THE TOUR de France will pass through Hackney this year. Competitors will nip along Ruckholt Road, Eastway and Waterden Road in Hackney Wick then through the Olympic Park Stratford E20 2ST before continuing towards central London for the final sprint in The Mall.

The 159km third stage will start in Cambridgeshire, passing through Essex, Walthamstow, Hackney and Newham, before ending in central London on Monday 7 July 2014.

The cyclists shown above waiting for the scramble through a busy Dalston junction (some dressed in yellow, ho-ho) might think they already see enough race drama. And some people might say “Young guys on drugs pedalling around Hackney – what’s new?”

Yet it is a coup for the borough, capitalised on by local Mayor Jules Pipe, who described the borough as  “the capital’s No 1 borough for cycling”, overlooking that it is also the capital’s No 1 borough for serious cycling injuries.

Hackney council adds: “The London section of the tour is being managed by TfL, the GLA and London and Partners.”  TFL on its website acknowledges also the London Mayor, Boris Johnson. The council does not. Somehow, Hackney could not find it in itself to mention the Tory would-be leader.

David Altheer 310314 

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