02/07/2014 Look North (Yorkshire)

That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me and on

Welcome to Wednesday's Look North. Tonight, I am in Knaresborough,

as Yorkshire turns yellow, with just three days to go

And it is not just Knaresborough. The centre of Huddersfield became

Have very good news for you tonight about anything other, but a tour of

Yorkshire, starting next year. We are here in Yorkshire, we are

ready to go. I am looking forward to having a massive amount of support.

Also tonight... Jasmyn's legacy ` Sheffield City

Council agrees to improve road safety on the stretch of road where

And I am delighted to be back in my old stamping ground. We will have a

detailed fool weather forecast. Join me shortly.

Welcome to a very yellow Knaresborough!

Tonight, the cyclists have arrived in Yorkshire.

Their support teams have arrived in Yorkshire and they have been met by

Tonight, the cyclists have arrived in Yorkshire.

Their support teams have arrived in Yorkshire and they have been met by

a sea of yellow. The head of the Tour de France said

today he had never seen a response like it.

We will hear from him and Chris Froome, in a moment. First, we look

It has been named as the best dressed tone. T`shirts decorated by

local schoolchildren. It triggers about 50 hours, all the space of

about a month. Is that all? That is fabulous. People have been at work

all over the town. It is just such a great opportunity, it is

once`in`a`lifetime. It is great to celebrate that unshaven with

everyone. Does it deserve its title? It is absolutely fantastic. I think

they have done a splendid job. It is official, it is the best dressed

tone for the Tour de France. But right across the region, people have

been flying the flag for the race. Known most soul than J. 1000 200

metres of punting. Even the flowers are getting ready. I feel very

proud. It just looks lovely. It is not lost on the visitors have

travelled here. It is fantastic. A typical English touch. In

Huddersfield, even the statue of Harold Wilson is getting in the

mood. Finally, to Leeds, who thought up this stunt deserves a bottle of

nice French wine. It is the highest point in the city, it is the Tour de

France. The spirit of Yorkshire has shown through with just three days

to go. One of the people who have really

promoted Le Tour in Knaresborough is the town's mayor, Councillor Tony

Handley, who joins me now. Why would you so detail in the town

would get behind the tour? At the beginning, we said, what are we

going to do. We had a meeting in the town, with over 120 people, and some

people said I am going to go away and do this, I am going to go away

and do that. I know you have been aimed at the best dressed tone. And

your own house is looking pretty special. I think it is fabulous.

Over 300 people photographed on Sunday. I just want to have a chat

with some of the youngsters. They helped with decorating. You made

your own flag continue in the town centre? Has anyone got a flag? What

does it have on it? It has a long heart. Everyone has been very

creative in the town. We got this beautiful roseate made by volunteers

with special needs and the proceeds of that will go to charity.

