The Tour Series

[FatBloke]

I'm surprised that there has been little comment on here about this excellent home series.
Why is that? 

[SpaceBadger]

Good question. I also think the series has been excellent and successful in getting some home public attention for our sport. The emerging dominance of Halfords and the strength of key riders from all the teams involved was fascinating to watch.

As for the lack of comment here, perhaps it's because it's not an audax? 

[Really Ancien]

No big names, public apathy about criterium racing and poor publicity, both locally and nationally. The shame is that the one in Southport at least took place in great conditions and would have made a great evening out. I filmed it, the TV coverage could have been livelier as well, the camera positions they used made it look a bit staid.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/4oeKFrYKEhQ&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/4oeKFrYKEhQ&rel=1</a>

Damon.

[SpaceBadger]

I'm not fortunate to live close to any of the events in the series. Was the local publicity that bad? If so, that's a real shame, although several rounds looked to have good crowds.

I have to say that the fact that it was covered to such an extent throughout on ITV4 was a massive surprise. If they can continue and build upon the first year, it can only be good.

[nuttycyclist]

I went to the Southend stage - purely because it was blocking my commute home.

I got to Southend seafront and due to the road closures got off my bike and walked on the pavement.

I saw the estuary to my left and the back of lots of articulated lorries on my right.  There was a lot of loudspeaker noise, but I couldn't hear what was going on due to the high volume and number of speakers - it was just an overlapping echo of noise.

I chatted to a friend, saw some pro-riders on the pavement and between the chinks in vehicles saw that some people were riding fast around a loop the was just 3/4 of a mile long.  The general atmosphere amongst the pedestrians was "what's going on here then?"

It looked really boring, so following the "pro-cyclist" example I rode on the pavement until I got past the road closures and could ride in the road to go home.


I really don't understand "cycling as a sport", nor do I see the appeal in having to close a major road all day so some people can ride in circles.  They might as well have done that in one of the parks 

[Domestique]

I thought it was quite good 
Sure there could have been more publicity etc, but the seafront without traffic really seems special for me and the racing wasnt bad either
The council should close the seafront down and use it for different events, not just cycling, many more times a year.

[nic]

Good coverage of what is essentially a series of crits. Some interesting tweaks to the formula by awarding points to the teams. As seen on ITV4 there was some exciting racing going on.

I agree with Damon the camera work could have been better especially in the earlier rounds.

My club mate who was racing the 1st round at Milton Keynes raved that it as the most enjoyable race he'd done. (apart from the pain, everyone just raced flat out)

[Moloko]

I've enjoyed watching the Tour Series.

Halfords beating Rapha. 

[Karla]

I'd have loved to go and watch, but sadly there wasn't one in Manchester, and I was working on the evening of the Southport one, which was the only one within striking distance

[Wowbagger]

Mrs. Wow and I went to watch. We thoroughly enjoyed it, even though we didn't have a clue what was going on.

We took the tandem and after the racing was over, received several rounds of applause from spectators, which was nice.

One chap remarked "I'd sell my car to get a bike like that!"

[PeteB99]

I went to the Chester round which despite the weather was well attended.

Watched a couple of other rounds on TV

All in all a good effort, hope they do it again.

[alan]

The Stoke event clashed with a late afternoon hospital appointment in Salford which prevented us getting back before the cycling finished.
It seems that the event was well known in the local cycling fraternity but it needs  a higher profile via media exposure to alert the public at large.The TV coverage is a good step in the right direction of course.