UKC

http://thetour.co.uk/tourofbritain/index.php#.UUtjuhEgGK1

Stage four is looking good for me. Calling past home. So should be able to get to watch it if I time work well!

In reply to sleavesley:
I see Sheffield and the rest of Yorkshire has been ignored yet again....

In reply to Chris the Tall: do you think that the tdf has anything to do with that?

In reply to sleavesley:

Hay Tor finish -woohoo!

In reply to sleavesley: Honister pass on the second stage.

In reply to sleavesley:

Another finish in Guildford.

We don't have much climbing down here but we have been blessed with cycling!

In reply to Chris the Tall:

Pretty much the entire of Scotland ignored too.

Bit of a shame given the scenery, but I guess you'd get fewer punters by the road up in Achnasheen.

In reply to steev:
2 stages in Scotland would be overkill, but having a stage finish at Drumlanrig is a great move. I wonder how many people are aware of it's claim to be the birthplace of the bicycle.

The exclusion of Yorkshire does seem a poor decision though. The local authorities could have used it as a test event for the TDF - I seem to remember they've had a few issues about 7 years with the T of B and I don't think it has been back since.

I wonder if the fact that British Cycling had a rival bid for the TDF has anything to do with it ?

In reply to sleavesley: Haytor; climbing + cycling all in one day, bonus...

In reply to sleavesley:

Edinburgh to Newcastle would always make a great stage -- basically straight down the A68 to Chollerford, then up Brunton Bank in to the Toon from the west before finishing up Dean St and Grey street.

A Newcastle to Kendal stage would also be a 'cracker'. -- Up Weardale and over Killhope Moor ( the highest through road in the UK - it's actually about a metre higher than the Bealach Na Ba in Scotland.)

I remember the great Milk race stages of the 60's over the Northumberland and Durham moors, and the heroic exploits of the likes of the Baty's, Chisman & Bill Bradley.

In reply to La Shamster:

First summit finish for the modern tour. Always wondered about the lack of a summit finish, given the fact that they tend to determine the outcome of the other tours and people will be used to that.

I know they tend to prefer city centre finish to draw the crowds in, and theres a lack of proper ski resorts in the UK, but I'm sure they could be more imaganitive. Why finish in Llanberis, rather than a the top of Llanberis pass ? Likewise Kendal and Kirkstone ?

Even in cities, I'm sure you could finish up a hill. Plenty in Sheffield with 3 miles of the city centre.

In reply to Chris the Tall:

You need quite a bit of infrastructure (read big car parks) at summit finishes to accommodate all the officials, support, press, etc. Then you have to accommodate the crowds.

ALC

In reply to a lakeland climber: You could have a cracker of a stage starting from Perth/Dundee/Forfar/Pitlochry going over Glenshee, The Lecht and then finishing at Cairngorm where they'd have the parking and infrastructure required.

In reply to Chris the Tall:

It's going to be crazy up there. It was mad 2 years ago and the Dartmoor climbs last year had the feel of the tour de France mountain stage I saw in the Pyrenees. I reckon people will camp up there the night before. Already planning our clubs ride out to do the climb on the day

In reply to Chris the Tall: Radio said the Kendal finish will be at the top of Beast Banks, which is a short, but very steep hill.

BW

In reply to Aly:

Cairngorm and Glenshee were the two locations that came to mind when writing the previous post.

Beast Banks - F*** me! Wouldn't like to be heading up that at the end of a stage.

ALC

In reply to a lakeland climber: Be better than Kirkstone as previously suggested after 140 miles though!

BW

In reply to Baron Weasel:


In reply to Baron Weasel:

Convenient for popping straight into the riflemans for a post 225km pint.

Just hope they bother opening!

Cant wait.