Must admit I deserted the lads yesterday as I've been to three different locations this weekend to watch the
Grand Depart.

It was brilliant I thought.

Just want to congratualte ITV on their coverage too. Thank heavens they missed off Keighley!

I only saw a bit on the news but it looked good. It's certainly put cycling on the map. Wouldn't miss my rugby for it though...not even this god awful season!!

I dislike it when people take some form of perverse pleasure at pointing out they 'hate' the world cup, Wimbledon etc so I won't be doing that.

However I am genuinely bewildered by the fuss associated with the Tour de France. It feels like I'm in a strange dream where one day the whole of Yorkshire decides it adores Oak trees. Every item on Calendar and Look North is about Acorns, and thousands flock to the woods, patting their bark.

As I say, I'm not in any way against the Grand Depart or cycling. I just don't get it at all.

It was a great excuse for a party. Something a bit different and more spectacular than normal. I went to see it both days and it was a great atmosphere. Something I've missed at Odsal this season!

Everyone (barring North Street in Keighley) seemed to get in on the act and many places looked absolutely superb, particularly Silsden, Haworth, Otley and Knaresborough.

Day one was pretty but yesterday had some cracking racing. It felt like an early season one day classic in Belgium and I wouldn't be too surprised if that course makes a return at some point.

Eurosport and ITV had one synchronised ad break that I noticed and that was as the peloton passed through Keighley. Smart choices from everyone involved there.

Strava tells me the closest I get is four times as slow up Oxenhope Moor as the mid-level pros who are allowed to upload their rides.

It was just amazing. A fantastic atmosphere and worth it alone for the pleasure of being able to lie in the middle of the A629!
I am missing the tour today.

Yeah I decided to sample the Tour yesterday and it was a great atmosphere. Streets were packed and people were having parties in nearly every garden. Must be honest I barely gave the rugby a thought all afternoon. Sounds like it was an improved effort yesterday but we're only playing for pride now.

Just another dose of opiate for the masses, albeit a massive dose on this occasion just like the 2012 Olympics and the 2013 RLWC (sarcasm alert!) was. Sport and TV having replaced the role of religion a very long time ago.

The millions who turned up for the event over the weekend (including me) didn't really care whether we injected it, snorted it or smoked it.

Sad but true.

I thought it was a fantastic spectacle, we, along with many many others parked at Causeway Foot and walked to Oxenhope Moor, the organisers laid the foundations and the people of Yorkshire made the day, it made me feel so proud. Well done to everybody who contributed.

As it said on the tee shirt, au revoir, missing you already

What's sad about it? Really boring paedophiles or brilliantly exciting sporting events. If the dominant ideologue's want to divert me from the true nature of my proletarian servitude then the least they could do is put something on the telly worth watching

Rumour has it that the advertisement break while going through K-town was prompted by a large (ahem) phallus drawn upon the road, which (no doubt) while hilarious to residents, wasn't deemed suitable for the greater TV audience.

Last Tuesday Ilkley cycle race, Wednesday Otley cycle race, Thursday the Arena launch, Saturday watched it from Ilkley, Sunday at Bolton Abbey. The atmosphere at the weekend was as good as anything I have ever experienced.

Saturday Skipton and Sunday the sprint section, great atmosphere and loved the British Police van playing the theme from Allo, Allo on it's horn - don't think the gendarmes got that one!

I guess most of the crowd will have ridden a bike at some stage, so feel closer to the competitors - though like me I doubt if they could keep up 25mph for 5 hours and anyone who cycles up Holme Moss at 20mph must score very highly on the FA Effort scale

Agreed. It was amazing. I went to Ilkley on Tuesday too. Really enjoyed that. I was disappointed that the Tour boys only did one lap. Hope they keep the Ilkley one next year.

Why didn't Robbie arrange for the riders to do a lap around the pitch at half time. We would have broken the 102k gate record. Maybe next time Robbie!

Keighley looked excellent and the turn out was superb.

All the villages before and after came across well as well.

I must have missed the bit where they passed through the city of culture that is Bradford.

Don't worry no one saw Keighley either so you didn't let the side down.

The ones with Bradford postcodes?

My main worry was that they wouldn't have cleared it up along the A629 from Skipton to Keighley as I returned from Scotland, however despite all the signs along the A65, like messengers of doom, all telling of "delays", thankfully there were none. Result!

Maybe, but I've seen more than one real cock and balls running up a mountain along side the riders.

It was the bit between Blubberhouses and Hebden Bridge.

That was a local writing their name...

I quite like their attitude to timekeeping. In an age when winning margins are often calculated to three decimal points, they give everyone the same time.

Clearly they need a video ref..

TBH I thought Keighley town centre looked very poor compared with Haworth and Silsden who looked amazing. North Street was utter pants. A few shops had put up a couple of bits of shoddy bunting and that was it. Shame!

Did the rotary club get many takers for that bit of scaffolding they put up near the Shimla Spice? £20 to stand on it about 2 ft higher than pavement level. Ripoff!