Tour de France Leeds

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Thu 12 Jun, 2014 12:58 pm

tyke bhoy wrote: If you want to see more than a blur the first 10km (6+ miles) is the place to watch but it won't be very exciting as they are not permitted to "race" in this Neutral Zone. Its to allow the riders to warm up and avoid massive jockeying for position in confined space with plenty of street furniture (e.g. Headrow between Park Row/Cookridge Street and Briggate.I'd estimate the racing starts just beyond Alwoodely. Interesting post tyke bhoy. I know from the very many signs that have recently appeared that the A61 is closed from well before to after the event passes, but I have not given any thought to the roundabout where the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and the A61 meet. I assume the ORR will also be closed there, but wonder from and to when.

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Thu 12 Jun, 2014 1:45 pm

Not very accurate as some of these roads higlighted in pink will have to be closed/diverted earlier on the roadCity Centrehttp://www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Map%201%20Street% ... e.pdfLower A61http://www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Map%202%20Street% ... ure.pdfAll from Documents on the left of http://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/Pages ... sures.aspx where maps for further on the route also areThe page also suggests, and it makes sense, that the closures particularly to roads intersecting the route are for the same period that section of the route is closed.It looks like the only motor vehicles inside the inner ring road to the north and the loop to the south will be the hundreds of cars used by the teams, race officials and other race associates (press/sdvertisers)

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Thu 12 Jun, 2014 11:02 pm

Leodian wrote: tyke bhoy wrote: If you want to see more than a blur the first 10km (6+ miles) is the place to watch but it won't be very exciting as they are not permitted to "race" in this Neutral Zone. Its to allow the riders to warm up and avoid massive jockeying for position in confined space with plenty of street furniture (e.g. Headrow between Park Row/Cookridge Street and Briggate.I'd estimate the racing starts just beyond Alwoodely. Interesting post tyke bhoy. I know from the very many signs that have recently appeared that the A61 is closed from well before to after the event passes, but I have not given any thought to the roundabout where the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and the A61 meet. I assume the ORR will also be closed there, but wonder from and to when. I posted about this on the previous page.ORR closed with a no stopping rule being enforced betwixt Park Lane and King Lane. The no stopping is being enforced by towing away any vehicles that don't comply....

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Thu 12 Jun, 2014 11:34 pm

raveydavey wrote: Leodian wrote: tyke bhoy wrote: If you want to see more than a blur the first 10km (6+ miles) is the place to watch but it won't be very exciting as they are not permitted to "race" in this Neutral Zone. Its to allow the riders to warm up and avoid massive jockeying for position in confined space with plenty of street furniture (e.g. Headrow between Park Row/Cookridge Street and Briggate.I'd estimate the racing starts just beyond Alwoodely. Interesting post tyke bhoy. I know from the very many signs that have recently appeared that the A61 is closed from well before to after the event passes, but I have not given any thought to the roundabout where the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and the A61 meet. I assume the ORR will also be closed there, but wonder from and to when. I posted about this on the previous page.ORR closed with a no stopping rule being enforced betwixt Park Lane and King Lane. The no stopping is being enforced by towing away any vehicles that don't comply.... Thanks raveydavey. I clearly missed spotting that in your post.

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Fri 13 Jun, 2014 9:04 pm

Leodian wrote: raveydavey wrote: Leodian wrote: tyke bhoy wrote: If you want to see more than a blur the first 10km (6+ miles) is the place to watch but it won't be very exciting as they are not permitted to "race" in this Neutral Zone. Its to allow the riders to warm up and avoid massive jockeying for position in confined space with plenty of street furniture (e.g. Headrow between Park Row/Cookridge Street and Briggate.I'd estimate the racing starts just beyond Alwoodely. Interesting post tyke bhoy. I know from the very many signs that have recently appeared that the A61 is closed from well before to after the event passes, but I have not given any thought to the roundabout where the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and the A61 meet. I assume the ORR will also be closed there, but wonder from and to when. I posted about this on the previous page.ORR closed with a no stopping rule being enforced betwixt Park Lane and King Lane. The no stopping is being enforced by towing away any vehicles that don't comply.... Thanks raveydavey. I clearly missed spotting that in your post. No problem - it's easily done when a thread flicks over onto a new page.

jonleeds · Post by **jonleeds** » Mon 16 Jun, 2014 12:33 am

Just been practising setting up my Tour De France wild camping outfit ala Ray Mears style - check out the photo I took today. I've got a fellow cyclist and neighbour joining me.

tilly · Post by **tilly** » Mon 16 Jun, 2014 8:37 am

Well done Jon get into the spirit of things im well past doing this sort of thing but i do hope you have a great time.This is the sort of thing we did when i was a youth but things have changed not always for the better.Some people can look at you has some sort of a yobbo when you do things like this. Go out and enjoy yourself life is too short to worry about what other people think.Has long as you are not doing any damage i say good luck on your adventure.Ps I would like to see some photographs of what you get up to if that is possible.

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Mon 16 Jun, 2014 9:48 am

It looks like that could be fun jon. I hope the wind and rain keeps away when you 'camp' for the event. I'm wondering if you heard or even saw any animals? Where I live in north Leeds I know there are foxes said to be around and late last night by chance I looked out and saw one. It may be the first that I've ever seen by my home in the many years I've lived here. Just last week on a nearby field I saw what I think was a weasel in some low grass. If it was a weasel then that was a first for me here.

jonleeds · Post by **jonleeds** » Mon 16 Jun, 2014 2:16 pm

Thanks Tilly! Wherever I end up pitching up I dont plan to be making any kind of nuisance and I believe in leaving places exactly as they were found so I'll not leave any evidence of fires / rubbish etc. I prefer to stay away from campsites when I go wandering on my bicycle as they are usually overun with noisy folks plus you cant really have any kind of fire other than a barbeque. Crikey the last time I stayed on a campsite in Horton in Ribblesdale back in 2009 there was a large party of some kind of 'born again christian' types who sat round in a big circle (30+ people!) between their tents and they were loudly singing all like happy clappy religious songs until after midnight... no regard for anyone else who wanted a peaceful weekend in the Dales!Leodis I saw a heron perched in a treetop nearby when I camped out on Friday night. I heard a lot of rustling and some chattering noises from foxes but didnt actually see any although most nights I see them crossing the ring road between the woods and the housing estate. I've not seen any hedgehogs for a long time now, years infact. Although I was watching some newts in some local ponds the other days and they seem to be thriving.

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Thu 26 Jun, 2014 3:56 pm

When in City Square earlier today (June 26 2014) I noticed that 2 of the 4 red traditional Post Office telephone boxes there have been painted in the Tour De France (TDF) colours (1 yellow, the other a creamy green) and have information on them about the TDF. The other 2 phone boxes looked as if they may still be in the process of being painted over.I thought that those 4 phone boxes have a listed status on them, though I may be wrong. If I am right then I hope the paint can be readily removed in due course and the boxes put back to their red state without any permanent damage. Edit and image added during June 27 2014:-The photo (which I took today, June 27 2014) shows the yellow and turquoise (?) painted phone booths. The yellow one is named 'The Yellow Route' and the turquoise one is 'The Green Route'. Unfortunately I did not realise that the photo has the face of someone looking out! He (its looks like an he) could have moved out of shot as it would have been obvious that I was taking a photo! Out of view to the right there are 2 white phone booths that I thought yesterday may have been in the process of being painted, but that has clearly finished. The first one is 'The Polka Dot Route' and the farthest is 'The White Route'.