The 101st Tour will forever be remembered … not just because it commemorated the start of the First World War, taking in many of the battlegrounds in the North of France, but also because this was the year that Yorkshire claimed the tour for it’s own. The welcome there was extraordinary, as was the weather: fair! Which is more than can be said for our time in the Alps (very cold, very wet – biblical downpours) and the Pyrenees (searing, debilitating heat, enduring Category 1 and HC climbs in 40 degrees centigrade) where the weather tested us all to our limits and made this a very tough tour for those riding the mountains.
But the tour will also be remembered for the participation of Monty Wates – the first of William’s brothers to complete the entire route as a ‘Lifer’ (his brothers and father all take part each year for at least one stage each) and the extraordinary fundraising tally which took us to £515,000 this year alone – a staggering achievement made possible by the phenomenal dedication of our riders and their commitment to the WWMT.