DESTINATION Generic 23 Photosets
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| Walk / Tour | 4.09 Miles |
800 AEG |
| | Walk / Tour | 4.09 Miles | 5 Hrs | | 0.82 mph |
| 800 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Decided to blow off a Sunday afternoon and do something I've never had a chance to do (nor ever had any interest in). But hey. I was there, it was there, why not?
What a great experience! I took the train down to Meadowhall, a suburb of Sheffield that exists exclusively for it's mall. A mall that would make the Mall of America buy an F-550 dually with a lift. If you know what I'm sayin.
With no beta, and no idea what I was in for, I decided to try and avoid the crowds, as is my normal MO. I left the general area and began to climb a hill along the route. Only later did I learn that this is the steepest hill on the entire Tour de France. With an average grade of 14% and a maximum grade of 33%, the sidewalk actually has a handrail -- steep like stairs!
Since these guys are pumped up on all kinds of drugs and blood treatments, they ride sort of fast. So the uphills are the place for spectators because it slows them down a little bit. Turns out this ended up being a popular spot to be. The two beers I brought (by beers, I mean british swill water) in my pack would surely not last, so I found a little shop and got some reserves. Looking for a spot to hang out was difficult since the course was lined with spectators who apparently had camped out the night before.
Not being shy, I made friends with some folks who live on Jenkins Road and have a friend in construction. He had built a couple of scaffolds in their front yards. Ok, well, I'm not that forward, so I never got on the scaffolds. But I did secure a nice spot on the wall above the sidewalk with great unobstructed views of the route. I might've also promised a nice lady to take her back to Arizona. (What!? The bathroom in her house was right there ... the portapotties were across the street and cost 20p! Only the Brits can charge 50¢ to pee in a plastic bin in the woods!)
Before the race, the course is open for the general public and it was genuinely entertaining to see young kids and older folks riding the course. Struggling up this -- the steepest hill in cycling -- being cheered on by thousands of people who were otherwise bored and waiting for the main event ... I can only imagine the rush and good memories these people experienced on their rides!
After what is essentially a PR parade of sponsors throwing feces to the crowd, hot girls dancing, loud music playing, etc. the crowd gets all pumped up, and about half an hour later the first group of racers arrive. It's quite a spectacle. There are I think 197 riders, and they tend to ride in groups. There were 5 packs, with a few stragglers in between. It was about 20 minutes from the first to the last group. The number of support vehicles with spare bikes was impressive. Little compact cars with 7 or 8 bikes on the roof!
The crest of the Jenkins Road hill was 5km from the finish in Sheffield. It was all downhill from there.
I've never watched cycling. I don't know a single athlete or team. It was still a great experience and one I'm glad to have been to. |
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| I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies. |
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Route Editor
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