[Closed] TdF Good, Bad and the Ugly

£15 to park In a grassy fielding Hawes yesterday!!! noticed they had priced a lot of people away from the half full campsites!

Loved the relatively cheap but fully equipped campsite at the Nidderdale bike fest(£30 two nights),hated the french vans selling memerobelia with annoying tannoys,

On the whole though an excellent weekend, and great see so many bikes around and people enjoying themselves.

I reckon tight Northerners charging to park /camp in a field soured it for a lot of folk . Also pubs putting prices up for the day as well . I walked to end of my road and watched it then went back home to Watch Lewis smash Silverstone

Paying Nothing and getting 5 hours of TDF fun - best biking day ever!

Free to park at Gargrave.
Little pootle up to Côte de Cray.
£3.50 a pint at the White Lion Inn.
Best bike ride day ever.
Happy.

Good - amount of people arriving on bikes (proper cyclists) not fat in his 40's john in his jeans.

I arrived on my bike in Jeans, and I'm not slim by any means.

You should have said this was an issue for you, I would have come in the car 🙄

Watch Lewis smash Silverstone

Wow, not watched it yet, but thanks for the spoiler in a TDF thread.

Yesterday, parked 10 mins outside Skipton for free. Had a normal priced breakfast then saw the tour, all good.

Today, hauled my FS up on the road then some excellent off-road over Blacktone Edge, spent no money, came home on a sweet new descent. All good again.

TAFKASTR, sorry fella, its well worth watching 😕

parked outside skipton yesterday for free, watched for free and enjoyed the sun, went to veggie café paid same as usual

today watched on TV

wonderful event and well supported

Paying Nothing and getting 5 hours of TDF fun - best biking day ever!

Don't suppose you saw your mate, and got some more info on Planet-X's imminent demise?

No worries trevron - called you a bellend too, but it's been removed and I've been duly bollocked by the gestapo - shoulda put a smiley, but apologies anyway. I've avoided it on FB, so was a bit miffed, but all good 🙂

amount of people arriving on bikes (proper cyclists) not fat in his 40's john in his jeans.

Absolutely. We don't want to encourage 'normal' people to hop on bikes and think that they're a viable, sensible means of transport, cycling needs to be the preserve of proper cyclists with special clothes and equipment.

Highlights, that it came within about 25miles of where I grew up. Seeing Hawes open and embracing the tour at 6am, tour de france signs in Kirkby Stephen and just the shere number of people on bikes. The highlight though had to be Jens Voigt in the cauldron of noise between the spoil heaps on Buttertubs.

Best bit was the all the crowds cheering my 6yo lad in his home-made 'maillot jaune' as he rode up to the top of Cote de Greetland from the Huddersfield side. 😀

called you a bellend too, but it's been removed

So they removed that, but not the spoiler?

Odd.

£3.50 a pint at the White Lion Inn.

Blimey, I thought it was cheap up north, I only pay £2.70 locally

RD After my little pootle of 18 miles on a mountain bike I would have happily paid £50 a pint.

I reckon tight Northerners charging to park /camp in a field

What, and you reckon it'd have been better down south!?

Good = kids screaming their lungs out with excitement
Bad= MAMILs pretending to be chris froome riding the wrong way down roads and wondering why fathers with kids were going to put their lights out, really 30 mph whilst folks are walking with no way of stopping

Good - the whole thing, brilliantly done.
Bad - there's some rite knob ends that ride bikes out there int there!?!
Ugly - the rider that seems to have gone down the hardest, well his knee and Lycra anyway.

Funniest - the guy who fell off riding up Holme Moss in front of me while doing about 3mph and then lying on his back, bike in the air & still clipped in. Hotly followed by the guy who did the very same under the KOM banner and the 2 guys in manikins tackling the security after they tried to stop them, nuts ooot

Good.
the fantastic maelsrom of people on the col de Cringles today
Good the fantastic work of the folks trying to keep us and the riders safe

the great weather
the awesome spectacle of the tour in yorkshire

has two days of great cycling on a never to be repeated event
this morning i rode the wrong way on the steeton bypass with my dog in the middle of two lanes and no cars it was bliss.
been a fantastic weekend of sport

good= fantastic carnival atmosphere in leeds, which lasted allday. it was awesome.

bad= me, getting sunburnt whilst sat outside the magic spanner bar, supping one of the best ales i have ever had, at a nice price too.

ugly= idiot blokes in replica kit, trying to get to the front on the barriers, with their bikes(100yds off the start line). a copper told them he would confiscate their bike if they did not move to the back and use some common sense.

