Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men 2024: Blog Series

Hertfordshire-based Breeze Champions, Bev Graham and Elaine Pry attended Stage 6 of the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men from Lowestoft to Felixstowe. Having been involved historically in both a Breeze and non-Breeze capacity, such as leading a “ride-in” through Stevenage for the Tour of Britain Women and a “lead-out” for Tour of Britain Men, Bev and Elaine were excited to witness the buzz that this year’s final stage.

When asked about highlights from the day, the Breeze Champions both mentioned how “electric” the atmosphere was amongst the crowd and that “despite not seeing that much of the physical race itself, the excitement that built up throughout the day absolutely climaxed in the final kilometres”. Both Bev and Elaine commented on the value of meeting British Cycling members of staff at the event and were also pleased to spot some other familiar faces, such as the likes of Ed Clancy OBE and Sir Mark Cavendish. They were delighted to witness Sir Mark Cavendish’s ceremony at the race finish, which left them feeling inspired to get back on their bikes and generally feeling closer connected to the sport itself.

Following the race on TV during the week, Bev and Elaine had selected their favourites to win. They were excited to see all the riders and teams in person, in particular Soudal-Quick-Step, as they were rooting for Julian Alaphilippe and Remco Evenepoel. “One of the best things about attending these races in real life is being able to walk around the team buses before the race; there’s no other sport where you feel so close to all the action!”. The pair were proud to witness Stevie Williams (Israel Premier-Tech) on the podium too, after winning the stage.

Considering their attendance to cycling races before the Tour of Britian Men 2024, Bev and Elaine were impressed by how smooth-running the day was, as well as the 750-800m distance of the final stretch to the finish line. “You could feel there was great support from East Suffolk Council and it just felt like a well-organised event overall. We got a brilliant view of the riders before they passed the finish line too, something you’re not always lucky enough to see!”.

Advice Bev and Elaine would give to people if a stage is being held in their area next year is to “Absolutely go! It’s so much for than the race itself and you’ll become indulged in the crowd's atmosphere and the build-up to the final sprint”. They also suggested that each time you attend a race, you’ll have a better idea of what to expect and therefore know which parts to “soak in” and therefore how to embrace the experience to the fullest.