croissantkatie (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
croissantkatie) wrote2014-07-08 03:49 pm
croissantkatie) wrote2014-07-08 03:49 pm
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Tour de France
So, I am writing up what happened yesterday to help me remember it. And I figured, I have a journal, this would be a good thing to use it for.
Yesterday, I went and saw the Tour de France in Cambridge and it was amazing.
I got into road cycling via track cycling. My family watched track cycling during the 2000 Olympics and it was so exciting. And then in 2002 the Commonwealth Games came to Manchester and I was lucky enough to get to go and watch some of it. Specifically in this case, one session of track cycling. To this day, that velodrome had one of the most electrifying atmospheres I have experienced. It was so exciting! It was so fast and the track was so steep and it was just amazing. I’m not entirely sure if it was after 2000 or 2002, but I remember cycling to the next village with my family and pretending to be Jason Queally. As a family, we added track cycling to the list of sports we watched.
And then there was a shake up within track cycling and the events got changed around. A bunch of people were faced with the prospect of their event not being included anymore (of particular note in this is Bradley Wiggins). So several people I had followed in track cycling decided to switch to focusing on road cycling. And so we started watching the Tour de France.
And now onto what actually happened yesterday! The Tour was starting its third day in England in Cambridge, which is the closest city to where I live. I used to go to sixth form there. Obviously, we were all rather excited. My Dad was a “Tour Maker” so got to stand around right at the start by Parker’s Piece in his fetching fluorescent green bib. He also had to leave at about 6am to get there on time which luckily the rest of us did not have to do.
My mum, brother and I all went in together on the bus. We sadly missed the half past 8 bus but got the 10 to 9 one fine and it wasn’t too crowded by the time we got in. We found a spot on Bridge Street, just before the Round Church and settled in to wait. And wait we did. The caravan started to go by at about half 10. We didn’t get all of it where we were but that’s alright. We think it’s because we were on a quite a narrow bit of road. But we didn’t get the giant fruit shoots alas. We did get a car with a large teddy bear on top which I was not fond of. And the giant bottles of wine. My brother managed to catch a lollipop from Team Sky and I caught an inflatable cushion. There were people from St John’s Ambulance on bikes who went past every now and again. They always got a big cheer. As did the gentleman who had to ride his mobility scooter down the middle of the road because there was no space for him on either pavement.
We were standing just outside a shop and everyone working there came out to watch as well. They brought stools from inside and stood on them to be able to see over people’s heads. It was spoilt a bit when someone tried to steal something from the shop. As one of the shop assistants said, it was stupid, all the staff were right there and could see everything, and there were several security guards and police just down the street. Everything was fine though in the end. Also whilst we were waiting I explained to a pair of young boys how long the race lasted for and what the jerseys the bunting was made out of meant.
And then the race came past at about 20 past 12 or so. They weren’t actually racing where we watched but I didn’t mind. Because we were watching the Tour de France in my city. And, well, it meant they were going slower so it was easier to get a look at everyone. It still went by pretty quickly though!
Once the end of the tour van went past, everyone flooded into the road as there were no barriers where I was standing. I hadn’t realised quite how many people were there until that moment. Before everyone had been rammed all close together, leaving the road free. And then people moved and just. So many people.
At this point we went and met up with my Dad and got some sandwiches for lunch. We sat in a marquee on Parker’s Piece (where there was a big screen) whilst we ate. There was this constant stream of people coming onto Parker’s and I kept thinking it would abate but it didn’t. People kept coming.
I had to head home at this point as I was completely exhausted. So bro and I went to catch the bus home, whilst my parents stayed to watch on the big screen.
I had such an amazing time. Not only did I get to see the Tour, but I got to see it in what I consider “my city.” I was slightly apprehensive about going because I am not a massive fan of crowds but it was so worth it. I have been incredibly lucky in my life to go to a number of amazing sporting events, and this was definitely one of them.
Yesterday, I went and saw the Tour de France in Cambridge and it was amazing.
I got into road cycling via track cycling. My family watched track cycling during the 2000 Olympics and it was so exciting. And then in 2002 the Commonwealth Games came to Manchester and I was lucky enough to get to go and watch some of it. Specifically in this case, one session of track cycling. To this day, that velodrome had one of the most electrifying atmospheres I have experienced. It was so exciting! It was so fast and the track was so steep and it was just amazing. I’m not entirely sure if it was after 2000 or 2002, but I remember cycling to the next village with my family and pretending to be Jason Queally. As a family, we added track cycling to the list of sports we watched.
And then there was a shake up within track cycling and the events got changed around. A bunch of people were faced with the prospect of their event not being included anymore (of particular note in this is Bradley Wiggins). So several people I had followed in track cycling decided to switch to focusing on road cycling. And so we started watching the Tour de France.
And now onto what actually happened yesterday! The Tour was starting its third day in England in Cambridge, which is the closest city to where I live. I used to go to sixth form there. Obviously, we were all rather excited. My Dad was a “Tour Maker” so got to stand around right at the start by Parker’s Piece in his fetching fluorescent green bib. He also had to leave at about 6am to get there on time which luckily the rest of us did not have to do.
My mum, brother and I all went in together on the bus. We sadly missed the half past 8 bus but got the 10 to 9 one fine and it wasn’t too crowded by the time we got in. We found a spot on Bridge Street, just before the Round Church and settled in to wait. And wait we did. The caravan started to go by at about half 10. We didn’t get all of it where we were but that’s alright. We think it’s because we were on a quite a narrow bit of road. But we didn’t get the giant fruit shoots alas. We did get a car with a large teddy bear on top which I was not fond of. And the giant bottles of wine. My brother managed to catch a lollipop from Team Sky and I caught an inflatable cushion. There were people from St John’s Ambulance on bikes who went past every now and again. They always got a big cheer. As did the gentleman who had to ride his mobility scooter down the middle of the road because there was no space for him on either pavement.
We were standing just outside a shop and everyone working there came out to watch as well. They brought stools from inside and stood on them to be able to see over people’s heads. It was spoilt a bit when someone tried to steal something from the shop. As one of the shop assistants said, it was stupid, all the staff were right there and could see everything, and there were several security guards and police just down the street. Everything was fine though in the end. Also whilst we were waiting I explained to a pair of young boys how long the race lasted for and what the jerseys the bunting was made out of meant.
And then the race came past at about 20 past 12 or so. They weren’t actually racing where we watched but I didn’t mind. Because we were watching the Tour de France in my city. And, well, it meant they were going slower so it was easier to get a look at everyone. It still went by pretty quickly though!
Once the end of the tour van went past, everyone flooded into the road as there were no barriers where I was standing. I hadn’t realised quite how many people were there until that moment. Before everyone had been rammed all close together, leaving the road free. And then people moved and just. So many people.
At this point we went and met up with my Dad and got some sandwiches for lunch. We sat in a marquee on Parker’s Piece (where there was a big screen) whilst we ate. There was this constant stream of people coming onto Parker’s and I kept thinking it would abate but it didn’t. People kept coming.
I had to head home at this point as I was completely exhausted. So bro and I went to catch the bus home, whilst my parents stayed to watch on the big screen.
I had such an amazing time. Not only did I get to see the Tour, but I got to see it in what I consider “my city.” I was slightly apprehensive about going because I am not a massive fan of crowds but it was so worth it. I have been incredibly lucky in my life to go to a number of amazing sporting events, and this was definitely one of them.
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