Surprisingly perhaps we’d never seen Le Tour before so having it start in London Village, though quite a long way to travel, was too good an opportunity to miss and it turned out to be an impressive event. Maybe my misgivings about the Olympic plans are unwarranted, or maybe Red Ken is just better at organising things than Tory Seb.

Good things:

• millions of spectators
• hot weather
• nice picnic
• exciting racing (for a time trial in the UK, this is a first)
• big TV screens

Bad stuff:

• millions of spectators (couldn’t see the course)
• about 3 portaloos per million spectators
• got sunburnt
• Everyone in London is riding a fixie (with brakes)
• 95% of the spectators will be back in their cars tomorrow trying to run us over

The second stage on Sunday was a bit more of a relaxed affair, still lots of spectators but you could get right up to the course and see what was going on. Plus they didn’t allow the race to stop all the ceremonies going on – when the policeman told all the riders and team helpers to “move back – the Cavalry are coming through and they’re heavy”, he really meant it. Luckily they had a team of 2 street sweeping machines to clear up the mountain of manure the horses left in their wake.

John Hill-Vennings report

I’m a born-again cyclist at the moment, like all the rest of the numptys when Le Tour hits the TV screens!

We had an excellent weekend. 9 of us met up to watch the Prologue in glorious, car free London. It was just a brilliant day. I kept soaking it all in and sighing at what a success the day was! I’d built up my hopes at how brilliant it would be when the Tour came to England, and it met all my expectations. Watching Canstellara go round, almost brushing all the barriers – gasping that he might clip one of them – and evidently faster than anyone else was the stuff of movies! Everyone had a great day.

Then early Sunday morning Del & I rode to watch them at the first categorised climb at Southborough, near Tunbridge Wells. It was a beautiful ride out, through cool summery country lanes.

At the top of the route’s climb we waited with hundreds of other people. It could have been any wooded hill in Europe, with people filling every available space, on top of cars, up trees & banks. There were people whose houses lined the course so they couldn’t drive anywhere all day, but no-one seemed bothered; they’d just brought their garden furniture to the front of their driveway and were enjoying a beer or glass of wine. It was all such a carnival atmosphere! I was proud that the British could enjoy and make the most of the opportunity!

When David Millar came by with the breakaway group I wasn’t sure if he won the sprint, we were too busy cheering and drumming the hoardings! Then when the peleton came by I tried to soak in the image of 180 perfect athletes, in perfect gear on a million pounds worth of bike, then they were gone.

I knew it would be over in a flash, but thought the majority of irregular cycling fans might gripe about the waiting time vs. spectacle ratio, but I just heard one lady the other side of the road say “is that it? Oh, well, a good excuse for a bottle of wine!”. Marvellous!

The ride home was harder, but I got home in time for the 7 o’clock highlights to see who’d won that sprint. Unfortunately I was nappy changing when that bit came on.