Catterick Caravans' Tour de France
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The Tour de France is coming to Yorkshire, so Caravan followed the route, towing all the way
• Start: Leeds to Addingham
(Leeds, Harewood House, Otley, Burley-in-Wharfdale, Ilkley, Addingham)
• Skipton to Kettlewell
(Skipton, Threshfield, Kilnsey Crag, Kettlewell)
• Kidstones Pass to Thwaite
(Kidstones, Aysgarth, Hawes, Buttertubs Pass, High Abbotside, Thwaite)
• Catterick Caravans visit
(Reeth, Catterick Caravans, Leyburn)
• Masham to Killinghall
(Masham, West Tanfield, Ripon, Ripley Castle, Killinghall)
• Finish: Harrogate
The wait is almost over
This summer, the tranquil, dry stone-walled, tea-drinking sheepery of Yorkshire, will be juxtaposed with burning lungs and thighs of steel, coursing with pain-inducing lactic acid. Each foot on each pedal will power spinning wheels that propel vibrant jersey-wearing riders up every hill and over every dale. Powering along twisting dales’ roads (and through the pain barrier), these world-class athletes are making a long-overdue appearance in this stunning setting.At least that’s what we’re visualising as we sit back, crank the heat up a bit and relax, our SsangYong Rexton W towcar taking the strain of yet another increasingly-precipitous incline, while effortlessly stringing along a Lunar Quasar 554. Yep, this is definitely the best way to experience the 2014 ‘Tour de Yorkshire’.
Come July, about two million cycling fans are set to visit Yorkshire for the 101st Tour de France event – Le Grand Départ. Prepare properly and you can soak up the atmosphere and excitement of this legendary event in total comfort. Stare at streamlined helmets speeding past while you’re supping a steaming brew. Head off for a Yorkshire pudding as riders traverse Yorkshire, pedalling. Relax at the end of the day in a nice bar, as athletes take to an ice bath. Your caravan is key to all of this, which is why Sootheran and I have hit the road to find the perfect places to spot the peloton. The race starts in Leeds, so we head north from Caravan Towers to check it out.
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On your bike and get to the start line 
The race will get rolling in front of Leeds’ impressive 19th-century Town Hall on the Headrow, before heading north up the A61, out of the city and on to the grounds of Harewood House, home of the Lascelles family for more than 250 years. Here you’ll find the Festival of Cycling from 5-6 July, which will be a great spot for all your bikey needs.As well as the race itself, you’ll be able to experience live music, giant screens to watch other parts of the route, mountain bike trails, inspirational talks and more. You’ll also be able to camp for the weekend from £175 for a 10m x 10m pitch. Sounds pricey, but it includes your festival ticket! If you camp at Harewood, see the Festival of Cycling website for more details. Either way, make sure you plan ahead, as it will be exceptionally busy and roads will be closed for up to eight hours as the race passes through.
From Harewood, the peloton will speed west through the quaint, stone townships of Otley, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Ilkley (home to one of Britain’s biggest cycling clubs at Ilkley before reaching the only point that the Day One and Day Two routes of the Tour de France cross – the village of Addingham. Pitch up near here and you’re in the ideal spot for easy access to both race days. Be sure to head north as well, though, or you’ll miss some of the finest scenery on the entire race.
The publicity caravan (not a tourer!) precedes the riders by a couple of hours on each stage, so you’ll really want to be in position three or four hours before the riders are due.
Remember, in the early stages of the race, the entire peloton will pass in about one minute. Later in the day, towards the finale in Harrogate, you’ll get 25 minutes of peloton action as the faster riders pull away from the slower ones.
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In t’fells
Known as the Gateway to the Dales, Skipton is where the route starts to turn from rural relaxation to the real test of a true athlete. It’s where people talk prop’ly and it’s not the hills that will prove the biggest challenge, but cutting through air so steeped in Yorkshire pride that it’ll take anyone’s breath away. But there are hills too. Lots of them. Find a spot to watch from and you’ll soon hear “by ’eck lad, ah wont nowt to do wi’ that!” as a local contemplates undertaking said incline in anything that doesn’t have a John Deere logo stamped on the side.Before things get most vertical, the route enters Skipton from Otley Road, and heads along the high street towards the castle and then turns left out of town on Grassington Road (the B6265). At Threshfield, the route takes a left onto Kirk Bank (the B6160) before providing onlookers with a topographical and geological treat courtesy of Kilnsey Crag.
Between Threshfield and Kettlewell, travelling the clockwise direction of the route, the rock-climbing mecca of Kilnsey Crag will appear on your left, providing some awe-inspiring cycling photo opportunities.
Around here is where you’ll also find Velofest – 3000 pitches on a site that’s easily one of the best places to watch the race’s hill climbs.
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Passing Kidstones
The Kidstones Pass is a prime patch to peek at the peloton, but there’s even better to come. The scenery is fabulous, so pick a spot with a nice backdrop. At the top of the Pass is the Street Head Inn, an excellent hostelry with a small campsite adjacent.After that you drop down to Aysgarth, home to the renowned waterfalls. West from here you can follow the route through the tourist honeypot of Hawes where, soon after, it reaches a 17% (one-in-six) incline before something special awaits your eager eyes on the limestone of Buttertubs Pass.
On top of the world
Bikers clunk over teeth-clattering cattle grids before being met with some of the most dramatic sights of Day One of the route.Here, gradients reach 20% and the moorland near the summit is sure to expose cyclists to any elements from either side. However, the views over High Abbotside are astounding as the route drops down and onwards towards Thwaite.
Following the route round to the natural amphitheatre of Reeth, cyclists will face a final rise in gradient on the A6108 before reaching Leyburn and what is, essentially, the home stretch. However, we take a different tack, deciding to dog-leg off to Catterick Caravans in need of some cleaning gear to keep the Lunar lovely for its photoshoot tomorrow.
While there, Leisure World’s group head of aftersales John Davis makes us feel at home in their service centre customer lounge, where we could use the free wi-fi to do a bit of office work (arghh) before getting back on track on the route to lovely Leyburn and marvellous Masham.
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Last push
The lead up to Leyburn is the final hill of Day One’s route, with a comparatively comfy roll back down towards the finish line at Harrogate, through Masham (home of Black Sheep and Theakstons’ fantastic fall over juice), West Tanfield, Ripon and beyond.This part of the route is devilishly twisty, but much flatter than earlier on. Speeds will be good, and the racers will now be spread out by more than 20 minutes.
Just before we reach Harrogate, we stop off at a village that we highly recommend you to visit too. Here, the most impressive feature is the incredible Ripley Castle and grounds. Steeped in more than 700 years of history and surrounded by natural beauty it’s got lots to offer – amazing grounds, a café and shop.
The sprint teams will be in full force by this point. As they pass the Flamme Rouge, signifying the last kilometre of the race (which will be found on the A61 near the junctions with Kent Road and Coppice Drive), the end will nearly be in sight for whoever wants the Yellow Jersey the most. Passing the Royal Hall and Royal Baths, the last ditch efforts will be spent speeding past the Stray until they cross the line.
We’re knackered from just doing all of this in a car, with pub grub and frequent rests. Who knows what the circuit will have in store for the cyclists of Le Tour and their crew? We can’t wait to give Day Two’s route a bash next month.
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