More from here later, but let us go to Harry now

You can probably see about eight or 9000 people watching this. This is

the annual race. Lizzie arm instead is in the weeds. The legacy we are

talking about is very special. A tour of Yorkshire will start in May

next year, a 3`D two. We will try and get information now. Adam is an

elite cyclist, who took part in the tour of Italy. What will be to de

France be like when it arrives? I think it will be a lot like the

Olympics was in London, but on an even bigger scale. I do not think

people in Yorkshire will quite realise what has had come. From your

perspective, you are just outside the elite raiders, if you do not

mind me saying. The scene here for the British raiders will be

fantastic. I am sorry, I am interrupting your comment here is

Lizzie coming round the corner. I would you assess her position? I

think she is quite safe. She is a strong sprinter, so I expect her to

get this one in the bag. What sort of atmosphere will be created when

the real event comes in. This is a small event, after all, so this

could be a small snapshot of what we can expect. This is what every town

will be like. You can imagine what the finish will be like in

aggregate. I think it will be monumentally huge. I think we will

see this all the way along the roads in Yorkshire. How close are you to

breaking into the big time? Hopefully, not too far away. What do

you `` I have to do? You simply have two when a lot of races! The racing

is a lot different, this style of racing is different. It is hard, but

if I could break into that, it would be fantastic. You can see the

women's raiders now coming round in a panic. Let us talk to the head of

the Tour de France. He says he has received a fantastic welcome in

Yorkshire. We are very excited and proud. If I did not know what

welcome to Yorkshire men, I certainly have learnt that in the

last two days. We live in Bradford `Leeds on Monday. Everything was

painted yellow. There are yellow flags, French flags, bunting

everywhere. I am really impressed. We even saw the bake on the train. I

feel passion and paid when I see people in the streets. It is very

impressive and very special. There you have it. One thing we did not

want to report on was that a drug scandal has hit the sport. Matt is

in Harrowgate know the details. Unfortunately, we do get this from

time to time. Daryl Impey From South Africa has failed a drug test and

will not take part in the tour. He wore the couple of yellow jerseys

during the tour last year, but he has been banned for using a

suspended drug. He is claiming his innocence. He says he is in shock

and Lizzie Karim raider. We talked earlier to Chris, who is a close

friend of Daryl Impey. I have not spoken to him yet, but it is a big

shock. The same can be said for Robin, right on the eve of the Tour

de France, it does not paint a good picture of sport. It is a real

shame. We did talk about more exciting and interesting fun stuff

and actors that he is here and cannot wait to get home and get out

there. They are loving being in Yorkshire and looking forward to

being well supported by the home crowd. It is a great relief to be on

the start line. You feel that months and months of preparation have gone

into this. We are here now, we are here in Yorkshire and ready to go. I

cannot wait to get a start line. It will be mass of having the support

behind us. We are looking forward to a big three`week journey. The stages

are longer than you might have been expecting. I do not know if you have

seen what is going on in town. It is out of this world. The way that

every little town and village along the route has embraced the event. It

is really special. It is great to have this kind of reception, for our

team and for me personally. To go in as defending champion have that sort

of support is special. That is the man and this was his machine. This

is the team 's scary motor home the call. We are about 35 weeks in here.

That is half ?1 million worth of Blake. Over here, here are all the

team cars, mobile dressing rooms, if you like. This is where the cultures

set, on the radios, talking tactics. If there is a problem with the bake,

they have spear makes the and they can get them. These are fantastic

vehicles. Four of them follow the race. This is the best bet, the team

bus. ?1 million worth. It even nickname, the death Star. This is

the blue line. This is the difference between winning and

losing. A look at this. This is a coach with washing machines. This is

all they can have fresh bed linen every night. Fresh polls. Everyone

knows, to have a good day, you good day good nights sleep. This is what

they talk about when the main marginal gains.

Let us get the rest of the day's news now.

Sheffield City Council has said it will build a new crossing on a road

where a 14`year`old girl was killed in a hit and run accident.

Jasmyn Chan died on Normanton Hill two months ago.

A petition calling for more safety measures was presented to the

council this afternoon. Tom Ingall has the story.

A call for action, not from one voice, but 12,000. This is just

yards away from clear Jasmyn Chan was killed in a hit`and`run

accident. It left the community devastated. Other individuals have

got involved and said that sooner or later, a problem with the car.

Jasmyn Chan Was struck by a car returning from the park. It is no

two months since the tragedy. The flowers have been taken away to be

replaced by a single tree. The council will no install a pedestrian

controlled crossing and put more signage on the road. The police will

also enforce the 30 male and our zone. We will pretend this

pedestrian crossing as soon as possible. It will take a bit of

time, I think people will understand that. Among the campaigners, the

grandmother of the general that Jasmyn

Childcare is particularly important, especially for women, although it

helps Yorkshire and I am looking forward

to going myself and seeing some of the race. It will be magnificent and

I will do everything to promote it, apart from wearing lycra!

Former world champion cyclist Beryl Burton has been posthumously awarded

Freedom of the City in Leeds. Beryl, who lived in Morley, won seven world

titles and set numerous records in the 1950s and ?60s, often racing

against, and beating, men. She died in 1996 at the age of 58.

