Nutmegger

The Tour de France starts in Yorkshire on Saturday. I started watching the Tour when I was working on a project involving bikes a few years ago, and loved the amazing overhead views of the French countryside. This year, the route will cover some roads I have known my entire life, a few miles from where I grew up, so I am looking forward to a little nostalgia. NBC Sports carries the event. For other Tykes who might enjoy a glimpse of familiar terrain, this site indicates the areas you can expect to see:

Le Tour Yorkshire - Grand Départ 2014

N1cky

I absolutely love the Tour, although trying to cram watching it in on a night, and with the World Cup still going on, we'll manage around 4 hours sleep next week. Hoping Cavendish can win on Saturday (and every sprint stage ) the finish is in Harrogate, where his Mum lives. Hopefully it will be better organized than the farce of the bus getting stuck last year.

Really looking forward to seeing them go through Holmfirth, we lived there for 10 years, and the surrounding countryside, IMO, is some of the best in the UK.

sir_eccles

Time to get the suitcase of courage ready.

materialcontroller

Forget Yorkshire. I'm off to see Stage 3 from Cambridge down to London next Monday.

Hiro11

Cote de Buttertubs! Cote de Blubberhouses!

Bob

I don't watch it these days, but I used to.

My brother and I, did a leg one summer, a stretch that was run in Austria. Admittedly on mountain bikes, so a bit slower...but even so, about 2 hours off the pace to clear that mountain pass and it was murder

Guindalf

I know we're in the EU and that Yorkshire is a foreign country, but when did it become part of France? I must have missed that in History/Geography class!!

sir_eccles

If you think that blows your mind, you should check out where they ran the Giro d'Italia this year!

Married2abrit

My in-laws live in Harrogate and told me that the roads would be closed into town for two days due to this. When we were there in April there were pictures of bikes carved into trees near the Stray.

markonline1

Big fan of the TDF. Was lucky enough to be in Paris one year for the final stage in Paris which was awesome. Great to see 3 stages in blighty to kick off the event!!

dunroving

I followed it for a week in 2004 and was hooked. The atmosphere build-up prior to the riders arriving, with the "caravan", picnic-ing (avec le vin, naturellement) was like no sporting event I have seen before or since.

I was supposed to be at the first two stages this year, combined with catching up with a very old friend who lives in the area, but something came up (I have to visit the US for two weeks, staying with two families neither of whom has cable TV). Everry year I somehow seem to end up missing at least a week because of other duties that take me from home.

Does OLN (or whatever they are called these days - I think it was "Versus" last time I checked) not screen the TdF? I used to love Bob Roll, the big gonzo.

In 2004, OLN brought in some big sport presenter star (forgot his name) to add some "clout" to the presentation team and he was clueless. When we were following, we stayed at the hotel where the TV personalities were staying. On three occasions, we bumped into Bob Roll, Phil and Paul, and then this other guy. Bob, Phil and Paul couldn't have been more gracious and the other guy was so up himself that we couldn't believe it.

[ETA: Just Googled it and maybe the guy was Al Trautwig???]

sir_eccles

Verses is now part of NBCsports. I think you can pay to stream it from the NBC website these days. Still Phil, Paul and Bobkie.

Hiro11

Watching cycling is addictive. Like most sports, once you understand what you're actually seeing the tactics become fascinating. I also like the variety in cycling, every race is different, different teams specialize on different types of races, different riders shine on different courses. The sport also changes with the seasons. Lastly, the continental scenery is awesome in many events.

Yes, Trautwig, he was a total disaster. I actually prefer the (mostly British) broadcasting teams on BEIN Sports and Eurosport. Liggett and Roll are on Universal Sports / Versus now. Liggett's on cruise control these days, but Roll's a character and knows what he's talking about.

N1cky

a Yorkshire take on le Tour. My old house is on a couple of these shots

AmerLisa

My daughter is in Harrogate and she says the road closures are becoming a nightmare.