Good - the atmosphere at the top of Blubberhouses moor, especially the guy on the top of the crags playing the bagpipes!

Bad - was there anything bad? I got slightly sunburned? I found a fantastic pub selling excellent beer and food for a reasonable price just a few miles off the course which is going to make all other pubs in Cambridge seem a bit rubbish?

The midges were a bit annoying early on in the morning.

Ugly - probably me.

Good being handed a bottle by Nibali on the way up Oxenhope, Bad the bell ends getting in the way of the riders (some great footage of a rider smashing one to the floor, did well to stay on his bike)
Ugly, Cav going down in Harrogate.

Got to see it in Otley, Harrogate and Oxenhope, and still watch the finish on the big screen in Keighley and all in a t-shirt and shorts and hot sun, but the coverage on BBC has done my head in, maybe they need to get their heads out of their collective peadophile arses and realise that it was the biggest event happening in the UK and there were millions of people watching not "tens of thousands" - dicks!

Scariest was the way some drivers performed with so many bikes around. A few butters waving me past at blind bends and double white lines- good intentions but a bit dumb. Best bit was seeing so many people on bikes.

The Cote du Blubberhouses Piper - chapeau!!!

Parked at Ainley Top (Huddersfield) and spent the day near the top of the Cote de Greetland with my wife and boys, and my brother and his family.
Good: Everything
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Bad: the racket made by my nephew after he trapped his finger whilst smacking the hell out of an old wheel rim

Ugly: Nothing really. Everyone enjoyed it. Always good to see the police waving and smiling, whether the guy trying to keep the crowd from spilling onto the road, the motorbike outriders or the ones in the undercover grey bmws.

Good - Everything, especially seeing people watch a bike race who you would have never thought would, and walking miles to get there.

Bad - Nothing

Ugly - Nothing apart from maybe wannabe pros taking a dislike to fat in his 40's john in his jeans, who was just out to enjoy himself like everyone else.

Good - so many people on bike or on foot, football games on dual carriageways after the race had come through, fantastic weather, atmosphere, racing. Everything.

Bad - struggling to find food in Haworth yesterday evening (we were about 10 minutes too late it seems as everywhere stopped serving at 8), midges, bar on the campsite running out of beer with about 20km to go yesterday. But nothing major.

Good (watched them both on TV) - Seeing how many people were out there
Bad The way the climbs were getting closed down a bit too much
Ugly they idiot taking a photo on the hard shoulder when he was hit by one of Kittels men (Big shoulder charge) that could have taken down most of the top 10 riders when he was deflected into the bunch.

Good - us modest Yorkshire folk have been banging on for years how great Yorkshire is, now the whole world knows!

Bad - the bloke directing his wobbly kid into the middle of the road and oncoming cars in Ilkley so he could overtake the queue of cyclists on the inside of the road at the lights

Ugly - the amount of people who travelled for miles, camped and waited for hours to experience the TDF roll by, only to watch it on a screen a few inches wide and holding their hands and arms in the way of the riders in the process! I guess they don't want to arouse suspicion with the party by not looking at the Telescreen.

Good - Two days of excellent cycling and a fantastic advertisement for Yorkshire.
Great weather (for a change).
Magic Spanner Bar (ohhhh the hoppy goodness of their pale ale).

Bad - That the race proper didn't actually start in Leeds.
The ITV coverage (more adverts than actual racing).

Ugly - Idiots running into the roads / blocking riders.
Sheffield city center. 😆

I reckon tight Northerners charging to park /camp in a field soured it for a lot of folk

We learnt to be entrepreneurs from Thatcher.

