Toue de France - Stage 1
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 10:15 pmNipped out with ScooterStu after work last night to retrace the tracks of the Tour De France boys – stage one ran from Leeds centre, up into the Dales, and down to Harrogate – 120 miles of stunning Yorkshire…we wanted to see it for ourselves, and had time to kill.
Well, we’ll see that for ourselves…
The attendance was disappointing…
What do you mean “wrong way!”?
Pesky mods get everywhere…
Stu comes up the Cote de Cray – the first registered climb of the Tour…the graffiti goes haywire up in the hills!
I think the "MERCKX!" bit is irony.
Over the tops & we drop down towards Aysgarth & Hawes, in Wensleydale – where the cheese is from…
Through Hawes & we head north up over the Cote de Buttertubs….classic biking/cycling road this. As it was mid-evening we had most of these roads to ourselves – it was a great feeling.
This is the classic view - and same spot as the billboard image in the top photo.
We had a play about near the buttertubs themselves, with the camera…
Me – looking as if I’m going a bit quick…
We had a look over into the “tubs” themselves…so called because traders passing from one dale to the next would cool and store their dairy goods in the deep, cold recesses….the drop below Stu is about 20 metres.
I resisted the temptation to push him in.
Tempus fugit & all that, and we headed east along Swaledale to the lovely village of Reeth – all the villages along the route had retained the yellow bikes, tdf bunting, banners & so on – there was still a real sense of spirit the event had brought to these parts.
After a spot of fodder it was up and into the Cote de Grinton Moor – 3rd and last registered climb of the stage….superb twisty road winding up into the hills south towards Leyburn & Ripon
I can’t help thinking if this bloke had competed the scenes would have been even more fervent than they were…
Hang on – we’ve to go to work in the morning!
Made it home at half past midnight – a bit tired, but having had a cracking evening out – and after catching more flies than you could shake a stick at…
Roll on Stage 2…
Well, we’ll see that for ourselves…
The attendance was disappointing…
What do you mean “wrong way!”?
Pesky mods get everywhere…
Stu comes up the Cote de Cray – the first registered climb of the Tour…the graffiti goes haywire up in the hills!
I think the "MERCKX!" bit is irony.
Over the tops & we drop down towards Aysgarth & Hawes, in Wensleydale – where the cheese is from…
Through Hawes & we head north up over the Cote de Buttertubs….classic biking/cycling road this. As it was mid-evening we had most of these roads to ourselves – it was a great feeling.
This is the classic view - and same spot as the billboard image in the top photo.
We had a play about near the buttertubs themselves, with the camera…
Me – looking as if I’m going a bit quick…
We had a look over into the “tubs” themselves…so called because traders passing from one dale to the next would cool and store their dairy goods in the deep, cold recesses….the drop below Stu is about 20 metres.
I resisted the temptation to push him in.
Tempus fugit & all that, and we headed east along Swaledale to the lovely village of Reeth – all the villages along the route had retained the yellow bikes, tdf bunting, banners & so on – there was still a real sense of spirit the event had brought to these parts.
After a spot of fodder it was up and into the Cote de Grinton Moor – 3rd and last registered climb of the stage….superb twisty road winding up into the hills south towards Leyburn & Ripon
I can’t help thinking if this bloke had competed the scenes would have been even more fervent than they were…
Hang on – we’ve to go to work in the morning!
Made it home at half past midnight – a bit tired, but having had a cracking evening out – and after catching more flies than you could shake a stick at…
Roll on Stage 2…
