Tour of Britain cycle Race stage 4 . Start in Atherstone and Bedworth ride through.

THIS VIDEO
This ongoing Video Diary by myself John Neal, sometimes known as John Longcroft-Neal, as the whim takes me.

TODAY’S SUBJECT about the Tour of Britain Cycle Race stage 4 . Start in Atherstone and Bedworth ride through.

GENERAL STUFF
I am retired from two careers of primary school teaching when I was deputy head of a Middle School and Primary School, and as a self employed Chalkboard Artist from 2002 until I reached the grand old age of 65 in 2016. Since I retired it’s like a second childhood but with more expensive toys.

I have written a book ‘Cursive Handwriting for Adults’
published by Ulysses Press and can be purchased from:

AMAZON UK

AMAZON USA

Gear that I use:
DJI Mini 3 Drone.
Iphone 15 Pro for camera, generally front facing so I can see myself in frame. Super quality especially if I keep the lens clean.
Go Pro11
Sony IC recorder

Insta x3 360 camera

Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone

SE mini microphone to do voice over on computer
Video editing with Final Cut Pro X
Ulanzi monopod / tripod MT-71

My bike is a e28.9 Estarli electric bike.

https://www.estarli.co.uk/

Money from ARTWORK SOLD will go to the MONA FOUNDATION
for details see https://www.monafoundation.org

I am a follower of the Bahá’i Faith and some of my philosophical ideas may show through in comments that I make, but, by and large, I’ll not make direct reference to my beliefs.

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/131048357093583
See www.bahá’i.org

I play guitar and write songs and have written about 14 songs for the local BBC radio station. I run a weekly (weakly) evening Acoustic session at a local pub and have been doing so for 14 years now.
Much of the music I use on this channel is taken from epidemicsound.com free to use on Youtube for a reasonable monthly fee, and sometimes I suffer you with my own music.

To hear my Bahá’i INSPIRED SONGS, (and others) GO TO:
https://soundcloud.com/jrwren/sets/bahai-inspired-songs

I now have three Facebook Pages
MUSIC
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574964972375

