The Devon Leg

of the Tour of Britain Cycle Race whizzed right past our door this afternoon!

The greatest spectacle was the relay of police motorcyclists followed by the dozens of sponsors' cars. The cyclists arrived at last in twos and threes - not the massed throngs of pumping knees and wheels that I'd expected. They were fast though and most of my pics were blurred. Here, then, is the best I managed, taken from our garage roof.

Tour de France has a nice ring to it. Tour of Britain doesn't. When I did O and A level French years ago, we were encouraged not to 'transliterate', but to translate into a turn of phrase that sounded natural in the English language. Tour of Britain has an awkward ring to it. Round Britain Bike Race might be nearer the mark. Or can you think of a better name? (I speak as a sponsor, I discover; in between the Skoda and Yodel cars, came the Devon County Council ones.)