Le Grand Depart for the Tour de France starts in Yorkshire next week. Yorkshire tourist board are really using it to promote the area with 2 circuits around the Yorkshire moors to show off loads of scenic shots. What did we do back in 1974? Had them doing circuits of the A38!!
Anybody have any memories?

Back in the 70's we had a decent tourist board....now we are Ocean city..you gotta laugh...bikes and water dont mix...

I think we were the FIRST though.

Plus, who the hell wants anything to do with bikes, look at the hills we have in Plymouth.

The Ocean is a far finer unique selling point.

Except Plymouth isn't anywhere near an Ocean.

Apology accepted.

Bognor Regis, ocean city

Not a City.

Anyway, stick with your point. It's nowhere near the ocean eh?

Thats 1-0.

A wasted opportunity by our City

It certainly was a boring idea to send the riders up and down the A38.

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All I 'remember' about it was getting wasted on the free cups of Pernod they were handing out at various stands up and down Royal Parade.

...or was that some other French related event?

A wasted opportunity by our City

It certainly was a boring idea to send the riders up and down the A38.

Interested in why you call it a wasted opportunity by our city, the route was chosen by the French organisers even though they were offered a circular Burrator route or an even more challenging Dartmoor run, the frustration of the riders being held up in customs was completely down to HM Customs & Excise not sticking to a previous agreement to ease their way in and out! It's interesting to note that the main problem they had was at Exeter Airport! Brittany Ferries must have loved it. The council and tourist board at the time did quite a job it getting it here and we can always say we were first.

I was only 12 at the time and was a bit bemused by the hoo hah, well that and all the free artichokes that were being given away, The only rider I had really heard of was Eddy Mercxx and that was only because he had been on Superstars!

There is a nice footnote to the piece suggesting the finish in the Champs D'Elysee is down to the Plymouth sprint. It would be nice to think that was true.

The point, Moleman, being that Plymouth was the first to host this major sporting event. I wonder what level of awareness there is across the UK of that fact? Very low I would suggest.

And its different times, I know, but the coverage for Leeds & Yorkshire (and associated tourist/revenue impacts) are on a different planet. I would suggest you only realise how poorly Plymouth markets itself when you live away for a number of years and see places with less to offer selling themselves more effectively.

Plymouth getting a bit of a hiding over the I'll fated 1970s leg. As far as I can tell there was very little blame that could be payed at the door of the city, but the ITV coverage seem to think the Yorkshire Dales will leave nobody pining for a return to Plymouth.

I wonder if anyone involved with Plymouth/SW tourism, or organising any of the major events that we've hosted, saw this, and would fancy taking that gauntlet as a challenge?

Would be amazing to lure such a massive event back to the area, and be given a chance to show what we can really do and have to offer!!