ART WORK
https://www.facebook.com/Johnnealartist/

Well, good morning. It’s uh John Neil here. It’s Friday the 5th of September, 2025. And yeah, I’m in the car. I’m going to Averton because today I’m not going on a bike ride. I’m going to let the professionals do it because today is I think it’s one of the stages of the Tour of Britain cycle race. So, it’s uh what’s the time? It’s only 10 8 now. So, I’m going to get there in good time to a good place to park and uh have a good day. And the sun’s shining, too. Look at this. Fantastic. See you there. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Whoa. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s get back to the man in the street. Right. Well, I’ve made it and I’ve parked up and uh yeah, it’s on the radio. People are getting quite excited. I’ve seen a few um uh motorbikes. The out rididers are going to uh accompany the tour of Britain’s cycle race and they’ve cloned the main street now. So, yeah, it’s all happening. Yeah, looking forward to this. The main street in Adon is closed. Um and there’s not a lot happening yet. It’s a little bit early. So I’ll go along here and turn right and go towards market square on central news like it did last been given a Lord’s tour of Britain booklet a booklet for the race and uh I’m approaching the the main market square and it’s all set up here already. Wow. Back at the main street. Well, I’m wandering down the main street of Aliston, which is now completely closed, but there’s cones down and lots of officials in high viz jackets. And I’m told that there’s some of the uh team coaches are down here, which is where I want to get. Let’s see some of the preparations that are taking place. Yeah. [Music] Morning chaps. Morning. Nice day for it. better than yesterday. Yeah. Criy. So, who who are you to do this? Are you employed by anybody? Volunteers or what? We’re employed by British Cycling. We’re we’re group called the National Escort Group. We do major races. We also do local races, cycle races. It’s all cycle races and we get involved with other things. I take me out after you cuz when I see you out and about on the road, it’s uh a bit hairy sometimes. The worst The worst was actually when we were going doing a two-hour transfer two nights ago and it was the Yeah, that was quite the heavy Oh, yeah. We’ve had some rain, haven’t we? Yeah. Look, we’re okay today though. Yeah. Hopefully. It was all right yesterday. It started off a bit dried up. Yeah. What’s the total distance today? It’s 190 kilometers, which is in old money. 130 mi. 130 mi. Rather than the me. Well, it’s not particularly a long day for them. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Thanks. I’ll let you get on. [Music] There’s so many coppers here from all over the place. There’s one from Devon and Cornwall and one fellow from Cheshire I was just talking to says he’s got to get down to uh Wales tonight. Amazing. Oh yeah. Going to be a good day. Day is dry. It’s always a good day. Yeah. is nice and dry. Yesterday we managed to keep it stayed dry day before when we transferred from one hotel to finish line to hotel. Absolutely now. Still trying out with boots now. Oh god. But yeah, it’s he’ll be a good day. It’s dry. You come from far? Uh West Yorkshire. Wow. So we’re all over West Yorkshire. Yeah. Next from Gap. He’s Sur from Gatwick. All over the place. Yeah. We meet up every couple times a year. It’s always good. Yeah. Well, as long as nothing goes wrong, it’s the main thing, ain’t it? Yeah. Well, that’s always the main thing. Yeah. I must admit it’s um it’s a huge task to get it all organized and cry. I mean, I live locally and thinking, you got to get all these road closed and keep people back and make it safe. People don’t like it either. Get really upset when we book a road. So, that just proves you can’t please all the people all the time. We need to get ready on all the time. I’ll see you tomorrow. Cheers, mate. Well, things are getting busy and even some of the team cars are on the main street here in Aston. Where can I go? [Applause] Ladies and gentlemen, we are desperately trying to fix the electricity issue at the moment, but I’m going to become the new Apple town crier. So, please make some noise for Annie Coll. [Applause] We have Paris and Wood future stars their debut in this home tour including Garanty and Stannard and Ethan hater to name but three. In front of you this morning, we have Ben Wiggins, Hub Jones, Matthew Mustafa, Joshua Donica, Josh Charles, and standing next to me, the King of the Mountains and the Combativity Award winner from yesterday, Ben Chilton have taken 20 stage wins, but they have won the race just once back in 2013, Mr. Bradley Wiggins. All eyes perhaps on the man who’s final onto the stage, Garant Thomas, as he finishes his racing career in Cardiff. But Garant, if I can just step in here. So, uh, on the stage we have Andrew August, Lucas Hamilton, Tim Runsman, Sam Watson, Ben Swift on my right, and Garrett Thomas on my left. Ben, you joined Team Sky in 2010. And I know that you were racing with this gentleman here a little bit earlier in 2007. Lots of time on the t team bus. We all know that Garrett’s professional racing career is coming to an end this weekend. What is the legacy that will be left in your opinion? I think what he’s done, what he’s achieved throughout his career, he’s pretty much won everything in the sport. You know, he’s uh he’s been a big part of my career as well. He’s he’s that little bit older than me, so it’s over. And and will it will his number always be on speed