Wracked with regret that I didn't make more of an effort to see the Tour de France/Yorkshire. Instead I was stuck at a craft fair in Manchester and sold precisely zero! Of course potential customers were either watching cycling, tennis or fast cars or enjoying the sunshine and so didn't come out. Rather sensible of them really.
The Tour came within ten miles of our house and I did debate whether to brave the crowds and view the pelaton speeding passed but ...oh yes there was the little fact I had that craft fair.
My brother had a ringside seat at the top of the Woodhead and could smell the sweat as the cyclists breezed past......for exactly 48 seconds. Whoosh and gone but he'd been there and done it.
My husband did watch it on telly and was waiting with baited breath for the point when the cyclists rush down from Holme Moss onto the Woodhead Road. It's some where we know quite well and we knew the cyclists would have a sharp left hand corner to negotiate. He was looking forward to witnessing it even if it was one step removed on TV. Oh the anticipation. ITV clearly wasn't anticipating it quite as much and cut to adverts just at the crucial moment. When the channel returned to the action the peloton was way up the Woodhead, that sharp so interesting corner long gone.
Still I did get a little Tour de Yorkshire frisson later. Ok it was 3 hours later but I felt a little involved in the day's excitement: we went up to Glossop to see the in-laws and saw cyclist upon amateur cyclist returning from their days' spectating. I wonder if they witnessed the professionals take on that left hand bend at the bottom of Holme Moss?