Her family came to Leeds to collect the civic honour on her behalf.

by it all and very honoured. It does by it all and very honoured. It does

not happen to everybody. She has got it and that is the main thing.

Three days and counting. And today, the global media circus

following Le Tour arrived in Yorkshire.

Writers, photographers and film crews got their first impressions of

just how ready we are for the world's biggest cycle race.

Ribbon`cutting is just about compulsory at events such as these.

Yorkshire terriers are optional! It seems that most of the media in

France has descended here. Lovely place. I came here as a child. I

have been trying to learn English. I arrived last night. It was

beautiful. We have been building up to it, they have been building up to

it over the. This is the look and Yorkshire according to France.

Basically, the away kit and the other very welcome.

So, what will the world make of Yorkshire?

Through Le Tour's coverage, millions of people will see our beautiful

countryside, but what else will foreign journalists be focusing on?

Tony Hannan is an author and social commentator.

You have written a book about being from Yorkshire. I think we get an

undeserved reputation from the outside of being a bit glum and

downbeat, but you only have to be here to see that is not the case.

All going to be about the sport or is the other aspects? Obviously,

people will take a great memories, from the landscapes. There are all

the cultural aspects of it. When you look round Yorkshire, it is not just

about sport, it is about is about history, television, music, beer.

People coming here will have a wheel of a time. What is the one thing

they will take away? As I say, we have a reputation for being

downbeat, which is not true, but we are really very friendly place and

that is what people will take away. They will remember the great people

of Yorkshire. Thank you for joining us.

Final rehearsals are taking place ahead of the Grand Depart opening

ceremony tomorrow night. It is the first time the Tour has

had an opening ceremony on such a grand scale, but then, it is also

the first time it has started in Yorkshire.

It is also been masterminded by the man behind the 2012 Olympic

ceremonies. Olivia Richwald got a sneak preview.

Rehearsals ahead of the opening ceremony. This is going to be a

spectacle. West Yorkshire band embrace all the headline act.

There are 200 performance in total. It has been planned by the same man

who coordinated the Olympic opening ceremony. We want to raise the bar

on how the event starts. We are taking it to a live audience around

the world. We want to reflect the warm and very modern Yorkshire

welcome. Much of the music has been written especially for the event.

This was an opportunity to do something a bit different. It is too

easy to do something pretty predictable, but we want to set the

bar a bit higher. It is the first time such an ambitious opening

ceremony has been staged, but this is Yorkshire. This is how we are

heading into two or history. The centrepiece of the tour is of

course, the men in lycra. The will cycle into the opening ceremony

here. It will be beamed around the world. Harry and I will be here. I

cannot wait. Did you know that Paul Hudson actually comes from here?

Let me show you the pictures you have sent me. This first one is

absolutely magnificent. That came in from Huddersfield. This is a

magnificent cake. A look at this, two guinea pigs on eBay. And look at

this, the Eiffel Tower has come to Sheffield. If you want to get in

touch, here are all the contact details. Onto the weather forecast,

no change from the forecast last night. Stage one for Saturday, we

are still expecting some rain at first. It should clear in the late

morning and give us some sunshine in the afternoon. For Sunday, a sunny

start, but it will cloud over as the day progresses and it could lead to

some heavy showers in the afternoon. But it could be a lot worse. A lot

more cloud than I thought on the forecast yesterday. It could be

bringing us the odd spot of rain overnight. A very mild night, with

low temperatures of 14 Celsius. A different feel tomorrow, he mostly

cloudy day to come, with the cloud producing brain, particularly across

the north of the region to start with, but spreading into from west

to east in much of the region during the course of the day. High

temperatures of 21 Celsius round about the Leeds area. A bit cooler

in the North. On Friday, a great start, but the rain spreading from

the West into the evening. An enemy Ken, as I have said, some rain at

first on Saturday, may be coming later on the Sunday. I will be back

with you tomorrow night. Thank you, we