Tour de France
Your questions answeredHere are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Tour de France which is coming to Gravesham on Sunday 8 July 2007.KCC Contact Centre – 08458 247 247 When is the race coming to Stage One of the race itself will be in Kent on Sunday 8 July 2007, although there are events in London on the previous two days (see Grand Depart). What is the Grand Depart? The Grand Depart refers to the whole of the first weekend of the Tour de France, which takes place this year in London and Kent. It includes: The opening ceremony on The Prologue time trial on Saturday 7 July 2007 Stage One of the race itself, which is on What is the route of the 2007 race through Kent? The 2007 Stage One route begins in London and goes through Westminster, Greenwich, Woolwich, Erith, Dartford and Gravesend. It then goes through Medway, Does it go past my house? I live at.... The full route of the Tour de France has now been published and is available by following the links from the front page of the KCC website at www.kent.gov.uk Will I be able to get into/out of my house? There will be signed diversions and we will make every effort to minimise inconvenience, but there will clearly be some disruption on the day. It is estimated that roads will be closed for around five hours on the day of the race and no traffic will be allowed on, or across, the route throughout that time. I live on the route. Will I be able to park outside my home? No. If the race goes past your house then you will, unfortunately, be asked to move your car. The whole route needs to be clear to allow the race to pass safely. Some district or parish councils may be able to help provide alternative parking for residents affected in this way. If you live on the route and have off-road parking then you will not be able to move your car from your house during the closure period. Why do you need to close the roads? The safety of the riders, the spectators and local people is vitally important to the organisers of the Tour de France. There will be nearly 200 cyclists and about 2000 vehicles in total spread out along the route. The roads have to be closed to protect everyone involved. What time will the roads be closed? Roads in Gravesham will be closed between 7am and 1pm. Why not close the roads just before the cyclists arrive? The safety of the riders, the spectators and local people is vitally important to the organisers of the Tour de France. There will be nearly 200 cyclists and about 2000 vehicles in total (including the publicity caravan) spread out along the route. The roads have to be closed to protect everyone involved. How will I get to work/church/see my granny? We will make sure that the road closures are well publicised so that you will be able to get to the 'right side' of any closure before it happens. There will be pedestrian crossing points and signed diversion routes for vehicles. Unfortunately there is bound to be some disruption but we will do our best to minimise it. I am due to get married/attend a Christening/important family event that morning. How will I get to the church? We have announced the general race route well in advance of the event in order to allow problems like this to be resolved. There will be alternative routes and we hope that they will allow people to make suitable alternative arrangements. Why are you doing all this for a French bike race? The Tour de France is a massive event that has a huge potential to attract many thousands of visitors to Kent, as well as providing a superb free spectacle for local people. The Tour will have significant economic potential for local shops, hotels and other businesses. It will also raise the profile of Kent as somewhere that is good for visitors and for business. You can't close my road! We regret any inconvenience caused to individuals but the county council is quite within its powers to close roads when it needs to. Please bear with us, enjoy the event if you can and remember that it is only for half a day. Who is organising the event? The main organiser in this country is Transport for London, acting on behalf of the Mayor of London. They are providing most of the funding and are working with the police, the county council, Kent Highways, district and parish councils and lots of other organisations to make sure the Tour is safe and successful. Why is Transport for London involved? The Mayor of London wants to raise the profile of cycling in order to boost health and fitness, improve the environment and cut the amount of cars in London, as well as raising the profile of London as a world city and a good place for events. KCC has similar ambitions for the county of Kent. Who is paying for it? Transport for London is paying the lion's share of the costs of bringing the race here. Kent County Council is also contributing, mainly by paying for the costs of closing the roads and making the route safe. The South East England Development Agency is also contributing, and most of the district and borough councils along the route have also provided funding because they can see how good it will be for promoting their area. Who owns the race? The Tour de France is owned by the Amaury Sport Organisation. The ASO is a commercial company that owns and controls the brand and the race itself. They have been, and will be, working closely with TfL and the county council and others to give London and Kent a safe, successful race. What if there's a fire in my road? How will the emergency services cope? The route has been carefully designed to make sure that the emergency services will still be able to keep the county safe and the police and emergency services have been fully involved in the planning of the event. There are plans in place to provide full cover – in an extreme situation the race would be stopped. The aim is to make sure that Kent is as safe on the day of the race as at any other time. Why is the county council wasting money on this event when there are potholes in my road? The Tour de France is a massive event that has a huge potential to attract many thousands of visitors to Kent, as well as providing a superb free spectacle for local people. The Tour will have significant economic potential for local shops, hotels and other businesses. It will also raise the profile of Kent as somewhere that is good for visitors and for business. I am a cycling fan/run a local company/belong to a cycling club. Where do I get a copy of the Tour logo to put on my shirt/marketing material/adverts? The Tour de France is one of the most closely guarded brands in the world. Even major supporters like the county council can only use certain logos in closely-defined circumstances. You can not use the tour logo or the "three box" London/Tour/Kent Grand Depart logo without the express permission of the ASO. Anyone who uses the logo in any way without permission could find themselves in serious trouble. Ring KCC's marketing manager on 01622 694243 for further advice. I have a business along the route. Can I put up a banner on the railings welcoming the Tour de France?
My business is on the route and I may have to close for the day. How do I apply for compensation? The Tour de France is a massive event that has a huge potential to attract many thousands of visitors to Kent, as well as providing a superb free spectacle for local people. The Tour will have significant economic potential for local shops, hotels and other businesses over the whole of the three day period that we anticipate will more than outweigh any loss of income over the few hours the roads will be closed. It will also raise the profile of Kent as somewhere that is good for visitors and for business. Why not think about ways in which you could use the Tour's visit to raise the profile of your business? Compensation is not payable in cases like this. I am due to travel across Kent on the day to get to a function. Where will I find the best route to avoid road closures? Specific information regarding road closures and route diversions will be available approximately six weeks prior to the race. Follow the links from the www.kent.gov.uk home page. I would like to see the prologue on the Saturday or find out more about the race in London. Who do I contact? Transport for London has two useful contact numbers that can give you useful information about the London aspects of the race. Ring their Street Management Customer Services number - 0845 305 1234 or their Central Customer Services number – 020 7222 5600
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