Tour de Yorkshire 2017

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I really want to like the Tour (of) Yorkshire - I was a bit of a seriously miserable fecker about Yorkshire before the Tour visited but admitted I was wrong - but find it difficult to work out what it's trying to be and I think it detracts from my enjoyment of it. I know it doesn't have to "be" anything but I think it is struggling to find it's true identity and in so doing is trying to be everything in one. I am sure this post is probably rambling nonsense, and I'm not really sure what I am trying to convey.

Everyone looks like they enjoy it.

 

[themosquitoking]

I really want to like the Tour (of) Yorkshire - I was a bit of a seriously miserable fecker about Yorkshire before the Tour visited but admitted I was wrong - but find it difficult to work out what it's trying to be and I think it detracts from my enjoyment of it. I know it doesn't have to "be" anything but I think it is struggling to find it's true identity and in so doing is trying to be everything in one. I am sure this post is probably rambling nonsense, and I'm not really sure what I am trying to convey.

Everyone looks like they enjoy it.

The problem with Yorkshire is it's too big for a one day race and not big enough, with enough mountains, for a week long race.

 

[oldfatfool]

By the time I got to the top of High Hill lane out of Settle on the way to Cracoe the wind was practically blowing me backwards so retraced my route back to Ingleton and watched it on the telly

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

The problem with Yorkshire is it's too big for a one day race and not big enough, with enough mountains, for a week long race.

I just checked the UCI calendar and there are 4 other 3-day races in 2017; Provence (2.1), Rhodes (2.2), Tichigi (2.2) and Asturias (2.1 - which was on this weekend as well).

I am sure I read somewhere that there are contractual arrangements with ASO and growing Yorkshire towards being bigger, but I am a) not sure what this involves b) not sure if this would be the right thing to do and c) hopeful that they do not continue the drive towards bigger being better and take stock of where they want to position themselves within the calendar.

There was much muttering during the commentary yesterday about stage 3 being almost a 1-day event, and I have heard mention of "almost like a classic".

And I am now thinking out loud here (so feel free to wade in and tell me to stop typing bollocks - again!); what are other options for Yorkshire?

A weekend event with male and female TT on the Saturday then a one-day course for male and female on Sunday? Both separate events, rather than a 2-stage event, acknowledging/celebrating British TTing history and allowing the best possible course in Yorkshire to evolve as a proper end to the Spring "classics" season.

I reckon it would need to be more that just a one-day event to get the teams to make the journey; I am just not sure the 3-stage event is working in it's current form, but it may evolve naturally enough to become the premier 3-stage event on the calendar (if it's not there already given the lack of competition!)

As I said, I don't feel any ill-will or anything I just find it hard to like it in it's current form/guise.

I might even venture down next year.

 

[themosquitoking]

I just checked the UCI calendar and there are 4 other 3-day races in 2017; Provence (2.1), Rhodes (2.2), Tichigi (2.2) and Asturias (2.1 - which was on this weekend as well).

I am sure I read somewhere that there are contractual arrangements with ASO and growing Yorkshire towards being bigger, but I am a) not sure what this involves b) not sure if this would be the right thing to do and c) hopeful that they do not continue the drive towards bigger being better and take stock of where they want to position themselves within the calendar.

There was much muttering during the commentary yesterday about stage 3 being almost a 1-day event, and I have heard mention of "almost like a classic".

And I am now thinking out loud hear (so feel free to wade in and tell me to stop typing bollocks - again!); what are other options for Yorkshire?

A weekend event with male and female TT on the Saturday then a one-day course for male and female on Sunday? Both separate events, rather than a 2-stage event, acknowledging/celebrating British TTing history and allowing the best possible course in Yorkshire to evolve as a proper end to the Spring "classics" season.

I reckon it would need to be more that just a one-day event to get the teams to make the journey; I am just not sure the 3-stage event is working in it's current form, but it may evolve naturally enough to become the premier 3-stage event on the calendar (if it's not there already given the lack of competition!)

As I said, I don't feel any ill-will or anything I just find it hard like it in it's current form/guise.

I might even venture down next year.

I like the idea of a world class TT and a one day race for both women and men. Might attract bigger names and the women might inspire the men to come up with a great spectacle too.

 

[Adam4868]

The problem with Yorkshire is it's too big for a one day race and not big enough, with enough mountains, for a week long race.

So it could just be what it is,a three day event ?

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

So it could just be what it is,a three day event ?

You are probably right, I just don't think they have quite nailed it yet it terms of being happy with what they are and I think they are trying to be one step ahead (if that makes sense) and show ASO they can do more, rather than doing what they are as best they can.

 

[Adam4868]

Myself I like it for what it is,I like the "mock french" twist to it.Stop trying to over think it.Im not from Yorkshire but Lancashire and think it's a great showcase for the county I was watching stage 3 on catch up tonight(yea I wanted to see myself on TV !) and thought it looked a great race,as enjoyable as a lot I've seen.You don't get those crowds at a lot of classic races.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

You don't get those crowds at a lot of classic races.

You do. Don't try to under think a classic

 

[Adam4868]

I'm not taking away the history/atmosphere of the classics,been quite a few and would go again.But the atmosphere at TDY is something great.

A record one million fans turned out to watch the epic finale to the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire which saw Serge Pauwels claim the stage and overall victory.
Not since the 2014 Tour de France Grand Départ has Yorkshire experienced such a huge figure on a single day of racing.



Today's bumper crowd helped ensure the third edition was officially the biggest one yet with overall attendances rising from 2 million to 2.2 million year on year.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

...the atmosphere at TDY is something great.

...attendances rising from 2 million to 2.2 million year on year.

I am sure it's great, and as I posted above I might venture down next year; and it's great that people are coming out to see it.

But, I'm still not quite sure what is it trying to be. I may be over-thinking this, but I do think there is an ambition there to be something different to what it is now. I just hope they choose well. They have done a decent job so far, even if I am not sure what it is they are doing Maybe they should send me their vision

 

[themosquitoking]

So it could just be what it is,a three day event ?

That's what i was saying. It can't be a classic one day race or a decent week long stage race. The womens event was very impressive racing, the mens too tactically, but a three day race without mountains will usually only ever be won by seconds without a hefty time trail and you can't do that because it's only a three day race and so on.

 

[Soltydog]

The problem with Yorkshire is it's too big for a one day race and not big enough, with enough mountains, for a week long race.

Probably could find enough hills for a week long race, but it would end up being pretty much the same each year. Keeping it at 3 days allows a little variety in the routes.
I cycled up to top of Garrowby Hill on day 1 & looking at flybys on Strava was interesting, seeing how many others had cycled from all over the place, quite a few did 100 miles or close to

 

[brommers]

Probably could find enough hills for a week long race, but it would end up being pretty much the same each year. Keeping it at 3 days allows a little variety in the routes.

They could have a couple of stages in France

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

They could have a couple of stages in France

I know! they could share it between Lancashire and Yorkshire: 3 days in one, 3 days in the other, and a split county day. Both counties trying to outdo the other for routes and fans. They could call it the Tours of the Roses!