at the last minute (i think Edinburgh council only voted on it yesterday!) unlike the Yorkshire bid which seemed to put alot of work in and lobbying effort over the last year or two.

**** sake, edinburgh would have been much better! (and ahem much closer)

Given that ASO regularly get towns to remove street furniture, trafic islands etc to clear the way for the riders and improve the view for the TV cameras. You’d have to rip the tram up, again!

The Edinburgh target is 2017, not 2014.

only problem is it then heads to London….why?? every stage race that heads to London is dull as dishwater!

The TT a few years ago was anything but dull, it was fantastic!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

*jumps up and down, clapping hands excitedly like a big girl*

Eh?? Why have my posts been deleted? Completely innocuous! Explanation please Mods!

I’m amazed that Leeds beat off Edinburgh and Florence for Le Grand Depart. As Leeds born and bred I am really proud of my city, but recognise that its not got quite the architectural or cultural attractions of either Edinburgh or Florence.

LEEDS 😯
FFS!

Explanation please Mods!

their motto is ‘Never Explain’.

Demands on here are seldom rewarded. Although you could email them I guess?

Doesn’t matter that Leeds is a shithole, it’s the racing that’s the attraction. Have you ever been to Roubaix? That’s hardly the most salubrious location but I wouldn’t call Paris-Roubaix ‘dull’.

bit harsh MrSmith but i agree that racing should be the prime objective. I reckon a trip to hebden and up the butress would sort the men from the boys in the peloton 😛

😳 😳 my ‘deleted posts’ are on the other thread about this. I’m blaming being over-excited…nothing to do with my age… 😳 😳

Brilliant news, the tour right on my doorstep! Got to be the right decision 😉

Yorkshire? Oh god, we’ll never hear the end of it.

Reckon Edinburgh, if it gets a turn, would make for a good prologue. Finishing straight from Holyrood to the Castle’s gate anyone?

how it will play out.
1. everyone will complain about the route and no one thinks it will be any good
2. politicians will claim its the greatest thing ever for yorkshire, uk, the world, and the tour since the invention of Time.
3. promises of a new era of cycling in britain
4. route will be turn out to be a great spectale
5. although elderly caravaners will complain about the disruption and drive through closed roads causing a day of choas.
6. a sheep will run across the road at somepoint.
7. it will rain every day
8. it will be a great event despite the above
9. #3 in reality meant more money for Boris’ superhighway
10. 2014 after july, no one will every care or know what happened in Yorkshire as the one new cycle lane that used to be a path no one used is built in Leeds city center that doesnt connect anything to anywhere and ends up being part of a million quid MP scandal that claimed for compensation money as it went past one of his houses he was renting for his ex-wifes dogs kennel owners parents.

LEEDS !

YAY !!! 😀

It’ll be a reet grand day out ! ( or 2 )

I’m amazed that Leeds beat off Edinburgh and Florence for Le Grand Depart. As Leeds born and bred I am really proud of my city, but recognise that its not got quite the architectural or cultural attractions of either Edinburgh or Florence.

Its not the city/architecture that won, Its all the effort and hard work Welcome to Yorkshire and others put in to a good solid campaign for Le Tour to come to Yorkshire.

Really pleased not just as a yorkshireman but also as a cyclist that’s it coming over. I’d have gone anywhere in the Uk to watch it.

Holme Moss!

Except on side of it is in Derbyshire. I’m saying Saddleworth moor and Marsden moor.

I backed le bid, so i’m well impressed. I might go to 3 stages of the 2014 tour now. I live in leeds and my sister has just bought a house in the pyrenees. Woo hoo!!

This is great news! Me and my mates are gunna be able to pinch some quality bikes now! 😀

Why are people falling over themselves to host 3 stages of the TdF when no one gives a flying wossname about the National Premier Series?
I’m pleased for Yorkshire and I’ll be there but it seems a bit sad that so much effort and resource will be spent on this rather than developing the UK’s own road racing series….

Should be good though, by my reckoning Sky will have three leaders for the 2014 TdF…

Leeds..?
I’m sure Yorkshire can and will put on a great day. However:

Edinburgh Depart and out into the Borders. Followed by a stage going 200km from Perth around the eastern Highlands, taking in Cairn o Mount then Deeside and Glenshee and back again. Or start it in Perth and go via Glenshee to the Lecht and on to a hilltop finish at Cairngorm.
Proper stages and a much better tourism showcase fro the UK than the relatively gentle and polite terrain we will now see.
Pity; it’s a missed opportunity.

it seems a bit sad that so much effort and resource will be spent on this rather than developing the UK’s own road racing series….

I would expect that interest and therefore investment will grow in the national series because of the TdF

Proper stages and a much better tourism showcase fro the UK than the relatively gentle and polite terrain we will now see.

it’s the opening stages, they’re never on the big hills.

highlandman – Member
Leeds..?
I’m sure Yorkshire can and will put on a great day. However:

Edinburgh Depart and out into the Borders. Followed by a stage going 200km from Perth around the eastern Highlands, taking in Cairn o Mount then Deeside and Glenshee and back again. Or start it in Perth and go via Glenshee to the Lecht and on to a hilltop finish at Cairngorm.
Proper stages and a much better tourism showcase fro the UK than the relatively gentle and polite terrain we will now see.
Pity; it’s a missed opportunity.

I am guessing here ……

BUT

You haven’t been to Yorksire have you ?

or at last ridden a road bike round the dales or moors much ?

Just guessing 8)

Blimey there’s some great beer and cake in Yorkshire and now Le Tour, i’m off to put my towel on a prime spot right now

Well I don’t know if this is significant but one of the few things that can unite the fans of all Yorkshire footie teams is that they all hate Leeds muore than each other!