As part of the build up to the event service users, together with the hospital’s activity co-ordinators Helen and Paula, made and decorated a number of pennants representing the different jerseys to be hung up as bunting along the wall outside the hospital. A member of staff also donated a bike to be mounted on the fence, just one of hundreds of painted yellow bikes that lined the route.
On the big day the pavement lining the road outside the hospital was absolutely packed with people. Before the arrival of the riders the spectators were treated to a cavalcade of vehicles from race sponsors tossing freebies into the crowd as they drove past. There was a large cheer for the passing ‘Yorkshire Tea’ truck whilst there was also the unusual sight of a Miffy-mounted Skoda driving up the road. As excitement mounted so did the temperature and catering staff from the hospital kindly handed out bottles of ice cold water to the spectators nearest to the hospital entrance.
A sudden rise in noise from further down Ripon Road heralded the approach of the riders and suddenly they were racing past the hospital led by Fabian Cancellera. Well placed at the time was crowd favourite Mark Cavendish, who has links to Harrogate, but who was to unfortunately come off his bike just a few hundred metres further down the road.
The atmosphere was unlike anything ever experienced before at the hospital, or indeed in Harrogate. One of the service users who watched the race go by said, “It was a real privilege to be able to be part of the occasion“.