Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Gone in a flash

They came, they cycled, they conquered, and in a blink of an eye they were gone. The Tour of Britain filled our country's roads with bicycles, support cars, top class athletes and thousands and thousands of spectators. I love the affect that sport can have on our communities - the Tour is a prime example of this as it brought so many people out of their homes to watch and support the cyclists, even if only to see them for a few seconds.

I was fortunate enough to see the race from three different venues and experience the excitement that grips the crowd from the first police motorbike that comes into sight until the last team car passes through. The cyclists themselves commented on the British fans and how it feels as though they are riding on the continent. The most significant difference they do notice, however, are our hills. The finishing two kilometres of stage four up to the Bristol downs sorted out the leaders - apparently the riders are used to long gradual mountains not our short sharp hills. Hearing this does make me feel better when I am struggling to reach the summit of one of Dartmoor's hills, even if we can't call them mountains.

It sounds as though we've succeeded in getting the crowds out to support this race; the question now is can we translate that into people getting active? I know I am desperate to get back on my bike after watching this spectacle and the weather is still hanging on for us. So dust off your bike and have a go - you never know you might just catch the bug too.