[Closed] Tour of Britain 2015

Quite excited as I'm off to watch the start in Prudhoe then going to race the peloton to watch the finish on hartside. Banners, signs and decorations are already appearing.

Quite a few events on in the towns it's passing through in Norfolk, might head into Norwich as I guess they'll turn it into a full day of stuff going on.

Will try to keep next Monday clear and ride up to the Ribble Valley to catch a bit of it, need to try to get my head round where they're heading and when.

Annoyingly just had to change one of the areas I cover at work. Would have been working in Alston same day as the Prudhoe-Hartside stage.

Excellent stuff. I've got a day off on Friday the 11th as it passes within 5 miles of my house at the top of the first KOM.
That's that day planned then 😀

chakaping - Member
Will try to keep next Monday clear and ride up to the Ribble Valley to catch a bit of it, need to try to get my head round where they're heading and when.

Try this

Off to see them at the top of Beeley Bar on the 11th

Goes right past my house ! happy days 😀

Comes through our village 14.30ish on the Friday. I'll be at work but hopefully the school will take the kids up like they did in 2012.

The Methodist Chapel is open that afternoon for teas and cakes...obviously need a new roof again!

Very happy about this, I'd tried to get the time off but it was refused, work then changed my shifts so I've now got the Hartside stage day off 8) Will be riding up with a few club mates!

1st Stage through my Home town of Mold 🙂

Full Week off to follow the Tour around, better get my head in gear and plan some routes and accommodation.

Me ? I'm dreading it ! My Kom's are going to take a battering when the peloton comes trundling through 😥 I'm turning off my email notifications off for that day 😆

Meh... No Devon stage 🙁

start on sun --just down the road from here --then as they race round ynys mon , we will ride up the llanberis pass to await them.....should be good...weather shall be fine !

Cheers tsurani, I think I've got it sussed now.

So Pendle Big End looks like the ideal spot for later in the race, any other locals got viewing locations in mind for stage 2?

Looking forward to it.

Same opinion as every other year when looking at the parcours - they need an a NW Scotland stage, neglect the centres of population and go for the testiest roads.

I nominate the B869 from Lochinver to Kylesku via Nedd!

Edinburgh to Blyth - has there ever been a greater contrast before starting and finishing locations?

Top tip - Don't look misinformed when pronouncing Prudhoe. It is pruddah, not prud-hoe.

I've got no time off so am looking at going over on Friday night in the camper to watch Saturdays race, anyone got any ideas of good vantage points? We'll take bikes so can get around more easily.

Top of Surprise view climb, on the rocks with my camera and tripod. It's my spot, I've bagsied it here! Looks like the KOM is at the junction of Grindleford Road though, so that's an option too. The stretch of downhill to the bridge and the right hand bend could be one for a brave rider to get an advantage just before the final uphill bit, shame I can't be in many places at once.

They're remembered that there's a NE of England too this year so I'm going to walk down and watch when it passed through on Wednesday.

@Drac, are you sure you'll want to be walking? Seems you've been doing a lot of that lately, good effort by the way.

I might be able to by then, cheers.

I was at a hotel in Blackburn last night and was surprised to see the sky & bmc team buses in the carpark, turns out they're all staying there tonight.

Got a great spot in Mold by the Sprint. Loads of folks out watching which was great.

Just back from the Finish at Wrexham down the road, got a spot 50' from the line, great crowds and organisation and all the riders giving the crowds time back by the buses afterwards. Ace

Stage 2 goes within a couple of Km of the house, I've booked tomorrow off work 😀 so will head to the Bleara Moor climb out of Earby and probably the finish.

Good spot!

Probably do the start and finish tomorrow.

Any recommendations for other great spectating spots on the western side of the route?

Just back from the finish too (down the road from commander @ around 120m). Hands not too sore now after all the barrier bashing. Had a really nice few hours 🙂

I didn't realise Greipel was so big compared to how he looks on TV!

They come through our village on Friday morning, just about when I need to leave to bike down to the physio. I have a feeling I might be shown up big time.

Comes past the bottom of our street in Prudhoe, but at work. Might go in late...

We're working at Floors Castle on Tuesday and I might try and see the start in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

My name's Kristian House and, well you know I'm going to see how many times I can use "you know" as an apostrophe.

Kristian you know you're annoying right?

He's doing alright, I bet you'd be fairly shit after racing for 5 hours a day then having to put up with that irritating as **** TV presenter with his tongue up Wiggo's arse.

The whole team's shit. Especially the Scottish commentator with the awful voice. S'pose that's the price of holding the Tour of Britain during the Vuelta. The A Team's in Spain

I like the Vuelta set. A broom cupboard deep in the bowels of ITV HQ with some Spanish props on metal shelving in the background including a Spain tour guide! David Millar is good though, as is Gary Imlach IMO.

A few photo's from today's stage. All taken about 10km from the finish (in Trowell, Nottingham).

Chasing pack ...

[URL= http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y309/nickwatsonphotography/IMG_6019.jp g" target="_blank">http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y309/nickwatsonphotography/IMG_6019.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

Whooosssshhhh ...

[URL= http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y309/nickwatsonphotography/IMG_6023.jp g" target="_blank">http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y309/nickwatsonphotography/IMG_6023.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

Obligatory Peter Kennaugh, man crush photo ...

[URL= http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y309/nickwatsonphotography/IMG_6029.jp g" target="_blank">http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y309/nickwatsonphotography/IMG_6029.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

Cheers

Nick

Watched the peleton pass by here a few days ago. Having to explain what road racing is all about to the yummy mummies I was stood waiting with it struck me that the dullathon that is Cricket is actually more interesting and a far more spectator friendly sport. The Police escorts and team cars and even the ASDA van they'd let through to complete his deliveries were much more exciting than anything that happens other than crashes and the odd sprint (and even most of those aren't all that exciting).

If you want an event go and watch a road race live, if you want to see the tactics and actually see what's going on then watch it on TV.

Lots of folks riding back towards Nottingham when I went home who had presumably ridden out to watch it somewhere - presume you were on the road up from Trowell towards Balloon Woods for those photos?

Seemed to be a few gel wrappers in the road in West Hallam just past the "1k to the sprint" banner as well - not sure if it was the pros or the wannabes

It was the little climb after going under the M1 - just enough round the corner, not to have the motorway in the background.

I agree, you don't get to see the tactical battle, watching by the road, but when it's a mile or so from home, it would be rude not to!

Went and watched the race go through Norwich city center got there early it was quite funny hearing people moan as we took a wander around.
"why don't they do this on a Sunday" was a favourite.

It was very wet and there were quite a few crashes here and there, one right in front of us nothing serious though.

The actual "event" itself was pretty lacking but maybe I just expected a bit more, just a few bike stalls and a farmers market and that was it really.

A couple from stage 4 up the Rigg.

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]