Ugly - the chav family that, having allowed their children to trample my friends kit that was on the ground next to her rucksack then went into aggressive full-on screaming mode when that behaviour was challenged.
Why should other people have to accept having their stuff walked on/kicked etc? We expect people to socialise their dogs before bringing them out in public, is it too much to demand that of their children?

muddydwarf - you'll see that behaviour anywhere people gather in large numbers. Just be grateful you don't have to live with them

Was anyone else impressed by the TV helicopters?
It was like Apocalypse Now as they approached Cote de Greetland. I wish they'd have been blasting out some Wagner!

A truly wonderful advert for us northern monkeys.

A helicopter memory. Near the top of oxenhope moor there isn't much cover and as a woman wandered away from the road across it for an all fresco comfort break she got chants of "we know what you're doing".

Then the helicopter arrived and hovered over her...

Good: the brilliant atmosphere and great scenery, thanks Yorkshire! Riding along closed roads lined with people is pretty cool too. Great to see so many bikes out as well.

Bad: Not getting home until 11pm last night and having to work this morning.

Ugly: The parts of my body covered in midge bites. Didn't know that the campsite we booked was in a place called 'Midgehole', it did a fine job of living up to its name!

The good: Just bloody everything! One of the best weekends ever!! The absolutely fantastic atmosphere. The joyous way Yorkshire whole-heartedly embraced the whole thing.

Bad: Nothing. Stop moaning FFS you whiney middle class cockbags 🙄

Gratuitous didn't we have a lovely weekend pictures.

Yorkshire attitude:

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Waiting for the peleton:

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Binnerette number one, close to the action as Kittel came up Jawbone Hill, screaming ALLEZ ALLEZ!!!!!

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Overall....

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😀

Good: The atmosphere, the closed roads, the event. Seeing lots of kids on bikes.

Bad: jobsworth policeman shutting the road 2 hours before the caravan (dunno why)

Ugly: my hangover.

Good: as mentioned riding the closed roads up to Holme Moss, being cheered by huge crowds en route. The scenery and weather, and above all the amazing atmosphere. Unreal.

Bad: a fat route steward on our return sitting on a wall, turning to her colleague having given me the once over grovelling up a hill in Huddrrsfield and saying "you get some right odd shapes cycling these days" nearly got off and hailed a taxi there and then. Oh and the hills barely a bit of flat between our start point on Denholme and Holme Moss. Then had to go back up!

Ugly: see the steward's comment above.

I particularly liked the police car playing the 'allo 'allo theme tune on repeat from their PA system!

Good - pretty much everything, the atmosphere, friendliness and banter at the top of Kidstones, the massive chant of 'chips, chips, chips' as the McCain van came past, the little kid with his dad roared all the way to the top by the crowd, seeing Jens blasting through in the breakaway. Even the Dales weather put on a show, with the breeze and clouds making the landscape look utterly beautiful.

Bad - nothing! Even queuing off the climb on my bike afterwards was a laugh, and when some rambler complained about the lack of bells on bikes, a copper within earshot put HIM in his place, informing him it wasn't a legal requirement! 🙂

Ugly - I presume completely skipping Keighley town centre on the ITV coverage took care of that one.

Good: my dad getting a smile from Jens when he shouted "shut up legs" as he absolutely fly by. Stupid I know but I had no idea just how fast they go!!!

Bad the traffic and the car breaking down and waiting 5 hours for the breakdown man

Ugly: my dad in his bright yellow tee shirt ( shame)

It was like Apocalypse Now as they approached Cote de Greetland

Good , The whole TDF experience. Plodding along the route from Blubberhouses to Bolton Abbey turn off , with thousands of other cyclists, dads mums and sons in matching gear, brilliant!!!

Bad, As said midges, my body aroma must attract anything that bites bar women!!

Ugly, Seeing grown men diving around beating kids to all the TDF freebie tat that the caravans were throwing out pre-race, have a word with yourselves!!

Good: everything

gooder: the massive crowd at my 'secret spot' - 5,000 happy people makes for quite a nice atmosphere.

gooderer: every bunch that went past got a louder cheer than the one before.

[s]bad[/s] goodererer: a bit of yorkshire sunburn.

Thanks le Tour, you've left us with loads of happy memories, and the roads of the Sheffield Alps are now beautifully smooth!

