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Grand Piano © Caroline Jane KayeThe Grand Départ: Cyclists tow a grand piano up part of the Yorkshire Tour de France route
A team of 18 cyclists has towed a baby grand piano up the longest continuous ascent in England, Cragg Vale - part of the Yorkshire Tour de France route.
imove arts and Hebden Bridge Piano Festival staged the event as part of Yorkshire Festival 2014 to celebrate the Tour’s visit to Yorkshire in 100 days.
Using a a PianoPorté – an invention by the sculptor Andy Plant to ascend the six mile climb, the cyclists were cheered on by thousands of locals and tourists along the way, with rousing live piano concertos from 15 on board pianists to encourage their pedalling.
Onlooker and Mytholmroyd resident, Brenda Greenwood, told the Halifax Courier: “It’s been brilliant so far - it’s really getting us in the spirit for the Tour de France. It’s a great way to promote our village as a lot of people don’t know were here or even how to pronounce it - this will certainly put us on the map.”
Another, Nina Wardcock said: “This is a great opportunity for us to show the world what we do and to show people what beautiful landscape we have. It’s great to see the village so full of people.”
To see a film of the cyclists in action, click here.
Latest Comments
- bobbypuk 3 min 25 sec ago
I like this idea. Give me a perfect excuse never to go into the office.
- Andrewbanshee 10 min 54 sec ago
Tbh pretty much all LA's....
- chrisonabike 14 min 5 sec ago
They also used heavy bikes, one gear, amphetamines, strychnine, any other drugs they could get their hands on. And even local vin de table!
- chrisonabike 15 min 27 sec ago
Presumably it's in the long tradition of "Authority is oppression. Even for the milder kleptocracies the bigger the state the more of our cash...
- levestane 35 min 55 sec ago
Agreed on the spokes (tension reduction), leaf springs normally work under bending (sometimes cantilever).
- Rendel Harris 1 hour 42 sec ago
Not come across those, noted for my next library visit! The other thing that particular sign always makes me think of is the incomparable Tom Waits...
- chrisonabike 1 hour 34 min ago
I do have some sympathy with "someone gave humans a powered vehicle that could go faster than 5mph, what do you think will happen?" But I'm gonna...
- chrisonabike 1 hour 41 min ago
She had one for that also - apparently because there is often a delay (maybe 2 week deadline on NIP) before the law gets in touch with you, AND you...
- chrisonabike 1 hour 52 min ago
Yeah have been noticing that. In Edinburgh there have been some big temperature fluctuations - perhaps they're worried their fridge is on the blink?
- David9694 2 hours 31 min ago
Arrest after motorist crashes into shop in Sittingbourne High Street and Raja of Kent Indian Restaurant in High Halden, near Ashford...
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9 comments
Great pics by the way, @bedethebuilder
Cragg Vale is it's not even a classified climb in the TdF. It's a big ring belter, as the avg speed of the Strava top ten shows, but nevertheless a great test of fitness.
There are regular TTs on Cragg Vale, I think there was one organised for last week on 3rd April. I heard at the piano pull at the weekend that there are plans for a TT on 21 June to get the largest number of cyclists up Cragg Vale in a 24 hour period. The largest number of cyclists on the longest continuous accent on the longest day. The Robin Hood pub half way up the climb will be open throughout the event. Arrangements are being made for camping. I'll post details when they are available.
They use to be a hill climb on this course. I once rode it. Does the event still run?
Yes but you have to provide your own piano and pianist!!
15 concertos? They were towing the orchestra too? That must've taken a while to get through them.
There are more images of this crazy event here https://www.flickr.com/photos/90321638@N02/sets/72157643462509984/
And some footage from BBC Breakfast News here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26899453
Oh, and Onlooker is a person not a place and Mytholmroyd is pronounced My-thm-royd. Can’t wait to hear the TDF commentators mangle its pronunciation.
Really miss that climb, it used to be on my training rides before I moved to the flat south
Love this. Completely bonkers but somehow very English.
And I'd certainly never heard of Onlooker and Mytholmroyd (though I still don't know how to pronounce it).