Cycling Tour of Britain

Oh, the excitement was almost too much to bear this morning as I waited to see the cycling Tour of Britain pass by the Dower House Estate. There was the initial entertainment of watching the razzmatazz of police on motor bikes and official cars sweeping the route from The Queen's Park through the old town back to the Queen's Park.

No sooner it seemed had the starting time of 10 o'clock arrived, than they were with us- a close packed peloton of fresh young men dancing on their pedals as they rounded the corner from the hill that is Lady Lawson street into Lauriston Place. Two clicks of the camera and they were past, leaving the road to cars, top heavy with team bicycles, all on their way out of town, along the coast before turning inland for a bit of hill climbing before finishing for the day at Blyth with 135 miles under their wheels.

It was time to meet a cycling friend for coffee where we shared our café with a group of Road Club youngsters who had led out the peloton at the start. Perhaps some day one of their number will ride in the Tour of Britain.