Good - General Atmosphere all day, cheering of police motorbikes. At bedtime my eldest son (3 1/2) saying his favoutite thing about the day was milking the pretend cow, followed by that 'one day me and you Daddy will rideup that hill (Cote de Bradfield) and everyone will be shouting 'allez' at us. So, if in 3 years time everyone can get back on the hill to cheer us up, that would be great!

Bad - Maybe the drive home, but had 6music on playing cycling inspired songs, so it wasn't that bad.

Ugly - The guy who decided to get an early jump on the crowd and ride up the course, but didn't realise half the race was yet to pass.

Good- stayed at Lower Bradfield cricket club hosted by Planet X, £2.20 a pint and everyone really up for it, watching the 5 helicopters approaching from the distance and just the pure speed of watching the peloton come up Cote de Bradfield and climb that had taken me 3 times longer and i struggled to walk down!

Plus the biggest cheer was for a gent, the marshals having moved the crowds to either side of the road, trying to get his mobility scooter up a 22% gradient with a huge Yorkshire flag on the back whilst a UCI car was stuck behind him.

Bad - Nothing at all of the day itself, just the usual shonky TV commentating.

Ugly - Nothing really, great day, great weather and for the amount of people having a beer crammed into quite a tight space, everyone was pretty well behaved.

The good: The people, the support, the amount of pride and effort that the towns had shown. The effort people made to understand the sport. All of it really.

The bad: my numb arse after 3 hours sat on cobbles.

The ugly: Can't think of anything.

The best bit of the whole thing: The massively excited toddler in a TdF cap running over to his mum and asking if I was Chris Froome on my commute this morning. Naturally I stuck my elbows out and spun off in as low a gear as I could manage.

Good - everything: Getting pulled over by a French Gendarme whilst trying to get to Hebden Bridge isn't something that happens everyday.

Better - Seeing a Jens Voight attack in the flesh.

Best - Uploading my GPS to find I had a Strava top ten on a PMU Sprint, beaten by Laurens ten Dam, Niki Terpstra and Jérémy Roy... Didn't realise I was in the points for the Green Jersey!

The best bit of the whole thing: The massively excited toddler in a TdF cap running over to his mum and asking if I was Chris Froome on my commute this morning. Naturally I stuck my elbows out and spun off in as low a gear as I could manage.

Stare at your stem, that'll convince em

Probably the only bad bit is day three isnt the Wolds, Moors and coast with a finish in Hull.

Another flashback: the guy in a polka dot gimp suit running alongside me shouting encouragement as I sneaked up the climb at Oxenhope.

How the hell pros manage to keep a straight face is beyond me!

The good

Paying half price to get into Harewood
Random people commenting and taking pics of my Coppi
The cycle up to Harrogate afterwards with Tom and Tony
Meeting people, making new friends
The Red arrows
Free parking Ladybower, Cycle up Snake pass, down to Glossop, then the sting to get up to Holme Moss
Bacon, sausage and egg butty in Glossop
Atmosphere up at Holme Moss
Cheering the kids up
The race
The lone of a track pump on my way back when i punctured in Glossop
The ride back up and down snake pass

The bad

Nothing worth noting

The Ugly

having to miss full english because i had an early start!

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Good - I was in Liverpool 😈

Bad - getting from the Peak to Stockport.

Ugly - the attitude of some real cockwombles in cars to cyclists as we passed through crowds of cyclists - no patience. It took us longer to get from the Hope Valley to Stockport than from Stockport to Liverpool, but we just gave everyone loads of room and space. Saw riders forced into the gutter, insane overtaking of groups and no patience for slow riders. Amazingly some of the worst culprits had bikes on the roof or on the back of their cars.

There were a couple of dumb riders who cheerily tried to wave us into oncoming cars or over double whites on blind bends, then got annoyed whe I didn't overtake! Appreciate the thought chaps but I'll wait until I can see it's clear thanks.

Mates who went said it was fantastic but Uni visits took priority. Would have loved to have seen it.

