Otley residents accuse Cambridge of putting on a 'flat and boring' Tour reception… though it hasn't happened yet

Well having been on the route yesterday, and seeign the coverage on tv, I don't think there was any lack of support for the tour, especially having seen how packed Saffron Walden was and hearing Phil Ligget getting emotional at the sight of people crowding 50-100 deep. I'm glad I went to Great Waltham, relatively small village with a little bit of a hill meant they came through (a tiny bit) more slowly.
It was still jam packed with people, and the atmosphere was incredible, I think everyone's done the country proud over all three days.

After Yorkshire.... they needed the rest.

A really good showing in London too. People lined the roads everywhere. I wish I had gone up to where I cycle in Essex as it would have given a fantastic opportunity for some great photos. Anyway 'Bravo Angleterre' I think we did ourselves proud.

Yeah. OK. I need to apologise to Cambridge. It was absolutely, completely rammed this morning. Not bad for a work day. Masses of enthusiasm. Good show by England all round.

(Daughter loved it. And even if Froome didn't notice her flag, ITV did - got a shot of her on TV at the start line, and replayed it on the end highlights. Fame!)

I'm watching the coverage on TV and I think some of the criticism of Cambridge and the villages on route to the stage finish in London's enthusiasm is a bit premature.

The crowds in Saffron Walden for one are absolutely massive!

I'm very glad I got to see the tour in Yorkshire in the sun at the weekend.

But it's a fair point that once the tour has gone, Cambridge will still have a far healthier culture of everyday cycling than places like Leeds, the "Motorway City of the Seventies"!

Stepping away from this debate for a second - which would you rather visit for a couple of days cycling, and spending money in the pubs/restaurants etc - Yorkshire or the New Forest? Yorkshire has basically shouted out "Hey, come visit anytime! Bring your bikes and some cash!"

New Forest, not so much...

I live in Essex, close to the Suffolk border and about 10 milers from the route. My impression is that the county and local authorities have put less effort into the TdF than they did the Women's Tour, but that individuals, pubs, shops and villages have made a good effort. No, it's perhaps not as good as Yorkshire's, but this is Yorkshire's show - Stage 3 is a transit stage to get the Tour to London and closer to France. I hope the finish in London does the Tour justice, and I'm sure everyone on the route tomorrow (and there will be loads!) will give everything they have.

Not sure quoting Yorkshire town populations is a valid comparator or evidence for "easier" logistics. Every town on the route probably saw its population quadruple this weekend. And it was still amazing.

As a Southerner I can confirm that Yorkshire is a much nicer place to Cycle than Cambridge.

What our man sees as flat and boring I prefer to think of as fast and faster.

I've been saying this for at least a year - and yes, as predicted, with certain exceptions Essex is basically shrugging and hoping it's all over quite quickly. The council have essentially done nothing apart from a couple of banners, some flyers ("A cycling event is coming to Essex, there may be traffic chaos!") and a few shops have some bunting.

Rode up to Epping and back this evening (http://app.strava.com/activities/162553276) and unbelievably there are even still a few potholes.

Well done Yorkshire for putting on a fantastic show, that's how it should be.

Cambridge is the UK's no1 cycling city (by a large margin), Sheffield and Leeds among the worst (and 2 days marketing wont change 50 years of 100% car centric policy).

Well done to Yorkshire for a great hosting....but would it have been as good if it was on one day, with a much, much smaller pot of money, on a monday...with another region getting all the publicity and credit?

There was no need for this outburst at this stage...by all means say it a year or even a few months ago when changes could have happened...but now they come across as a bunch of arrogant, smug idiots.

By the way I rode part of the tour route this morning for a tour themed sportive and there were plenty of people out in the pouring rain cheering us on and I'm sure those not at work will do the same tomorrow (though to a lesser extent than sun soaked yorkshire on the weekend with many thousands of tourists from outside yorkshire that poured in boosting the numbers)

I rode the route last week. There was some bunting, some bikes, and lots of pubs advertising BBQs and stuff. But it was pretty underwhelming. Thought it might just be because it was a week away.

But no - I rode the first half again this morning, and it was still pretty underwhelming. I'm sure there'll be shedloads of people out on the route but still, it doesn't look to me as if people have bought into it as much as they've done in Yorkshire. A bit of a shame.

(I'm doing my bit, though. I'm as excited as a five year old before Christmas. And my five year old is...well, she is also as excited as a five year old before Christmas. She has made a flag, and was checking the size of the writing from the other side of the room to make sure that Chris Froome would be able to see it when he goes past...)

The difference as i see it is that up north we get very little in the way of major sporting events as london and the south is seen as "the place to be".

So when we do get something we do it proud and make it as big and as best as it can be, just look at stages 1 and 2.

Whereas to the south its another sporting event in a long line of sporting events.

I hope that Scotland gets another chance of a Grand Depart and i'm 100% sure it will be another massive success just like Yorkshire has been.

What a fantastic weekend. Riding with Giant Shinamo on Wednesday then Otley Races at night, Thursday a cracking opening ceremony and Saturday watching in Leeds and Harrogate fan park and today watching the race at the history Bolton Abbey.

It is a total shame that Yorks couldnt manage to get all three stages, I think the issue was about transport for stage 4 was the main concern.

EarsoftheWolf
I take it you have never been to York? Far better tourist attraction than cambridge in fact York in 2008 compared to the same year for Cambridge was double the tourist income.

“Cambridge should realise it is a shop window. It is remiss of them not to seize the opportunity."

If you've ever been to Cambridge, you'd realise it probably doesn't need a "shop window" to promote itself as much as some places in Yorkshire might. Cambridge is heaving with tourists from all over the world, not just in July but most of the rest of the year too. Chinese tourists are queueing to go punting even when there's ice on the river in January. Yorkshire is grabbing the opportunity because it has more to gain.

Also, it's much more easy to be celebratory and welcoming of an event when it's on a weekend and you don't need to worry how you're going to get to work. I'm lucky that my company has closed their office for the day tomorrow so I don't have to worry about it, but many others are not so fortunate. People shouldn't be criticised for having legitimate concerns, just because they're not "getting into the spirit".

I had a great day watching from Bradfield just outside Sheffield. The crowds were huge and the vibe was very positive. Keep it up Britain, show the french how good the tour can be!

I rode along 20 miles of Monday's TdF route last Friday and I'd say that all the villages I went through had bunting and stuff like yellow bikes scattered about, so perhaps the villages are getting behind it, just not in an in your face way like the northern types do. Pubs were advertising all day BBQ's and that sort of thing.

I thought it was pretty much the same as you'd get in France to be honest.

Also as it's going to be a Monday a lot of the general public, e.g. not cyclists, will be at work and wouldn't necessarily take a day off just to see it, so you wouldn't expect the crowds to be quite as large.

I've just got back from Yorkshire, and I think they are right. The show put on by the Yorkshire towns was incredible. I walked around Ripon and the entire town (and environs) was decked out with bicycles, bunting, signs, pictures, ... you name it. A most impressive display which made me proud!

This conversation is one that should have taken place 12 months ago.

Bit late now.