Aay up, ecky thump, it's Le Tour 2014

[Jon Crofts]

I've been distracted today by a Facebook page that attracts the idiotic and stupid of Harrogate who spend their day complaining about Le Tour. This is my favourite post today:

"Perhaps useing your brain would work, those who pay thier ways money dose not go on the things essentail for our town, but waist thousends or millions of pounds.. on a shitty little race"

I really hate stupid people.

Maybe it's olde English?   He doth protest too much methinks.

[richard moore]

Can't wait for it, my single favourite sporting event of the year. The fact I used to live in Harrogate adds extra interest (and used to pretend to be Frank Carrodus or Alex Cropley when playing football on the stray, probably the only person doing that in Yorkshire in the mid 70s!), just as it does when the tour goes through areas of France I know well. Froome has a very new team this year, and it's difficult to get very attached to him as a person, so I don't find myself rooting for him quite as much as I feel I sould

[N'Rexy]

If Froome burns his team off like he did in the Dauphiné he'll spend a lot of time alone so anything could happen. I don't think he'll enjoy Sunday either. Rain is forecast. Its really tricky roads and Movistar will probably try and push hard from the off. There will also be tons of crashes. Steakfiend will win it I think.

[TopDeck113]

Third time I'll have seen the Tour "live".  My favourite annual sporting event and it's on my doorstep. Bring it on!

Saturday I'll head over towards Skipton and into the Dales and on Sunday cycling over with a group of friends to Cragg Vale. Only about 30 miles from where I live - but considering who I'm going with I'll be dead by the time we get over there!

[Drummond]

I don't think they were educated anywhere Simon.

Went to Granby then...

[richard moore]

I don't think they were educated anywhere Simon.

Went to Granby then...

Well quite, I was a Harrogate Grammar School and Ashville College boy. Rugger, not football, was the order of the day...

[UK Redsox]

"Oo Ar de France" 1974

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-28090246

[Dr Butler]

I don't think they were educated anywhere Simon.

Went to Granby then...

Well quite, I was a Harrogate Grammar School and Ashville College boy. Rugger, not football, was the order of the day...

my wife was born at Harrogate General Hospital....

[Chris Jameson]

I have no interest whatsoever in cycling but just been into town with the kids to have a look and it's a fantastic atmosphere, the fan park has opened and all the stands and various team whatever things they are have gone up. It hits home how massive this is, probably won't get to see any of it until they pass near the end of our street on Sunday.

[Jon Crofts]

Has anyone been watching the Sky Sports 3 part series Tour Of The Dales or whatever its called, all about Stage 1 of the tour?
What a bunch of moaning minnies, former elite athletes, whining about a bit of hard graft, it's hardly a tough stage in the grand scheme of things and they only did the 1 stage.

[Chris Jameson]

Spent today helping my brother set up Sporting Memories stands at 5 of the spectator hubs and driving about I've got to say the county looks bloody magnificent.

[N'Rexy]

I spent all day in Harrogate today. Talk about Tour fever. I nearly got asked for autographs as I have an official car when I parked up. Its amazing. The TDF top brass are blown away. France losing has dampened their spirits a bit. There were thousands of people out. All the pubs and cafes were packed. If I was Gary Verity I'd think that it was going great so far. Lets see how the racing pans out. If it's wet tomorrow it'll be horrible for crashes.

[The Laughing Policeman]

What was all the fannying about leaving Leeds for Harwood House all about?
Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic spectacle but an hour to get the race under way does seem a bit much.

[UK Redsox]

At one point Imlach referred to Kate and Will as the "Duke and Duchess of York". Even a dedicated anti-Royalist like myself knows that's wrong.

Having said that, Imlach and Boardman make a great presenting duo. However, having David Millar (who seems bloody tall for a cyclist btw) with them was a mistake. He added nothing and appeared, despite his words, did not to want to be there.

[Jon Crofts]

At one point Imlach referred to Kate and Will as the "Duke and Duchess of York". Even a dedicated anti-Royalist like myself knows that's wrong.

Having said that, Imlach and Boardman make a great presenting duo. However, having David Millar (who seems bloody tall for a cyclist btw) with them was a mistake. He added nothing and appeared, despite his words, not to want to be there.

Millar is huge, but only about 6 stone wet, of course he doesn't want to be there commentating, he wants to be riding it.