(I tried posting this last week and a major 2-hour power cut meant I lost all my text!!)
Today is the last day that the Tour de France is in the UK. My sister Hester watched the first stage in Yorkshire when it passed through West Tanfield and I thought I couldn’t miss the opportunity when the third stage came to London. I researched the route the day before. Tempting though it was to go to the finish point on the Mall I knew it would be absolutely packed. Instead I saw a sharp ninety degree turn onto West Ham Lane in Stratford and based on watching the cycling during the Olympics I thought this would be a good spot.
I arrived over 4-hours before the event and found a great place just past the bend right in front of the barrier. Luckily there were some lovely people either side of me as the wait was long and wet. After the eventual arrival of the ‘caravan’ another hour and a half wait and then they arrived. First two cyclists in the lead... a few seconds then the main peloton... then the last two sped by... one minute and it was all over.
It was brilliant... this is Chris Froome in the Sky Team and Kévin Reza just in front in Team Europcar.
