I'm going no further than Quernmore. Going to stand at the switch back and treat it as a photo shoot, I reckon that bend will make for some good pictures. No point in trying to get to the Trough, as you say there'll be no parking and the more I think of Jubilee Tower the more I think they'll be riding fast on what is a rather dull and straight stretch.
It's a shame as I love the atmosphere at races, but today isn't to be my day. Thankfully I love photography too so I'll still enjoy myself.
Tour of Britain
Re: Tour of Britain
Whoosh and it was gone. It was great to see so many cyclists on Boundary Hill, didn't expect such a turnout on a wet morning like today. The best bit, for me, was to chat with cyclists that I met on the way there and on the way back. Good fun great camaraderie.
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eileithyia
- Posts: 8399
- Joined: 31 Jan 2007, 6:46pm
- Location: Horwich Which is Lancs :-)
Re: Tour of Britain
Best place to view, AFTER the finish.
Don't stnad just before or at the finish line, cos it is all over in a whoosh.
Stand at the end of the barriers where they stop and mill around with photographers etc., congratulating each other or picking fights.
Don't stnad just before or at the finish line, cos it is all over in a whoosh.
Stand at the end of the barriers where they stop and mill around with photographers etc., congratulating each other or picking fights.
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
Re: Tour of Britain
Well, I've been enjoying the race enormously. Fascinating stuff. I just wanted to mention that I think I've found a way to record and edit out the ads from the daily coverage and save the video on my Mac. So if anyone has missed a stage (sorry not 1 or 2 as I hadn't worked out how to do it that early in the race) and wants to get a copy of the highlights show to watch on their computer send me a pm.
Re: Tour of Britain
Back stages can be seen on ITVi player.
http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=172550
Unfortunately, though, includes adverts.
http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=172550
Unfortunately, though, includes adverts.
You'll never know if you don't try it.
Re: Tour of Britain
Just got back from Tavistock. Big stage and a rock band playing in the square and loads of stalls set up. Cycled up Pork Hill to the Dartmoor Inn at Merrivale (which was closed 
) via Pork Hill, passed a sign on the way up just out of the town which said the road would be closed 9.20am to 10.40am tommorrow.
Weather was not too bad going up,drizzle and mist, but turned worse on the way back, rain and a strong side-wind with gusts. Was glad to get back into Tavistock for a cup of tea from one of the stalls. Headed home about six as did not fancy riding in the dark.
It gave my Thorn Audax it's first run in the wet, it was much more comfy and cleaner with it's full mudguards than my racer which I rode to Bude in the rain last week. Will head out to watch the race go by on the road near Merrivale tommorrow if I can get up early enough.
Link: Where to catch The Tour in the South West
http://www.tavistock.gov.uk/uploads/documents/tavy_tour_party_road_closure.pdf
Update:
Got there, weather was great, riders went by in a flash, good crowd at Merrivale where we watched it go by.
Pieter Ghyllebert of AN Post leading the climb at Merrivale, followed by Iker Camaño Ortuzar of Endura:
) via Pork Hill, passed a sign on the way up just out of the town which said the road would be closed 9.20am to 10.40am tommorrow. Weather was not too bad going up,drizzle and mist, but turned worse on the way back, rain and a strong side-wind with gusts. Was glad to get back into Tavistock for a cup of tea from one of the stalls. Headed home about six as did not fancy riding in the dark.
It gave my Thorn Audax it's first run in the wet, it was much more comfy and cleaner with it's full mudguards than my racer which I rode to Bude in the rain last week. Will head out to watch the race go by on the road near Merrivale tommorrow if I can get up early enough.
Link: Where to catch The Tour in the South West
http://www.tavistock.gov.uk/uploads/documents/tavy_tour_party_road_closure.pdf
Update:
Got there, weather was great, riders went by in a flash, good crowd at Merrivale where we watched it go by.
Pieter Ghyllebert of AN Post leading the climb at Merrivale, followed by Iker Camaño Ortuzar of Endura:
Last edited by Erudin on 16 Sep 2010, 12:51am, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Tour of Britain
I'm a bit hung over today.
We were out in Tavistock yesterday evening partying till late .........
They had music on a big stage, and a beer tent nearby ..............
Great night!
This morning was difficult.
I wanted to ride up onto Dartmoor and watch the riders climbing out of Merrivale. I think there was a King of the Mountains stage there, but I never made it that far. It was rather difficult climbing Pork Hill out of Tavistock, so I gave up there and watched them climb in a huge bunch.
I took my Sony Handycam and filmed them. It's now on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aboFfgZruo
We were out in Tavistock yesterday evening partying till late .........
They had music on a big stage, and a beer tent nearby ..............
Great night!
This morning was difficult.
I wanted to ride up onto Dartmoor and watch the riders climbing out of Merrivale. I think there was a King of the Mountains stage there, but I never made it that far. It was rather difficult climbing Pork Hill out of Tavistock, so I gave up there and watched them climb in a huge bunch.
I took my Sony Handycam and filmed them. It's now on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aboFfgZruo
Mick F. Cornwall
Re: Tour of Britain
Mick F wrote:I took my Sony Handycam and filmed them. It's now on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aboFfgZruo
You should get a job as a TV commentator Mick
"Look, there's bloody hundreds of them!"-
thirdcrank
- Posts: 36781
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
Re: Tour of Britain
Erudin wrote:... good crowd at Merrivale where we watched it go by. ...
