Tour of Britain

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 Rog Wilko 09 Sep 2022

The country has gone mad. Tour of Britain curtailed.

5
 Jim Lancs 09 Sep 2022
In reply to Rog Wilko:

The police outriders and control cars needed to enforce the rolling road block are drawn from forces all over the country. Unfortunately, the Met Police has begun ramping up the biggest security operation ever seen in the UK, and it was 'diplomatic' to allow the police resources to be reassigned. So after the one day cancellation for 'respect', the final two days also had to be abandoned.

 Slackboot 10 Sep 2022
In reply to Jim Lancs:

The 'rolling roadblock' is quite something to watch. I managed to get to the bottom of Carlton Bank on Wednesday and saw the tour go past. The actual peleton was passed in 3 seconds! but prior to that there must have been at least 20 Police motorcycles arriving, taking station at the road junction briefly, then zooming on again. They were in a happy mood always making a big thing of waving at any children watching. I got the impression that it was a great day out for them. 

 ablackett 10 Sep 2022
In reply to Jim Lancs:

I’m with you on this, how many police are needed to close the roads etc? I’d say less than 50. The queens body is still in Scotland, we will need a few extra police at Buckingham Palace, Balmoral etc to manage the crowds but not 1000’s of them.

When the funeral is on and there are dozens of heads of state I’d imagine it’s all hands on deck and every spare police man in the country will be stationed at Airports, city centres, tourist spots and the like - at that point it’s fair enough but I really don’t see why it’s necessary now.

The cricket can go ahead at the Oval today, surely they need a few officers there also.

3
 Hovercraft 10 Sep 2022
In reply to ablackett

> I’m with you on this, how many police are needed to close the roads etc? I’d say less than 50. The queens body is still in Scotland, we will need a few extra police at Buckingham Palace, Balmoral etc to manage the crowds but not 1000’s of them.

> When the funeral is on and there are dozens of heads of state I’d imagine it’s all hands on deck and every spare police man in the country will be stationed at Airports, city centres, tourist spots and the like - at that point it’s fair enough but I really don’t see why it’s necessary now.

> The cricket can go ahead at the Oval today, surely they need a few officers there also.

I don’t know but my guess is that the sort of policeman skilled in motorcycle escort is a rare beast and is going to be in exceptionally short supply when the VVIPs start arriving. 

 GrahamD 10 Sep 2022
In reply to Rog Wilko:

It's very dissapointing but a couple of other factors to consider:

This may well be partially a sponsor's call.  If AJBell thought it was the most appropriate action, that would have swayed it. 

Secondly, I could see how rags like the Heil could use road closures for cyclists as a lever for anti cycling rhetoric "at this sensitive time".

 Neil Morrison 10 Sep 2022
In reply to ablackett: maybe the police (particularly the motorcycle ones from the ToB) need time beforehand for leave and briefings? Without being fully aware of the operational require and limitations plus the other pressures on the ToB organisers from sponsors, press and public it’s easy to criticise. Having seen the traffic cones laid out for miles on the route down Deeside they are expecting a huge operation which will go on for days as it moves down the country and as the funeral takes place. This will stretch police and other commitments until it is done. It is a shame that the ToB has been cancelled and my own preference would have been all sporting events continuing today with appropriate marks of respect. 

 Enty 10 Sep 2022
In reply to Rog Wilko:

Talking to my French pal in the bar last night. He's fairly political and well informed on British politics.

He simply could not believe that anything had been cancelled at all. But he found it absolutely incredulous that the postal strikes and rail strikes. had been called off.

Says it all.

E

1
 Hooo 10 Sep 2022
In reply to Rog Wilko:

Ah well, you're not missing much. The ToB came through my town a few years back so we went to see what the fuss was about. Is there any other sporting event with such a low ratio of action to disruption and standing about waiting? Main roads closed, wait hours, and then some guys cycle past in a few seconds, and that's it! 

I'm no fan of royalty, and I've got no intention of watching the funeral, but I'd rather watch a dead queen drive past than the ToB.

13
 GrahamD 10 Sep 2022
In reply to Hooo:

If you had the attitude "went to see what the fuss was about", it's not very surprising you were underwhelmed. 

 Hooo 10 Sep 2022
In reply to GrahamD:

So what is the fuss about then? Are you able to explain it?