dial for those bits of advice that you need and to to look up to perhaps someone that you may see as a mentor? Yeah, I’ll keep it in the favorites. Might not always answer his calls, but Gar, it is your home tour, isn’t it? Finishing in Cardiff, of course, on Sunday. I know we’ve spoken a few of the mornings, but tell people how it feels. Are are you even prepared for the end yet? Uh, not really. You don’t really think about it when you’re still racing. you know, you still got a job to do. Like these boys are still going super well and I need to do my bit for them. You know, I can’t just ride around and wave to people. So, still got a job to do. But, uh, yeah, I think once I cross that line in Cardiff and see friends and family, I’ll probably when it hits home that I won’t be doing this again, which is kind of weird after that 19 years. But, I’m also happy though. It’s the right time to start now. Like the Grenadas team and get Thomas everyone. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Garren Thomas, a world famous athlete uh on the track. He uh won the cycling world championships in 2007,8 and 12 and two Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012. And on the road, he won the tour to France in 2018. The bloke is a star. Are you ready? In 10 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. So off they go. That’s six riders in each team. There’s 19 teams. That’s 114 riders going on this 112 mile race from Adston winding round war ending up at Burton Dass. Hey, Julia. Here’s a closeup of the start of the route. They’ve come from Atherston at the top here and then they go to Hartzill onto Chapel End along to Galley Common to Ansley roundabout and that part of the route is very special to me because I used to cycle that route up and down those hills on my way to Bedworth when I taught there. However, they are going to be meandering over towards Shustto, Max Stoke, Filong Lee and then on towards Bedworth where I hope to catch them up. So, I better get going. Well, that was very good. And I think I’ve caught everything I wanted to, including that interview with Garrett Thomas, which was excellent. And I got the start of the race. Um, all I got to do now is see if I can buzz down to Bedworth and catch it sort of halfway through the race really. Well, Bedworth Methodist Church proves I’m here. But let me go and see what’s going on up the road here. There he is. Here I am. How you doing? You watch my videos? Yeah, absolutely. I’m doing one now. Oh, yeah. For the uh the cycle race. Yeah, that’s coming on. So, I got you you’re doing all the on the GoPro. That’s the one. Thanks for watching. Yeah. H. I don’t know if you caught that. Somebody watched my videos. Yeah. Ah, this looks very nice. It’s uh market day in Bedworth. Look at this. I think I’ve not brought it to Bed before now. And our uh one of the nice things about bed is the arms houses which are here. Hi Bobby. All right. There’s Bobby. I know him from uh from Nenet Market. Oh, this is all going well so far. Didn’t realize the market was on. Makes the place look lively, doesn’t it? Which is good. It’s looking promising because I can see some crowds on this corner and this the corner is going to be good for the uh the cyclist to come round. uh just down by the police station in Bedworth and uh yeah, I think it’s going to work. There was considerable early excitement as the police with uh lights and horns going were trying to close the road and these vehicles like this white car had to disappear up what was a a culdeac next to the police station. And then just before the first of the riders turned up, a bus appears which they had to get rid of as well. And then just in the nick of time, the first of the riders came through. This breakaway group were about 4 minutes ahead of the main pelaton. I was watching the progress of the race on my iPhone on YouTube so I knew where the Pelaton was. And here they come. [Music] Here they come. [Music] [Applause] [Music] If you’re wondering what all the whistling is, this lady with the flag on the road furniture has a whistle that she has to blow as well as wave the flag. And then all the team cars come through with the mechanics, the spare bikes, and the road managers, followed by more outr rididers, more policemen, more team cars. And then there’s a police car followed by some ambulances and would you believe just for safety sake Well, I think that will do me if I got to stick to my schedule. I get it back to the car and get home. You know, as I just saying, it’s like a carnival. It’s going very quickly. And all these cars about to be shoved up here and a bus. That that bus was hilarious. Not in the thick of it. There are actually some people who don’t know what’s going on and uh they’ve just been uh siphoned up this street to close this the road and they’re looking a bit amused. In fact, I caught one cham swearing at somebody when a regular one of the race cars came through and he says, “I can’t get down.” Anyway, there you go. I think I’ll I’ll call it quits there. Thanks for watching. That was very exciting. Don’t know who’s going to win, but uh that uh breakaway group, about four of them, were well ahead. was almost 5 minutes which was ages but what a great spectacle to see the whole pelaton come flying through and uh it’s great for war it’s great for Adon it’s great for Bedworth and all the other places they’re going to so and it’s been an absolutely lovely day as well look at this fantastic right okay thanks a lot thanks for watching and yeah you’ll see me next time. Bye-bye. [Music]