Flying start in front of thousands
THE Tour of Britain was seen off by thousands of people in Scunthorpe and North Lincolnshire.
Crowds packed into Central Park for the official start and spectators lined the route with hundreds of people watching the race on Ashby High Street.
People also gathered near Forest Pines Hotel and Spa for a sprint section and took advantage of glorious weather to watch the peloton tackle the narrow Keadby Bridge crossing the Trent.
Behind the scenes access to the race brought crowds from 8.30am on Saturday - and the riders said they were delighted by the support.
Bradley Wiggins told the Scunthorpe Telegraph before the race: "It's brilliant, it's superb.
"It's always like this at the Tour of Britain.
"I think it will be flat out. The first stage is always pretty tough, it's going to be full-on."
On Ashby High Street, David Robinson, 51, of Messingham, said: "It's very well organised.
"It was absolutely great we could mingle in with the teams. There is no other sport you could do that."
Sarah Goodman, 41, made the short trip from Lincoln to be at the start line at Pittwood House.
She said: "I thought it was really good. It was a beautiful day, there were a lot of people and just the right balance of commercial things.
"I follow cycling and the Tour doesn't seem to have been this way for quite a few years so we decided to get out of bed early, have a ride up and watch the race."
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4 Comments
by Timothy Claypole, Scunthorpe
Monday, September 14 2009, 8:18PM
“Those idiots at the front disobeyed a direct instruction from the police. They were instructed by the police motorcyclist to stop, turn off their engines and do not proceed until the whole race had passed through. I and the many people who were there definately heard and understood the orders barked out, it's a shame there was a few idiots who didn't.”
by wiggy, scunny
Monday, September 14 2009, 8:17PM
“Mr Claypole...get a grip and stop moaning..”
by someone who was there, scunny
Monday, September 14 2009, 6:45PM
“I was behind those 'idiots' as you put it. After the first two cyclists had gone round the roundabout there wasnt a copper in sight, there was no road block only a load of what I WOULD call 'idiots stood on the round about.
That was why people were carrying on driving over the roundabout, simply because the police were NOT stopping anybody”
by Timothy Claypole, Scunthorpe
Monday, September 14 2009, 6:47AM
“I was on of the hundreds down at the Asda circle cheering them on.
Shame there was about 5 idiot drivers who shot through the road block whilst the was a gap between the leading two and the rest of the field.
Mind you, there were plenty of people filming & photographing so let hope these offenders are brought to book.”