Best Place to Watch a Pro Race

[bpsmith]

Have wanted to go and watch, but ended up missing the Tour of Britain a couple of times now. The route has just been released and it starts very close to me this year.

Just wondered where is best to watch from?

Is it better to take in the atmosphere of the opening stage and see them depart, or is it better to find a hilly area mid route where you can see some action?

The finish is in Newport, so not going to travel that far being as the start is so close.

 

[TVC]

Go to the start, you get the build up, the sign on and get to see the riders and teams hanging around. If you are on the road you get a long wait and a few seconds of action. At the finish you get a long wait with a big crowd, see nothing and the riders disappear into their busses.

This is the kind of thing you might expect, taken on a trip to Switzerland.

https://www.cyclechat.net/media/albums/tour-de-suisse-stage-4-start-grindlewald.547/

 

[Drago]

Eurosport.

 

[MikeG]

I'm going to stick my neck out here........

Actually, there is no such thing as a best place to watch a bike race, unless you are in a team car or on a TV motorbike. If you are on a flat bit of ground the peloton is past you in 10 or 15 seconds, and your two hours of standing around waiting is what you'll remember most. If you go to a good hill, you'll see much more action..........if you can see past the idiots pushing in front of you, running along with the leaders, and waving flags. If you can find a hill section with a steep bank above it so that you get an unobstructed view, then I'd head there if I were you. But if it is the best view of the race you are after, stay at home.

 

[Bollo]

Time trials offer the best bang per buck but that doesn't help you any in Newport. I prefer the start to the end - it can be busy but on the whole things are less manic. It's surprising how quickly things shut down after the stage has finished and there's usually a bunfight to get anywhere close to the presentation stage.

 

[Tim Hall]

One of the people on yacf as well as being a top bloke is a full time pro tour fan. This meant he and his wife managed to blag a ride in a press car on the tour of Britain a few years back. I realise this option might not be open to everyone.

 

[steveindenmark]

I would much rather watch it on TV.

Mark Cavendish rode right past my front door in a peleton a couple of years ago. Well I thought he was in the peleton.

I confirmed it on the TV later that day.

 

[MiK1138]

........Just wondered where is best to watch from?.......

Not Bleddy Scotland thats for sure #RAGIN

 

[Crackle]

Well Whinlatter is looking like your best choice this year because the TT and one of the stages finish there. Whinlatter isn't that steep but it should be steep enough to break the action and slow the riders down enough to see them as a bit more than a whoosh in the countryside.

http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/stages/

 

[derrick]

The year the tour went through Epping, we planted ourselves in a pub on the main road, no one was allowed to stand in front of the pub, The atmosphere was great, as they came through we just stood up and cheered them through, then sat down for another beer, Spent about 4 hrs in the pub, about 20secs of watching them fly by. was a really enjoyable day.

 

[ColinJ]

If you go to a good hill, you'll see much more action..........if you can see past the idiots pushing in front of you, running along with the leaders, and waving flags. If you can find a hill section with a steep bank above it so that you get an unobstructed view, then I'd head there if I were you.

I agree with other comments about watching at home, but you go to watch for the atmosphere and time outdoors. Up a hill is the place to be!

Mind you, stage finishes can be pretty exciting too...

 

[kipster]

I agree with other comments about watching at home, but you go to watch for the atmosphere and time outdoors. Up a hill is the place to be!

View attachment 412898
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Mind you, stage finishes can be pretty exciting too...

The finish of tour de Yorkshire up the cow and calf was pretty good this year, but so was the start in Halifax. The finish in Leeds wasnt as good but not bad.

 

[bpsmith]

It’s Pembrey Country Park to start Stage 1, which sits on a regular route of mine about 12 miles from me.

By the sounds of it, the best thing would be not to ride there. Just turn up earlier to see the riders and opening, then Home for a spin later with mates.

They manage to go from Pembrey, via Carmarthen, to Brecon and on to Newport. All while avoiding all the quality climbs that they could easily have slipped in. The KOM is Bethlehem hill. Lol

 

[Cuchilo]

Find a river crossing and hire a boat . You miss ALL the traffic and get to eat food , drink beer , nip up to the road to see the race pass and then eat food , drink beer again . Then go to bed on the boat