The good(s):
Getting to see the TDF twice, in the flesh and in Yorkshire
The amazing atmosphere in Leeds on saturday
The amazing atmosphere in Hudds centre on sunday
The Sikh's handing out free bhajis and drinks to the crowd at the bottom of Edgerton road in Hudds. A lovely thing to do and the Bhajis tasted amazing!
My friends amazing catch of a box of Yorkshire Tea
The weather

The bad:
People not saying thank you when handed the free food and drink by the Sikhs mentioned above. Manners cost nowt!

My hangover having been drunk since friday

The ugly:
My own attempted catch of a box of yorkshire tea. Nearly took my eye out

Bit rough complaining about (free) ITV4 coverage interupted by ads,no ads = no ITV4!. I don't mind Liggett and Sherwin as they are having to fill dead air all through the race and it can sound odd in an edit..... . Fantastic event all the same perfect conditions and great scenery and crowds!. 😀

I was on Blackstone Edge and the atmosphere was great. As I suspected it seemed like every mountain biker within riding distance was taking the same route up there via the Pennine Way/Bridleway. The race itself passed through pretty uneventfully, which not much racing going on, which is understandable that early on in the stage so that made the crowds even more amazing. Best bit was probably the young lad on his mountain bike being cheered up the hill.

Only negative was some miserable sod who complained about his view of the publicity caravan being blocked and that we should go and stand somewhere else.

How much nicer is Hebden Bridge with no cars clogging it up? They should close the roads more often.

Good - the atmosphere
Talking to strangers
Non cyclists digging the sport
Nice family atmosphere and the sharing of stuff
Two polka dot hats for JY junior - one given by an elderly man so they could have a matching pair
Weather - never expected that.

The Bad - its not every year

the Ugly - Nope

So, if in 3 years time everyone can get back on the hill to cheer us up, that would be great!

I'm there.

Good- getting a police motorcycle lead out by two coppers on motocross bikes up through the Cote de Bradfield to the 20k banner. Then big-ringing it all the way to Jenkin Hill, grinding up that to cheers and cow bells. Dropping Sky replica kitted guys on race weapons on my basic CX bike with knobblies on. Seeing all kinds of people on bikes having fun, especially the kids being cheered on up the 'Cotes'.

Bad - ending up trapped in Meadowhall as they started closing the roads. Roads opening up to traffic too soon for my liking after the event.

Ugly - nearly getting run off the road coming up to Bradfield by a link bus and over eager car drivers.

Why aren't people that exuberant the rest of the time?!

The good: Just bloody everything! One of the best weekends ever!! The absolutely fantastic atmosphere. The joyous way Yorkshire whole-heartedly embraced the whole thing.

Bad: Nothing. Stop moaning FFS you whiney middle class cockbags

+1

Amazing weekend - absolutely brilliant from start to finish.

Good: Everything! Loved cutgate on the way home, massive line of bikers going over the moors, proper nomadic!

The choppers! Like apocalypse now, just unreal.

Bad: nasty shower on cutgate.

Ugly: nowt!

The good: all of it, Holme Moss atmosphere was electric and getting behind the last police wagon for a clear run down to woodhead was amazing, sure half the folk thought I was in the race, 17th fastest on strava and 20s behind tour riders posted times, 3 miles at over 40mph hitting 52mph!

The bad: the bike traffic jam on woodhead but that was just crazy in itself

The ugly: getting my arse slapped by a woman who mistook me for her husband! Well could have been ugly!

Top day!

So, if in 3 years time everyone can get back on the hill to cheer us up, that would be great!

I'm there.

Thanks Buck53 - anyone else?

Good - All of it really!

Seeing the huge mix of people on bikes heading over from Wycoller - the streams of people heading over the moors on the Bronte Way, the brilliant atmosphere, the weather.
Oh, good race too!

The Bad - Wish the full day's coverage was available on the ITV player.

The Ugly - Nothing springs to mind, though the sight of the Liverpool Mercury lads riding sime very expensive carbon road bikes over a very rocky footpath caused me to wince a little!

[url= http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/uk-hails-most-middle-class-day-of-sport-ever-2014070788347 ]UK hails the most middle class day of sport ever[/url]

😀

Good - Riding up the Cote de Gray Saturday morning on closed roads, and the atmosphere at the top.
Bad - Getting hit in the face with a frisbee at Velofest.
Ugly - My face after being hit with a frisbee at Velofest.

