Le Grand Depart from Leeds

[Peter]

There's been plenty of fuss in the Rochdale area.  We have the only section of the opening two stages not to be in Yorkshire.  A whole kilometre at the top of Cragg Vale.  That's where I hope to be; won't even need to touch "God's own country".

[Exit Stage Left]

Ilkley's got a branch of Booths, and is therefore civilised. We've decided that 'Hubs' are to be avoided like the plague.

[madcow]

I think that the hubs are a good idea for those that can't be arsed to visit the countryside cos they are scared of getting lost etc.
Whatever floats your boat ,I suppose.
We walked round the fanzone on Harrogate Stray last night and there was a lot to see. I might have been tempted to stay there all day myself and just get wellied if I hadn't set my heart on being out on a hillside just a few miles away from my childhood home in an area that has real resonance for me.
To many  it's just a day out, they are not into cycle racing as such and want peripheral entertainment and retail therapy to complete the picture.
So long as everyone has a good time.

[sojournermike]

I think that the hubs are a good idea for those that can't be arsed to visit the countryside cos they are scared of getting lost etc.
Whatever floats your boat ,I suppose.
We walked round the fanzone on Harrogate Stray last night and there was a lot to see. I might have been tempted to stay there all day myself and just get wellied if I hadn't set my heart on being out on a hillside just a few miles away from my childhood home in an area that has real resonance for me.
To many  it's just a day out, they are not into cycle racing as such and want peripheral entertainment and retail therapy to complete the picture.
So long as everyone has a good time.

Our friends.have arrived and we are.deciding what to do tomorrow. A ride to Harewood may be on the cards and then back home and take the children somewhere closer.

Sunday will be a ride over Blubberhouses,  hoping not to get swept up by the caravan, before a circular back to theatre of Key Gill.

[mattc]

On 6Music - now!!!

5 hours with Gideon Coe from Le Tour. Has the world gone mad?

[Ruth]

Is David Millar married?   

[Ruth]

I hope this Gideon Coe special is going on the i-Player, I'm only listening to it in the commercial breaks but it's great.  Wouldn't mind hearing the whole thing.

Those security guys were a bit serious weren't they?

[Poly Hive]

What an amazing sight... the UK has embraced cycling at last.

PH

[bobb]

FFS - this royal handshaking nonsense is getting embarrassing! Get on with it!

[andyoxon]

ITV/4 live video stream quality is annoyingly a bit carp.

[eck]

ITV/4 live video stream quality is annoyingly a bit carp.

It's the same on Eurosport. 
At least Eurosport is a Phil 'n' Paul free zone.

[jogler]

Whatever your opinion of Halfords stores I suggest that the current catalogue of Halfords adverts are amongst the  on tv

[jogler]

The translation of place names into French strikes me as rather precocious,paricularly for a down to earth county like Yorkshire.
Looks like a nice day for a ride.

[mrcharly-YHT]

In  Ripon at big screen.. It's buzzing!

[bobb]

The scenes as Jens went over that first climb were incredible!

Can't wait to see some of the photography of the stage

[mrcharly-YHT]

Jens Jens Jens! Wind has shifted. Jens will have tailwind as he turns south, not the predicted headwind

[red marley]

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Oh dear. GWS Cav.

[TimC]

Got so bored with endless adverts, and the dreadful signal quality here meant that the picture either froze or broke up more than it worked, that I fell asleep and missed the finish.

[αdαmsκι]

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Oh dear. GWS Cav.

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That's the end of Cav's TdF  .

[Veloman]

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Oh dear. GWS Cav.

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That's the end of Cav's TdF  .

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And what of his team if what we fear is true?

[αdαmsκι]

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And what of his team if what we fear is true?

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One TT for Tony Martin. Alessandro Petacchi and Mark Renshaw for the sprints? Michał Kwiatkowski for GC?

[Peter]

The translation of place names into French strikes me as rather precocious,paricularly for a down to earth county like Yorkshire.
Looks like a nice day for a ride.

Anyone else notice "the bridge over the River Wensleydale"?

The footage was wonderful but I'm a little surprised they were forced to say "...and that's a liitle village"  when they seem to know the name of every petrol pump in France.

Jens is just awesome, n'est-ce pas?

[Jurek]

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Oh dear. GWS Cav.

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That's the end of Cav's TdF  .

I think it's safe to say he'll be watching the finish onna telly

[red marley]

The footage was wonderful but I'm a little surprised they were forced to say "...and that's a liitle village"  when they seem to know the name of every petrol pump in France.

At some point in the commentary today they were saying it was hard to identify each village as the crowds were so big that they were obscuring the signs etc.

The size of the crowds has been brilliant and hopefully makes the chances of hosting future stages here that much greater. The crowds not so good in London though. I was watching it all today on the big screen at the Olympic Park surrounded by as many as 20 others. Hopefully a few more tomorrow with better weather forecast for the South.

And I do like the Francification of the names. Looking forward to the Côte de Blubberhouses and the Côte d'Oughtibridge tomorrow.

[Tom B]

We have the only section of the opening two stages not to be in Yorkshire.  A whole kilometre at the top of Cragg Vale

Holme Moss top to Salter's Brook Bridge is in present-day Derbyshire and, historically, Cheshire