Well, that’s just gone past. I’ve been hanging around Chignal Road in Chelmsford this morning waiting for it to start, and the peleton streaked past about 15 minutes ago.

I think I have seen more Skodas than bicycles today. Lunch time while the 500+ photos download off the memory card. Some may find their way onto Flickr later.

Good fun - big turn out where I was, and I expect more crowded where further up the road.

tour de France in England, does not compute
let the tour de France be er'em in France ...

If that blows your mind, try this ..

The Paris to Dakar rally now takes place in South America.

The scene of the route - Chignall Road, Chelmsford - this morning.
Bunting and a gazebo. by hairydalek, on Flickr

Local (and not so local) people gathering.
Untitled by hairydalek, on Flickr

Oh, look: a Skoda Yeti
Untitled by hairydalek, on Flickr

Aaannddd another one
Untitled by hairydalek, on Flickr

There were a lot of Skodas. There were more Skodas than bikes.

Some of the sponsor’s cars were, err, eccentric.
Untitled by hairydalek, on Flickr

A rabbit on a Skoda.
Untitled by hairydalek, on Flickr

Eventually, some bikes turned up.

This man wins it for me.
Untitled by hairydalek, on Flickr

The Police got into the act too.
Untitled by hairydalek, on Flickr

And, finally, the race proper turned up. The leaders at the time:
Untitled by hairydalek, on Flickr

The rest followed a few minutes later:
Untitled by hairydalek, on Flickr

Team cars followed, laden with extra bikes.
Untitled by hairydalek, on Flickr

Then it was all over.
Untitled by hairydalek, on Flickr

A good time seemed to be had by all. More photos in the Flickr album should you feel the urge.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hairydale ... 554248032/

I took far, far more, mostly of the sponsor vehicles in the caravan. They did become rather repetitive after a while. I now have to convince the wife that her Yeti needs the livery of the official Tour cars.

I presume the lovely old Citroën was still running in the caravan this morning - three consecutive days of starts is surely not pushing the envelope too far...

I don't recall seeing an old Citroën - I would have photographed it if it had gone past.

do you mean the Broom Wagon?

No.

There was an old citroen running in the first two days caravan, but I guess it could have been a Yorkshire thing. I may put a photo up at some point.

Don't see the appeal myself. People on bikes? Bah!

You mean this one?


http://www.wellsjournal.co.uk/Wells-mus ... story.html

No - that wasn’t there.

for anyone interested in cycling, I recommend you watch the Triplette of Belleville

That niggles the back of my mind. It seems very familiar, but I don’t recall ever seeing it. Maybe it was in the Musée Band Dessinée in Brussels, I’ll have to look it out.

First it was Cavendish.
Then Froome.
Now Alberto Contador has crashed out

The Tour has been blown wide open..

yours wecrookie

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
At least they don't have to worry about a convicted drug cheat winning the tour this year