Good. The pre ride to Midhop

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Everyone joining in to make it a great day

No bad or ugly I can think of

Good. Best 12 hours in the saddle I've ever had. After the billion people came down buttertubs I went up / down (the pished group of 6/7 people with stripey tops and onions around their necks with the cow bells were ace!) then across the moors and down into kirkby stephen. Best atmosphere / chats to random people / views / countryside / descents ever.

Was also nice to give someone, who was looking confusingly at his broken chain and his chain tool, my second spare 10spd wipperman link and get him on his way quickly (and by chance bumping into him again at the bottom of buttertubs).

Bad. Overtakers. Never had so many (very considerate!) overtakes into blind bends before, how noone had a head on crash I've no idea. And of course the spanner in the 4x4 who just *had* to overtake me (I was nudging 50 as it was) half on the road / half on the grass verge on the descent into kirkby stephen. Wasn't that bad though in fairness.

Ugly. Deep-fried wensleydale in Hawes (the fish and chips were superb though). Not convinced TBH 😛 *awaits flaming by both wensleydale purists and lovers of deep-fried wensleydale*

oldagedpredator - Member
Probably the only bad bit is day three isnt the Wolds, Moors and coast with a finish in Hull.

We wanted them to have a good time in Yorkshire, not leave with syringes in their wheels and the eternal reek of decaying cod in their nostrils... 😉

Good: Cracking ride out to Harewood, red kites and Red Arrows along with the riders, nice ride back via Harewood bank and Eccup reservoir.

Bad: Nowt.

Ugly: The two daft idiot drivers on the way home who couldn't possibly hold on for 10 seconds and just had to squeeze through next to a traffic island even when I was sat in primary position. So, nothing new.

Good- Staying with some close friends in Gunnerside, with amazing views over Cote de Buttertubs. Getting really close to the riders (safely behind a fence). The friendly, waving British motorbike police officers.
People on bikes having a one of the best rides of their lives. The atmosphere.

Bad- missing being with my Brother who was only metres away because we didn't have mobile reception.

Ugly- some idiot hire van driver(not from Yorkshire) overtaking dangerously with many cyclists and pedestrians on the road on a tight hilly bend at high speed.

One of the best days of my life.

The good - getting off the early train to Leeds on Saturday and seeing thousands of people pouring through the station and knowing it was going to be an amazing spectacle. Cheers on the Headrow for the riders signing on. Getting texts from mates at 8.30 in the morning describing the crowds already lining Scott Hall Road. Amazing atmosphere. On Sunday riding down the A59 from cote de Blubberhouses in a stream of happy people and bikes as far as the eye could see.

The bad - Cav's crash. Nuff said.

The ugly - little bit of jostling for position in the crowd in Leeds, but that's to be expected when you are close to the start line.

Amazing weekend.

Good - it's not grim oop north, is it?

Bad - not much, maybe Cav's crash?

Ugly - London. East end housing and industrial estates rarely look photogenic.

😆

Good: the whole weekend, Harrogate Saturday and roadside yesterday in Knaresborough. Fab caravan site very close to the locations. Weather, bunting and it was my 40th yesterday

Bad: Cav's crash and idiots without care for you or your kit as they wandered across the fan park.

Ugly: Drivers round Harrogate on Friday as we rode through for a reccie, felt very unwelcome.

Good - The whole day (Sunday)

Bad - Chris Froome looking at stems as he passed us on Cragg Vale
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Ugly - My rear mech as I rode into the car park
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At least it happened at the end of the ride

Good: everything, every last bit. But a special mention needs to go to 4 pint jugs of Bradfield Brewery Yellow Jersey Ale on the Cote de Bradfield!

And riding behind Nikki Terpstra and Jan Bakelants as they rode from Harrogate to their hotel after stage 1

Bad: nothing

Ugly: the fat bint who was hoisted onto her poor boyfriends shoulders just as they approached the finish in Harrogate, blocking the view I'd waited hours for. Nobs.