Portfolio holder for Cultural Services going the full distance to promote The Tour

28.07.2010

With the Norfolk stage of The Tour of Britain cycle race under two months away, Norfolk County Council's lead political spokeperson for the race is going the full distance in familiarising himself with the route and promoting the event's visit to the county.

The UK's biggest live sporting event heads across the county on Thursday September 16, with around 100 of the world's leading professional cyclists vying for the yellow jersey for winning the Norfolk stage.

Seven weeks before the race, on July 30 and 31, Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Cultural Services, Derrick Murphy, will tackle the one hundred and seventeen mile route and whilst the competition for the finish line may not be as fierce as in September, a number of other councillors and public figures will ensure there's some healthy competition along the way.

Cllr Murphy will also be spurred on by the sponsorship that he is collecting for St Edmund's Community Foundation School in King's Lynn, where he is a governor.

Setting off at 8.30am from the start point of the race in Tuesday Market Place in King's Lynn, Cllr Murphy will tackle the stage of the route as far as Cromer on Friday July 30, before setting off the following day, Saturday July 31, along the remainder of the route from Cromer to the finish line in Great Yarmouth (pictured).

The Leader of the Green group at Norfolk County Council, Philip Hardy, will be cycling the whole route with Cllr Murphy, as will County Councillor for Cromer and former Mayor of the town, Hilary Thompson.

King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Sports, Arts and Open Spaces, Elizabeth Nockolds, will do part of the route with the group when they set off from Tuesday Market Place.

Having stopped over in Cromer on the Friday night, the group will call into Norwich on Saturday, with Peter Wilson, Chief Executive of Norwich Theatre Royal, Richard Bearman, County Councillor for Mancroft, and Fiona Williamson, County Councillor for Lakenham, all joining the group outside The Forum at 2.30pm, before riding with them for some of the route.

Expecting to reach the finish line in Great Yarmouth at around 6.30pm to 7pm, Cllr Murphy is also in the process of arranging local councillors and figures from the borough to meet them at the end of their journey.

Councillor Murphy, said:

"For some time now I've been endorsing the benefits that The Tour of Britain is going to bring to our county and there is no better way for me to know all about the route than to do it myself, whilst raising money for a good cause.

"My wife and I have circumnavigated Norfolk by bike in the past and I cycle on a regular basis, but even so, this is a route that has been picked with professional cyclists in mind, so it will be a challenge.

"On September 16, the riders are expected to do the full route in around four to four and half hours, but I'll be splitting it over two days and doing it at much more of a leisurely pace; to allow me, and those joining me to take in as many of the sights and sounds that the route has also been chosen to highlight."