Pehaps Erudin and Mercianmick should give Phil and Paul a rest.
Re: Tour of Britain
Good eh?
I watched the riders last year north of Okehampton and was a bit disappointed with my vantage point. This time I was in a better position. There seemed to be twice as many riders this year.
I wish I'd got out earlier - but it took a superhuman effort to get out at all! - by the time I'd climbed Pork Hill, I'd had enough. The last time I was up there I was on my Raleigh Chopper with a concrete block in tow. I was on my Mercian today, but going slower!
I watched the riders last year north of Okehampton and was a bit disappointed with my vantage point. This time I was in a better position. There seemed to be twice as many riders this year.
I wish I'd got out earlier - but it took a superhuman effort to get out at all! - by the time I'd climbed Pork Hill, I'd had enough. The last time I was up there I was on my Raleigh Chopper with a concrete block in tow. I was on my Mercian today, but going slower!
Mick F. Cornwall
Re: Tour of Britain
Just back from Wells next the Sea.
You're not kidding! There was a 90 degree right hander after the sprint along the quayside, naively I thought they might slow down. I drove round it at 20 MPH later, that was more than fast enough. The peloton took it, I'm guessing, at 30+. The tail enders were at a similar speed and had to dice it with the Support Vehicles, most of which were taking the corner with squealing tyres!
I was disappointed because I tried to take pictures, got a couple of poor ones but didn't really see as much as I could have as a result.
There were quite a few locals watching, one kept asking where they stopped. He couldn't understand that they carried on at that pace to Great Yarmouth and not by the most direct or flattest route.
softpedal wrote:Dont blink or you'll miss it.
You're not kidding! There was a 90 degree right hander after the sprint along the quayside, naively I thought they might slow down. I drove round it at 20 MPH later, that was more than fast enough. The peloton took it, I'm guessing, at 30+. The tail enders were at a similar speed and had to dice it with the Support Vehicles, most of which were taking the corner with squealing tyres!
I was disappointed because I tried to take pictures, got a couple of poor ones but didn't really see as much as I could have as a result.
There were quite a few locals watching, one kept asking where they stopped. He couldn't understand that they carried on at that pace to Great Yarmouth and not by the most direct or flattest route.
I'm not old and cynical, I'm realistic!
Re: Tour of Britain
Sorry to be late to the party...
we've just come back from a lovely week on the Gower peninsula, and to our surprise and pleasure discovered that the Tour of Britain was coming through Swansea on Monday. Advised by our good Welsh friends, we took position about halfway up Constitution Hill. The atmosphere was great (in spite of the rain) and we watched in awe as the riders climbed the hill (1 in 3) sitting down in their saddles! They did look a bit tired but to do that hill without even bothering to stand up...well, just amazing....
We also found the Sky bus and listened to the post race interviews given by Geraint Thomas (who needless to say got the biggest cheer going up the hill) and Bradley Wiggins.
It was huge fun, and we got to see the riders well as they weren't climbing the hill at any great speed. I'll post some pictures when we get them downloaded.
However, we were immensely priviledged in 2007 to see Le Tour when it passed through Kent. In that case, we had a two hour build-up when all sorts of tour cars and support vehicles went through before the riders. Every few minutes some sponsor's car went by, most throwing out goodies or handing out leaflets (I still have an extra-large T-shirt thrown out by one car which I use a a night-shirt ) It just extended the event by a very long time, not to mention cranking up the excitement and atmosphere, and I wonder whether a few of the sponsors of the Tour of Britain might consider doing some sort of early drive-through which would extend the event a bit? We waited almost two hours to see the riders and a bit of extra entertainment wouldn't have gone amiss.
Jan
we've just come back from a lovely week on the Gower peninsula, and to our surprise and pleasure discovered that the Tour of Britain was coming through Swansea on Monday. Advised by our good Welsh friends, we took position about halfway up Constitution Hill. The atmosphere was great (in spite of the rain) and we watched in awe as the riders climbed the hill (1 in 3) sitting down in their saddles! They did look a bit tired but to do that hill without even bothering to stand up...well, just amazing....
We also found the Sky bus and listened to the post race interviews given by Geraint Thomas (who needless to say got the biggest cheer going up the hill) and Bradley Wiggins.
It was huge fun, and we got to see the riders well as they weren't climbing the hill at any great speed. I'll post some pictures when we get them downloaded.
However, we were immensely priviledged in 2007 to see Le Tour when it passed through Kent. In that case, we had a two hour build-up when all sorts of tour cars and support vehicles went through before the riders. Every few minutes some sponsor's car went by, most throwing out goodies or handing out leaflets (I still have an extra-large T-shirt thrown out by one car which I use a a night-shirt
) It just extended the event by a very long time, not to mention cranking up the excitement and atmosphere, and I wonder whether a few of the sponsors of the Tour of Britain might consider doing some sort of early drive-through which would extend the event a bit? We waited almost two hours to see the riders and a bit of extra entertainment wouldn't have gone amiss. Jan