I'm not a fan of sport, but with something like football or track cycling I understand that you can follow the action and see the competition take place. But with road racing, you see nothing for hours and then a few seconds of people riding along. What is the appeal?

Post edited at 22:51
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 Maggot 10 Sep 2022
In reply to Hooo:

Like the footie guy on another thread, if you need to ask ...

 FactorXXX 11 Sep 2022
In reply to Maggot:

> Like the footie guy on another thread, if you need to ask ...

OK, I'll ask.
I don't particularly like football, but can see why people go to a game as they get to see 90 minutes or so of continuous action with all the emotional dips and troughs that correspond with how well their team are doing.
With something like the Tour of Britain, you just get to see a snapshot of the whole event.  Absolutely no knowledge of what happened 30 seconds previous and no knowledge of what happens after they've all ridden past.
The chances of you seeing something instrumental to the overall result is minimal and in reality all you will likely see is a bunch of cyclists riding along keeping station with one another.
So, what is the attraction?
What are you seeing that I'm not?
Do you somehow identify with the riders as being a fellow cyclist and therefore get something out of it?
Is it just a case of 'I was there', 'I saw some famous cyclists'?
It all seems a bit odd, because as a spectacle, there is quite literally very little to see... 🚴‍♀️    

2
 Hooo 11 Sep 2022
In reply to FactorXXX:

Maybe it's a secret cult that you have to be inducted into? It's a bit odd that no one appears to be wiling / able to explain the appeal. I might not be able to come up with the most eloquent explanation of why I climb / cycle / whatever, but if someone asked me, I'd have a stab at it.

1
 mbh 11 Sep 2022
In reply to Hooo:

I've enjoyed seeing the two stage races that have gone past my house, here and, long ago, in Switzerland.

One was last year's Tour of Britain.The friendly hullaballoo made it lots of fun, with seemingly the whole town lining the pavements, lots of decorated bikes adorning every lamppost and a general party atmosphere. That was it really.  Then seeing the riders go past in a flash was a sight to see. I could see how much faster they were going than I ever do on the same roads. It was impressive. If something like the Great North Run had gone past that would have been similar, I imagine.

 JCurrie 11 Sep 2022
In reply to FactorXXX:

It’s not all “emotional dips and troughs”, there are occasional lifts and peaks too, even for diehard Carlisle United fans. 

 Slackboot 11 Sep 2022
In reply to FactorXXX:

I cycled for 6 hours on Wednesday to get to a place I could watch The Tour go past in 3 seconds! On the way home I asked myself more than once if it was worth all the effort? 

 The answer I got was yes. Not for the fact of actually watching the peleton go past but because it made a big day out even more interesting.

 A bit like having a big day in the mountains I suppose. You might only be on a summit for a few minutes but it introduces a definite goal into the proceedings. Something which many people seem to appreciate.

 GrahamD 11 Sep 2022
In reply to Hooo:

The attraction for me is the whole carnival atmosphere which builds throughout the day.  Most of the best vantage points are hard won - people cycle to them, often on the same route the pros use. Once there, you can soak up the party like atmosphere as the build up starts of motorbikes, helicopters, team cars and - with big events - all the promo vehicles.  Sure, the action is brief but you are there and involved like no other sport.  And it's free to watch the best in the world at what they do.

 wbo2 11 Sep 2022
In reply to Enty:

> Says it all.

Different countries.  That's all it says

 wbo2 11 Sep 2022
In reply to FactorXXX:  In terms of spectacle there is a lot to see.  In terms of sport, very little, but that's not what people go for

 Hooo 11 Sep 2022
In reply to Slackboot:

OK, I get it now. I clearly had the wrong end of the stick, thinking it was about the actual race. So the fuss itself is what the fuss is about, the actual race is just an excuse for the fuss. It all makes sense now, and I can understand that.

I can definitely identify with going on a long bike ride with some tenuous excuse for a destination, when it's the journey that's the main thing.

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 Enty 11 Sep 2022
In reply to wbo2:

> Different countries.  That's all it says

Yes. one for citizens, one for subjects.

E

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 Slackboot 11 Sep 2022
In reply to Hooo:

It is about different things for different people. For an old racer it may be to relive some of his glory days. For others it will be the spectacle. For children maybe the bright colours and Police on their motorbikes. For me it was definitely a long bike ride with bit of interest thrown in too. It made me feel part of something bigger that day.


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