David Parkin on tackling the Tour de France route in style

I’M feeling fresh after completing the route of the first stage of the Tour de France in Yorkshire last Sunday.

In a Bentley.

A drop-top electric blue Bentley Continental GT to be exact. Thanks to JCT600 who hosted a rally of 30 of the beautiful machines setting off from outside Harewood House and ending up circled in the courtyard of Ripley Castle.

What an experience. A lack of sun cream meant I had to don a baseball cap but it was strategically removed when driving through Ilkley and Harrogate just in case there were any big hitters taking a Sunday stroll who might spot me.

To be honest the last time someone spotted me in a Vauxhall Corsa they opined: “You’re doing well for yourself.”

The impressive convoy of gleaming Bentleys included 20 customers of JCT600 as well as Welcome to Yorkshire’s Y30 corporate partners preceding the world’s leading cyclists who tackle Stage One of the famous race on July 5.

And as you might expect, Bentley drivers tend to be characters. It was nice to catch up with Paul Snook, chairman of debt recovery business Winterhill Largo. To be fair, I nearly didn’t recognise him without his chauffeur.

I hadn’t seen Paul since he gave me a lift in his Bentley Arnage all of 100 yards from Sous le Nez to Restaurant Bar & Grill in Leeds.

After a running battle with an orange camper van through the Dales, Paul informed me over a sandwich lunch on the lawn of Ripley Castle that he’s thinking of packing it all in because the world of insolvency has become so dull and quiet.

With his bear-like frame and flamboyant flowing locks, he cuts an imposing figure, looking like a retired rock star. The corporate world has a shrinking number of characters so I hope Paul reconsiders.

I complimented him on his sleek grey car. “I used to own that one over there too,” he said, pointing at a midnight blue convertible.

“But it was difficult to justify having two Bentleys,” he added, I had a similar dilemma when I bought my second pair of golf shoes recently.

Another of the drivers was the charming Ken Brook-Chrispin, chairman of Seabrooks Crisps. Since he stepped back from the day-to-day running of the family business Ken looks very relaxed, almost like he has just stepped off a yacht in the Med. That is highly likely.

He’d had to borrow a Bentley from JCT600 for the rally as his is in Monaco, where he will be this weekend, enjoying the Grand Prix.

Ken’s navigator was genial Grant Thornton partner Neil Sengupta who I’m sure had designs on being a co-driver until he forgot his driving licence.

We stopped for coffee on the terrace of Simonstone Hall near Hawes and then set off again. What strikes you most is that the villages in the Dales have totally embraced Le Tour in a way that Yorkshire’s bigger cities are only just starting to.

Every village, every pub, every campsite, every car park, had yellow bikes on the walls and signs welcoming visitors to enjoy the world’s biggest annual sporting event with them.

JCT600, which has already played a starring role in the official caravan of the Tour de France, providing specially liveried Grand Départ Golf Cabriolets, used last week’s rally to raise funds for its chosen charity for 2014, the Association of Young People with ME (AYME).

“Like much of the county, we’re really excited that Yorkshire will soon be welcoming the world’s greatest cycle race,” said Michael Carr, general manager of JCT600 Leodis Court.  “However, many of our customers prefer to travel in style on four wheels rather than two, so we organised this more leisurely tour, taking in the beauty of the Yorkshire countryside the cyclists will ride through, but travelling in comfort in one of Britain’s best-loved and most luxurious cars.”

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “As one of our Y30 corporate partners, we work closely with JCT600 to champion Yorkshire and we were delighted to join forces with them once again to co-host this stylish tour-themed event.”

It really was a grand day out.

There was only one problem.

Too many cyclists.

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IT was more cycling on Wednesday when we teamed up with law firm Walker Morris to host an event bringing a renowned cycling commentator to give an insider’s guide to the Tour de France to an audience of business leaders.

David Harmon is an engaging, entertaining and energetic speaker and his knowledge helped those of us who knew little or nothing about the event really feel like we can be part of it in July.

It was interesting to hear him give his views on Sir Bradley Wiggins, a man who doesn’t appear to have that many friends on the cycling circuit.

Over coffee before the event I was chatting to Brendan Guilfoyle of P&A Partnership, an insolvency expert who has carved a niche in sorting out over-spending football clubs. We were joined by Darren Forshaw of turnaround and investment house Endless and the talk moved from football to cycling to cars.

Well Land Rover Defenders to be exact.

Brendan is certainly an enthusiast for these sturdy beasts and it seems Darren’s felow Endless founder Garry Wilson now has one, complete with his firm’s logo on.

Apparently there are several places in Yorkshire where they will soup up these 4x4s to create off-road monsters.

I’m sure that 30 years ago these two would have been comparing their Raleigh Choppers. Well Darren must have had one on the mean streets of Merseyside.

Brendan probably had a penny farthing.

But next month he’ll need more than his old bike when he tackles a formidable cycling challenge.

He is cycling 180 miles continously around a lake in Sweden on a midsummer night along with 22,000 other participants, the largest cycle ride (sportive) in Europe.

Last year Brendan cycled to Paris – 180 miles over three days, to raise my money for rehabilitation services for his tetraplegic son, Sam, but this is one step beyond.

“I am the first to acknowledge that I am too heavy for a road bike, at 100 kilos and with the prospect of 15 hours-plus in the saddle there is every prospect for pain and suffering,” he said.

To support his fantastic efforts go to: www.bmycharity.com/BrenVatternrundan2014

Have a great weekend.