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Monday 7 Jul 2014 7:41 AM
14:53 Friday 04 July 2014
Written byLIZZY BUCHAN
Tour de France logo
“Boring” residents of Cambridge have been urged to “raise their game” for the Tour de France by people in Yorkshire.
Ahead of the first day of the iconic race, northerners criticised the city for preparing a “flat and boring” reception to the third stage of the Grand Depart, which sets off from Cambridge on Monday.
Yorkshire will host the first two stages of the famous bike race – from Leeds to Harrogate on Saturday, and from York to Sheffield on Sunday – before the third stage passes from Cambridge to London via Uttlesford.
The criticism from the north comes after a Cambridge landlady said people in the city were more worried about road closures than excited for famous bike race.
Tony Grey, a landlord in Otley, West Yorkshire, told the Telegraph all 19 pubs in the town had translated their names into French and the council had erected more than 1km of bunting using a cherry picker.
He said: “Cambridge should realise it is a shop window. It is remiss of them not to seize the opportunity.
“We are a bit cannier up in Yorkshire – when we see an opportunity, we grab it with both arms.
“We are obviously a warmer and more welcoming place.”
Another Otley resident Ian Midgley said he was disappointed by the efforts in the south.
He said: “I think they’d get more out of it themselves if they put some effort into it.
“It is a flat, boring stage from Cambridge to London, and it sounds like they are giving it a similar reception.”
The comments have been met with surprise by people in Cambridge who said the city was the right place for the race as it has “cycling in its DNA”.
A joint statement from Mark Lloyd, chief executive at Cambridgeshire County Council, Cllr Richard Johnson, executive councillor for community, arts and recreation at Cambridge City Council, and Edward Quigley of Cambridge BID Ltd, said the city has seen a “phenomenal reponse” to the Tour.
They said: “The Tour doesn’t just start in anywhere so it is a huge honour to have the race coming to Cambridge but with cycling in our DNA it is also the right place for it to be.
“We have had a phenomenal response to the Velo Festival with over 120 events celebrating cycling in Cambridgeshire through culture and sport.
“The city itself is looking amazing with bunting, shop windows and even lampposts dressed to welcome the race.
“While in every place there will be some people who don’t get into the spirit of an event, we feel that Le Tour is alive and well here and we look forward to welcoming the colour, passion and sheer spectacle of the Tour de France on Monday.”
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