An eventful day

This was my Sunday afternoon in pictures. Enjoy!

Our chosen spot to watch the Tour de France Yorkshire was
 where there was a sharp bend in a lane in the village of Worrall
(which we could walk to and where some friends live)
Here the route descends downhill into Oughtibridge 

before a steep climb into the village of Grenoside.

More decorations to see.  The road was closed so the children

were busy chalking pictures and slogans during the long wait

before the parade and then the cyclists came through.

What did DH and I do during the waiting time?
Well, we had a sandwich and a drink at the village inn
 and then had a walk around the area. The inn garden was empty!

Everyone was sitting in the front by the road. Others were walking
 or cycling down to the next village.

Finally the parade of sponsors, technical and emergency services

drove through before another wait for the moment when

the first cyclists would race past.  The children were given souvenirs

of the event and there were volunteers, the Tour Makers,

manning the barriers and coming around giving practical information

to the spectators.  There was a great atmosphere in the village

as most people lining the road had walked from the local area 

whilst the villagers were enjoying their parties as they watched

from terraced gardens or windows.

The French and English police escorts.

After the parade we walked up the hill to wait for the first cyclists to appear.

Here they would have been able to sprint along a stretch

of country road from High Bradfield, but would have

had to slow down because of the sharp bend and steep incline

into the village high street.  A helicopter overhead and

a loudspeaker announcement gave a clue that the cyclists
were about to arrive any moment.

These cyclists kept up the momentum

through the last stage of the race into Sheffield.
Congratulations to the winner for Stage 2 from York to Sheffield,
the Italian Champion riding for Astana, Vincenzo Nibali.

One commentator on my last post - welcome Mike -
asked me whether the Tour de France Yorkshire had been worth 'all the hype'?
Well, my family has always been interested in bicycle racing,
both track and road racing, so we're fans of the sport anyway
and being able to watch the Tour de France live in our local area
and community on the day was definitely a wonderful experience.

'A grand day out'

This coming weekend Yorkshire hosts the first two stages of the 101st Tour de France before setting off again in Cambridge, moving through Essex with a finish on The Mall in central London. Hundreds of cyclists will be competing for the prestigious Yellow Jersey.  The race includes sprints for the fastest riders and hills and climbs for the King of the Mountains. The hills and dales will prove challenging for the Yorkshire Grand Depart, but the cyclists will race through spectacular scenery and for the spectators it will be 'a grand day out'.  Let's hope the weather stays dry - we've had some sunny days this week - as this would be a bonus in making this event special as the host towns and villages along the route have been busy planning ever since it was announced that the Tour de France would be held in the UK in 2014.

In recent weeks all kinds of displays have been set up along the route and now the bunting is being put up whether the cyclists pass by or not.  We live close to the route that's being taken at the end of stage 2, but we shall have to walk there as all the roads will be closed on Sunday except for emergency vehicles.  Yesterday we went to have a look at some of the preparations nearby and then on to High Bradfield and combined this with a walk around the village green in Low Bradfield

 The cyclists will race up the hill from Low Bradfield to High Bradfield

The former blacksmith's workplace

It was a hot day, but there are shady places around the village and this is the winding hill going up to High Bradfield.

High Bradfield

The view down the hill for those that manage to get a seat in the inn gardens on Sunday.

The next part of the route will be through the hills and lanes where we can get to on foot and have a good vantage point.

We met some people along the way either watering the plants on the displays, putting up flags and bunting or taking a quiet walk before the crowds assemble at the weekend.  Some of the fields are being used as camp sites and there's going to be a beer festival with locally brewed beer.  As I've said before the area will be closed to vehicles for miles around and in most main city streets so it will be necessary to walk to a chosen place well before the welcome team, the sponsors and then the cyclists go by. We wish all those taking part or spectating an enjoyable, safe and successful weekend in Yorkshire.

Another stretch of a lane nearer to where we live.  The photo is deceiving as it's quite undulating, but with a gentler incline!

Here's a map of the Yorkshire route.  The black X shows the location of High and Low Bradfield.

Lastly a few more related photos of images spotted in Sheffield.