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news
Edinburgh Castle © Simon MacMichael_Edinburgh launches new bid to bring Tour de France to Scotland
Edinburgh City Council has confirmed that it plans to submit a new bid to host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France with hopes to stage the opening days of the race in 2018 or 2019.
The news was confirmed as this year’s race got under way in Yorkshire, whose successful bid beat off rivals including the Scottish capital.
The council’s deputy leader, Steve Cardownie, who was involved in Edinburgh’s previous bid, said that lessons from the Yorkshire Grand Départ would help in planning its new one, reports The Scotsman.
“We are looking at perhaps forming a bid with Event Scotland for either 2018 or 2019.
“We will be that much more equipped because we will have seen first-hand how it operates in Yorkshire. We’ve staged cycling events in the past, we’ve had athletic events and, of course, we have our fantastic festivals. We are always in the market for something new, something different.”
Unlike the Yorkshire bid, Edinburgh’s had the support of both British Cycling and UK Sport, and evolved from initial plans to hold two stages in Scotland into a three-day event that would have seen the race start in Scotland before heading to England and Wales.
He continued: “We were encouraged to bring that bid forward to 2014 and Yorkshire beat us to it.”
“When the organisers were last here, they were waxing lyrical about the city and they could see themselves that it’s good for the Tour. It’s not just good for Edinburgh.”
Edinburgh recently hosted a round of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series, having switched funding from the city’s Sky Ride, in line with a change in strategy ultimately aimed at securing the Grand Depart.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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21 comments
I believe he was saying it in jest, chill out. A Yorkshireman would've taken it in good humour, just sayin'.
I for one don't want to see the stages being Central Belt centric whilst ignoring the mountain stages further North. Here is an Aberdeen to Cairngorm parcour that will make their eyes bleed:
http://app.strava.com/routes/92370
Good luck Scotland, lets hope Edinburgh clear up the mess on the Royal Mile of tartan tat shops.
But Giobox, you've missed the point!
The Yorkshire bid had a defined identity right from the start. Yorkshire through and through - Le Tour de Yorkshire.
The Edinburgh bid was some vague "Oh! We'll start in Edinburgh and we'll end up in London ... err, and we'll ride through England err, and Wales, can't forget Wales ... err, that's as far as we've got. We've got funding though!"
This is why the next Edinburgh bid must have an identity, make it Le Tour d'Ecosse. Shortbread, tartan, Burns, whisky, Buckfast and Sir Walter Scott. It doesn't matter that most of your history is fake and/or English get out there and sell it!
Goodness gracious me. You didn't just say that did you? That last paragraph is tinged with hatred and added nothing to your point. Take a hike.
Snifter83 there is NO hatred as you put it in my last paragraph, just the simple truth. Check your history books.
You just don't get it do you! I want Scotland to win the bid to host the TdF. Why?
Scotland has some of the most friendly, hospitable and welcoming people on the planet. Fact.
Scotland has some of the most spectacular, breath stealing, awe inspiring and beautiful scenery in the world. Fact.
Now get out there and sell it!
As to the examples I chose; they are the things that most people know about Scotland. The fact that they are stereotypes is not important, use them to hang an identity on.
When you mention Glasgow what do most people think of?
The Gorbals, Govan, Rab C. Nesbit, Celtic, Rangers and Taggart.
OR
Charles Rennie Mackintosh (One of the greatest exponents of Art Nouveau), St Mungo's, The Burrell Collection, Paisley fabric and racing yachts the like of which we may never see again. I could go on and on, I haven't even mentioned the sight of the PS Waverley under full steam. As you've probably gathered this is what I think of when I think of Glasgow and that's just one city.
Still think I should take a hike?
Yep.
Fine!
Bugger that. David Hume, Lord Kelvin, Napier, Georgian architecture, Jimmy Reid would be a much better focus
They could have the prologue(Friday) in Edinburgh finishing up the castle esplanade then a stage up round the east start and finish in Edinburgh. And have the Sunday stage starting in Glasgow and heading up some climbs. Like the tak, the crow, top of the world and the duke's pass. Then as a third stage heading from somewhere and finishing up the road to Applecross. That would be a good start to the gc battle before a few sprint stages back in France. But seen all the stages wouldn't be in Edinburgh. It could be used joint bid.
They could have the prologue(Friday) in Edinburgh finishing up the castle esplanade then a stage up round the east start and finish in Edinburgh. And have the Sunday stage starting in Glasgow and heading up some climbs. Like the tak, the crow, top of the world and the duke's pass. Then as a third stage heading from somewhere and finishing up the road to Applecross. That would be a good start to the gc battle before a few sprint stages back in France. But seen all the stages wouldn't be in Edinburgh. It could be used joint bid.
I think I would pay good money to watch TdF pros trying to cycle up to the esplanade especially if it was wet. Greasy uneven setts and someone trying to put 500W through a thumbprint contact patch.
Comedy.
I think Edinburgh should stick to hosting the Red Bull Hill Chaser event.
Yes it did Stumps, but I think this time round, they should change up the bid, take the tour further North, not just the central belt. After all, It has been down through England this year, no need for it to be there in a couple of years time again
Gkam, i'm sure you will correct me if i'm wrong but didn't Scotlands bid encompass a stage ending in the toon ?
That would be a canny ride down through Scotland and on through Northumberland and finishing in Newcastle. The roads around Northumberland are on a par with Yorkshire's stage 2, undulating all day long.
I hope they get it as it will be fab for the country but what's the SNP's stance on it if they win independance ???????
The reason that Yorkshire won and has made such a huge success of the opening two stages is very, very simple. Right from the off the people of Yorkshire were involved and actively encouraged to seize it and make the event their own. If you can enthuse the local population then you really can move mountains.
I hope that Edinburgh can be successful as I can already picture a first stage encompassing Fife, Perth and Stirling and a second stage looping from Edinburgh to Berwick through the Scottish Borders.
You could even have the start and finish of both days in Edinburgh. It's got an airport for the transfer to France after the two days.
Perhaps. That said, at least the Edinburgh bid was a fully funded proposal. The Yorkshire bid kinda bounced the UK government into paying, otherwise facing international ridicule if the event failed. I always found it strange that the Yorkshire bid got as far is it did without actually having the money to pay for it in place!
As a spectacle a stage on the mound in Edinburgh racing up to the castle would have been quite something. Heres hoping a future bid finds success.
Really good article on the Edinburgh vs Yorkshire for 2014 here: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cycling/tour-de-france-2014-how-a-det...
I'm pretty sure the successful Yorkshire bid would not have started off by describing the tour as "something different".
Edinburgh to Newcastle Would be great
then some crap around london to keep the southerners happy!
Anywhere but London....they already get everything that is cycling related anyway.
Your of Britain, Womens Tour, Nocturne.....I could keep going one.....Oh yeah, TdF this year aswelll
Beware of ACRE! The minority organisation of NIMBYs that has disrupted the Etape Caledonia in the past.
[ACRE - Against Closed Road Events]
I think this new bid should start in Edinburgh, go North for stage 1, west for stage 2, south east back to Edinburgh for stage 3.....than back to France