Three years ago, Yorkshire hosted the start of the Tour de France, which I wrote about here, here, and here.
Three years ago, plans were hatched for an annual Tour de Yorkshire.
This year, le Tour once again passed the end of our drive.
We watched the Women’s Race from the end of our road, and had a happy low key morning chatting to neighbours we knew, and neighbours we hadn’t previously met. Police motorbikes sped past, support vehicles, a helicopter above, then the riders themselves, followed by more support vehicles, more police, and finally, a couple of women riders who were never going to make it into the winning cohort, but were giving it their best shot anyway .
During the afternoon though, I sauntered into West Tanfield to watch the Men’s Race. I arrived to find a party atmosphere. There, amongst all the stalls on the village field, was the Big Screen showing the progress of the Tour in real time. Just look though. Just as in ze Tour de Fraunce, everysing eez in Frainch. ‘Tour de Yorkshire’, ‘Le Côte de Lofthouse’, ’29 avril 2017′. It’s a sweet little homage to the Tour de France, without which …..
I’d missed the caravan giving out freebies. A friend told me that in Health and Safety conscious England, these aren’t chucked randomly out of publicity vehicles. Instead the vehicles stop, and small teams amble among the crowds, giving out flags, batons, shopping bags. She said it was rather nice and added to the party atmosphere.
A hot air balloon was moored near the pub. We didn’t find out why, as it never became airborne.
As the Big Screen informed us the riders had reached Masham, we started to line the streets. Volunteer Tour Makers shooed us onto the pavements, and we waited …. First of all, police motor bikes. Then this vehicle, complete with Man with Microphone. ‘Allez, allez allez’, he yelled. ‘Oi! Oi! Oi!’, we yelled back. ‘Allez, allez, allez!’ ‘Oi! Oi! Oi!’. ‘Allez!’ ‘Oi!’, ‘Allez!’ ‘Oi!’ ‘Allez, allez, allez!’ ‘Oi! Oi! Oi!’
Then this, the moment we’d been building up to.
They were gone. More support vehicles, and a final one telling us it was over.
We all wandered off, perhaps to check out the big screen showing the riders going through Ripon. As I left the village, the dustbin men were already clearing the streets. The party was over.
From Pyrenees to Pennines 
Merci for showing this. We were away this weekend and missed it coming through Pickering on Friday. The sad thing was we watched the news on Fridaynight/ Saturday and it didn’t get a mention. Typical, it’s not In London so therefore no TV report.
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What did you expect, eh? Sorry you missed it – good fun.
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About 12 years ago, I went to see ‘Le Tour’ go past not far from here. The weather was less than kind, drizzle with a chill wind. I stood with a few others at a crossroads and as you say the support and advertising vehicles threw out ‘goodies’ with no regard for health and safety. Then the Vittel van came along and the charming ladies on the back, cheerfully (sadistically) sprayed us all with water……it seemed very French..
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Mais oui! And you’ve only had the Tour once? It passed our housed twice while we lived in France – once one way, and once the other. I still have the Skoda sunhat chucked out in my direction.
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It certainly doesn’t come past our house, unless they want to end up in a field of maize..It’s been through the area quite a few times over recent years. Last year the ‘Grand Depart’ was at Mt St Michel. Those living in the area round the Pyrenees are fortunate, as it seems every year the tour includes mountain stages there..
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Gotta be done, those vertical slopes!
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Tour de Yorkshire; Tour de France; tour de force! Great piece and great pictures. I almost felt I was there.
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You should have been. It was fun.
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FUN! I remember how excited you were when the Tour de France came by–it’s really neat that Yorkshire took up the idea of its own race. I love that they did it in French! The whole description you give makes me think of the experience we had at the Boston Marathon a couple weeks ago–the party atmosphere, so intense and then . . . over, and back to normal life.
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Yes, it’s odd how quickly the party’s over on these occasions. But it’s good while it lasts.
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What fun! We have USA Cycling events here, in Greenville, South Carolina, so I’ve seen how fast it all happens. My husband is a hobby cyclist, so we watch Le Tour de France each year and have often talked about going, but I’m not sure I could spend more than a few days waiting for cyclists to speed by. Perhaps Le Tour de Yorkshire would be more to my liking, since Yorkshire is one of my favorite places in the world. Plus, I would love to see Newby Hall, Harlow Carr, Scampton Hall, and Harewood House again. I’m leading a garden tour in the Netherlands and Belgium beginning next week, a first for me and I’m very much looking forward to it, but I’m bit sad I’m not visiting England this year.
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Ooh, you clearly know our ‘patch’ quite well. Next time you come to Europe, maybe you could come at a time to combine the Tour de Yorkshire with a spot of garden visiting?
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My brother and sister-in-law were cisiting from ‘down south’ and we watched it all on tv. My husband decided halfway through to stretch his legs, donned his new Tour de Yorkshire cycling top and went off for a ride, imagining I expect if only… I put some pics in my latest post. The Tour of Britain went nearby a few years ago, we waited ages and then when they came they went past in such a rush and a blur we couldn’t identify individuals, only teams, but it was a great atmosphere. I took video so that when we came home we could slow it down and find out who we’d ‘seen’ 😄
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Oh yes, it’s over before you really realise they’re arriving, isn’t it? I’m glad this event was one that cheered you up in the midst of difficult times.
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The tour a La Margaret
On 2 May 2017 08:11, “From Pyrenees to Pennines” wrote:
> margaret21 posted: ” Three years ago, Yorkshire hosted the start of the > Tour de France, which I wrote about here, here, and here. Three years ago, > plans were hatched for an annual Tour de Yorkshire. This year, le Tour once > again passed the end of our drive. We watched th” >
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!
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Always something going on in your neck of the woods!
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Of course!
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These events are such fun! I love all your photos especially that wonderful disintegrating car speeding past! My hairdresser has just started competing in races and took part in the Tour de Broads this weekend. She is also doing the London to Paris ride later this year.
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Oh! My daughter did London to Paris once, though as a sponsored event, not a race. As to the disintegrating car – I like that too, but I have no clue about how I did it.
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😀
I think she is doing it as a sponsored event now I come to think about it.
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Great post. Lkve the photos. I think it went past my parents house in Pickering again. I have still to see it. 😆
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You do have to see it. It’s very uplifting. It’ll be somewhere within reach of you before too long I hope.
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How fun! And I love the photos! Thanks for bringing me a little taste of Yorkshire and France all at once : )
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You’re welcome. And I haven’t forgotten I’m re-blogging your post. It got a bit pushed out because le Tour de Yorkshire wouldn’t have remained topical for long. Jane Eyre however ….
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