Right! The Tour is coming for two whole days!
The details of the route won’t be announced for a while, but usually reliable sources are saying that the start (the Grand Départ) is likely to happen in Leeds and could be a proper road stage, rather than the usual prologue time trial.
If that’s the case, then we’ll end up with around 200km (125 miles) worth of racing on the open road on each of the two days.
But where should it go? What would be the best route – for the racing and for spectators? How much can be packed into two days? What in Yorkshire (or in the bits of it that are paying to be host) is a must? And what’s going to have to be left out?
It’s going to need to go up hills, through dramatic scenery and pretty towns, and near historic buildings so Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen can talk over the breathtaking aerial shots.
Dales, of course, but up or down? North York Moors too, but Sutton Bank or Pickering to Whitby, or both?
For what it’s worth, here’s what I’d like to see (you can click on the map to see the detail):
Day 1 in red, day 2 in blue
Stage 1: Leeds – Bradford city centre – Saltaire – Addingham – up Wharfedale to A684 – Ripon – Harrogate – York (125 miles)
Stage 2: York – Thirsk – Sutton Bank – Pickering – Whitby – Scarborough – Leeds (157 miles – a bit long, but hey)
Fabulous prizes!
Now it’s your turn.
Yellow jumper
Just give us the details of your favoured route below and you could win these two fabulous prizes :
a replica yellow jumper knitted for me by my nana to celebrate the 1966 Tour!
a lifetime’s subscription to this blog!
The winner will be the person who comes closest to second-guessing the route that’s finally announced!
Go on then, have a go.
The late, great Tom Simpson
Lest we forget
One other thing.
On its way down to London, the Tour HAS to go by Harworth in north Notts to pay its respects to the late, great Tom Simpson (Britain’s greatest road racer ever till Wiggins came along), who died of heart failure on the 1967 tour on Mont Ventoux, exhausted and dehydrated from the climb, the sun, the speed, the booze and a bug.
Thinking of starting a campaign. Would anyone join in?
When looking at Britain’s greatest cyclist you may want to take a look at Leeds’ own Beryl Burton
You’re totally right. They’re going to HAVE to go to Bradford on the first day via Morley.
Robert Millar – best British cyclist on the road??
It had to take in Holme Moss, doesn’t it?
I think Grosmont would be a good bet for a N Yorks section, has the N Yorks Railway and a short but tasty 1:3 climb.
It must pass over Leeds Bridge in reference to Le Prince, the Frenchman, who was the true father of cinematography with his Roundhay and Leeds Bridge films.