UKC

Just seen the route and doesn't inspire that much ,almost looks like they are avoiding more than a half of the country

In reply to lost1977:

I have just seen it. Looks like they are skirting round the East, then over to the South West, them fly to Paris!

Last years was much better 'looking' than this one. But plenty of summit finishes etc!

In reply to lost1977:

Have you seen anywhere that has stage details ? a quick search for the Cambridge - London stage has drawn a blank so far. I want to know how close it gets to our house !

In reply to MattJP:

Thats how it looks to me as well, although stage 5 does sound sick

In reply to GrahamD:

Other than a sprint finish on the mall no

In reply to GrahamD: They were announcing the details at 12:30 CET so maybe hasn't hit websites yet.

In reply to GrahamD: Stage 1 and 2 details here:
http://letour.yorkshire.com

In reply to lost1977:
Given the start in Yorkshire they naturally want to avoid too many long transfers during the race. Also after last years "100th race best of compilation" it is inevitable that this race would lack some of the usual highlights to avoid repetition. Nice touch to include so much of Flanders in honour of 1914, but I gather Froome is worried about the cobbles.

Anyway, how much can you tell by looking a the route map. What was the best stage year ? The double ascent of Alpe d'Huez, or the boring flat transition stage (13) won by Cav after the crosswinds split the field ?

In reply to GrahamD:
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Route-of-Tour-de-France-2014-through-C...

In reply to lost1977:

I am sure I remember there initially being three stages in Yorkshire with the Sheffield finish being on a Monday. Now this Cambridge stage seems to have appeared and Sheffield is the Sunday.

Am I making this up, or did something change?

Alan

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:
No, Cambridge to London was always part of the plan, or at least since they announced they had won the bid

In reply to lost1977: http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/news/10756924.Skipton_High_Street_added_to_To...

It's coming up Skipton High Street, anyway...

In reply to Chris the Tall:

Brilliant ! within 2km of the house. I feel like a party coming on.

In reply to andy:

I susepct it will be a bit more of a sight than the last race I saw through Skipton - the 1986 Milk Race.

I recall seeing Sid Barras and Keith Lambert

In reply to John Rushby:


When I came up through the juniors in the North East in the 60's, the most I generally saw of Super Sid was his back wheel! I could generally match him on the climbs, but stood no chance in a sprint.

In reply to John Rushby:
Hah! Saw that same race go along Keighley North Street.

In reply to Andy Say:

Did you see a ginger kid with a perm and a Kwantum Hallen top trying to follow them on his Carlton?

In reply to andy:

I wonder whether there is be a good chance of a crash as the peleton is squeezed up getting around the narrow roundabout at the bottom of Skipton High Street? (Gets deckchair out, reserves spot outside the Woolly Sheep...)

In reply to MHutch:

They'll clear the roundabout, but not the taxi pulling out on them from the rank in front of the old Co-op....

In reply to John Rushby:
Reckon this pub in Embsay must be gutted they aren't on the route - would have made the sort of picture editors love

http://www.lads-at-dent.org.uk/USERIMAGES/DSC00405a.jpg

In reply to John Rushby:

They can't - there's some electrical transformer or something like that under it.

Here's hoping the roads are going to actually be rideable!

ALC

In reply to Chris the Tall:

Alan's right, I had a look at the original route in detail earlier in the year - a day in the dales, a flat day around York, then Sheffield was stage 3. The London stage appeared later, around the same time the national tourist office muscled in and upset the Yorkshire lot. I can see it makes a lot of sense for logistics though.

In reply to Adam Long:
Was that plan ever in the public domain ?
And did the suggestion for change come from London or Paris ?

In reply to Adam Long:

As long as it's definitely been coming to Yorkshire it's been the two days that are planned - there might have been talk of three when they were bidding, but the Leeds-Harrogate and York-Sheffield days have been planned since it was announced back in December 2012:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/536048/yorkshire-will-host-2014-...

In reply to lost1977: http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2014/us/stage-2.html
You've got to admit the Cote de Greetland has got a ring to it, as has the Cote de Jenkin Rd.
Anybody know what cat Holme Moss has been given, 2?

In reply to cragtyke:

In reply to lost1977:

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/yorkshire-tour-de-franc...

In reply to cragtyke: Holme Moss is the only categorised climb on the first 2 days - I think it's a Cat 4.

In reply to andy:

The need a couple of easy days to prepare themselves for the fearsome mountain passes of Cambridgeshire and Essex, clearly.

In reply to GrahamD:

Goes past our front door on day 2. Can't wait to start moaning about it. How many of the (mostly foreign) riders actually pay road tax?