Le Tour anyone ?

[Barry Izbak]

Anyone else tripping up the smoke tomorrow to have a look at the beginning of the toughest sporting event in the world ? I know its blighted by drugs rumours and proven drugs cheats, but I still think its fantastic.

I considered going to watch in going through Kent on the Sunday, but tomorrow looks better all round. I wish them luck biking through the "Medway Towns" aka the compost heap in the corner of the Garden of England.

BTW: Travel tip for London tomorrow:
Return Southern train Brighton to Victoria £18
Buy a Southern saver from your first bus driver of the day and you get all day Brighton buses thrown in for a total of £12.50. Work that out if you can.

 

[maidstoneseagull]

Comes very close to my house on Sunday, looking forward to seeing it despite being told it is an anti climax.

 

[Marc]

Saw the Tour De Suisse in Gstaad once, very exciting it was too. I remember when Let Tour De France came through shoreham.....I could'nt go watch cos the busses were on strike!

 

[REDLAND]

I caught the tour 3 years ago when I was racing DH in Les Gets, its poncy blokes on racers

:notinterested:

oh and there ALL on steroids !!!

 

[1066gull]

whats the point? i bet no one will hardly see a single cyclist in the flesh because they go so bloody fast

 

[Lord Bracknell]

whats the point? i bet no one will hardly see a single cyclist in the flesh because they go so bloody fast

That's not how it was in 1994, when Le Tour came to Brighton.

I caught it twice, as the riders struggled up Elm Grove. It was a superb day of entertainment and spectacle, watched by hundreds of thousands along the entire route from Dover to Brighton.

Working at East Sussex County Council's Highways and Transportation Department, I was also involved in the organisation of the event. Oh what fun we had ... shutting the roads down.

 

[Stat Brother]

I'll be there in body on Sunday & in spirit for the next 3 weeks, Irrespective of drugs scandels this & test match cricket have always been my summer sports of choice.

LB, I doubt they were struggling up that minor rise in the road.

 

[dougdeep]

Be cheaper to go to Tunbridge Wells.

 

[Pat McCrotch]

That's not how it was in 1994, when Le Tour came to Brighton.

I caught it twice, as the riders struggled up Elm Grove. It was a superb day of entertainment and spectacle, watched by hundreds of thousands along the entire route from Dover to Brighton.

Working at East Sussex County Council's Highways and Transportation Department, I was also involved in the organisation of the event. Oh what fun we had ... shutting the roads down.

struggled up elm grove?

it's hardly the french alps is it

 

[Statto]

Just about to leave. It will the third time ive sen it in person. Went to Roen In 1997, to see Chris Bordmans famous Prologue win there. I saw it in 1994 when it was over here. I might have a Flutter on our Bradley wiggins to win today.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I used the word "struggle" to describe the two climbs up Elm Grove as a contrast to 1066's assertion that "no one will hardly see a single cyclist in the flesh because they go so bloody fast".

That simply wasn't the case in 1994. The aficionados who know their bikers (and the casual fans who have heard about a couple of brave Brits taking part) ARE able to make the right sort of encouraging noises on stretches like Elm Grove, where even the main bunch of riders spreads out at the end of a long race.

Even if you are not in the remotest bit interested in who wins, it's still a worthwhile spectacle to watch.

 

[skr80]

the Armstrong biography is a good read tho

 

[bhaexpress]

Well actually I think it's a bit of an honour that the French want to start what is a real tradition here. Not my cup of tea but it is a spectacle and I wouldn't knock it. It is after all a world famous event and frankly far more interesting than the Boat Race or even the Grand National.

 

[Stat Brother]

Well actually I think it's a bit of an honour that the French want to start what is a real tradition here. Not my cup of tea but it is a spectacle and I wouldn't knock it. It is after all a world famous event and frankly far more interesting than the Boat Race or even the Grand National.

Sadly they are not that generous, money talks & London shelled out a large amount of Euro's to have the honour.

Not that I'm complaining I've already started packing the car for tomorrow.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It'a fantastic spectacle, even if the actual competitors are utterly anonymous. Seen it twice, last time when for some reason it passed through Basingstoke circa 1993/4/5? Previous to that I saw it in pre-history having trekked half-way up Puy-du-Dome (legendary ex-volcano off the volvic bottle labels). Couldn't have picked a more ICONIC leg of the tour - Eddie Merckx got booted off his bike just before the finish (at the summit of a scarey climb) by an irate French farmer protesting against something or other. As French farmers tend to do.

Le Tour is WELL worth experiencing IMHO

 

[Statto]

Just got back a couple of hours ago and it was a fantastic day out. We stood in Hyde Park, by the surpentine. It was absolutley jam packed and we were lucky to get a space at the very front. Its a shame Wiggins or Millar couldnt win it at "home". Perhaps our new young sprinter Mark Cavendish will surprise us on the road to Canturbury tomorrow.