To mark this week's Tour of Britain, host towns are holding massive parties, and Transport for London are offering the chance to present the winner's jersey after Saturday's final stage.
Frome
The people of Frome in Somerset are celebrating the arrival of the Tour tonight (Wednesday 16 September) with a host of events under the umbrella of the 2009 Frome Velo Jam.
Events, which will take place at The Market Yard and Catherine Hill, are set to include:
- Food, drink, music and fireworks
- Catherine Hill Cobble Wobble hill climb
- Display by the Animal Relentless Bike Tour
- Charge Bikes trackstand competition
- Roller racing
- Talk by Dr Alex Moulton (of folding bikes and Mini suspension fame) and commentator David Duffield
- Chance for children to try out Early Rider's pedal-free balance bikes
- Exhibition of cycling ephemera at The Art Works Picture Framing Shop
- Visit from Rapha's Citroen H van
For more details, see the Velo Jam page on In The Woodshed. To enter the Wobble, pick up a form from Live 2 Ride bike shop.
Hatherleigh
Hatherleigh in Devon will pull out all the stops to mark the start of stage seven of the Tour of Britain on Friday. Riders are set to depart at 10.15am on their 160km dash to the finish in Yeovil, Somerset.
Mayor Malcolm Jacobs said: “We may be the smallest town in Devon, and apparently the smallest town ever to host a Tour of Britain start, but I think we’re managing to put on one of the best starts ever seen. With an hour of entertainment on the day itself, including a mini-carnival procession featuring the ‘biggest bike in the smallest town’, and with trials biker Andrei Burton jumping our famous Tar Barrels, it’s a unique start too.”
Events are set to include:
- Mingle with the Tour teams and watch their race preparations
- Two displays by trials rider Andrei Burton (9.30am and 10.45am)
- Mini-carnival procession with Hatherleigh Silver Band
- Displays by local bike shops, demos of mini-motorbikes and an exhibition of cycling ephemera in the community centre
- Souvenir Tour of Britain mugs from Hatherleigh Pottery
For more information, see www.hatherleight.net.
Cycle Friday competition
Also on Friday, riders who take part in the regular Cycle Friday rides – bike convoys which guide novice cycle commuters into central London – will be entered into a draw to win the chance to present the winner's jersey at Saturday's final stage of the Tour of Britain.
The prize, awarded in conjunction with the Mayor of London and Transport for London, also includes a pair of tickets to the Tour’s VIP hospitality area at Victoria Embankment.
The final stage of the tour is an 8.6km route (which the riders will complete 10 times) that takes in some of the British capital’s most iconic landmarks, including the banks of the Thames, the City, Big Ben, Cleopatra’s Needle, Somerset House, and the Tower of London. Thousands of people are expected to turn out to watch the finish.
The next day, the weekend of cycling will continue with the latest Mayor of London’s Skyride – a day of traffic-free roads. For more information on the London events, visit www.tfl.gov.uk/cycling.
