item, four traffic cones

[incandescens]

One of my coworkers is minding four traffic cones as part of the Tour de France route, and will be taking next week off as partial vacation, partial preparation/briefing/training/whatever. We have all been teasing her muchly, in between expressing our deep envy and demanding photographs.

Comments

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

To make sure no one walks off with them? One person for four traffic cones: my but the Tour is lavish with its loot.

Possibly I should have asked before, but what's the Tour de France doing in Britain? Has it become the Tour d'EU?

[incandescens]

I think it's more in the sense of making sure they (the cones, that is) stay in position and watching that section of road for problems.

Apparently the Tour occasionally does starting stages abroad. Various places competed for the honour of hosting the starting stages this year, and Yorkshire apparently came out on top. Maybe it was the convenient combination of hills and dales. :)

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

And then they cycle through the Chunnel to France?

[incandescens]

No, though one feels they really should.

There's a certain amount of "scenic ride, then overnight off-road hop by car" in the route. It goes as follows:

5 July: Leeds – Harrogate
6 July: York – Sheffield
7 July: Cambridge – London

and then:
8 July: Le Touquet-Paris-Plage – Lille

I think a similar thing happens in France. That is, the day's section is between specific towns, and then there is a bit of offstage being moved on to the next section by vehicle overnight, or during a rest day.