Hi, I am coming out of lurking to ask for help. I have a friend coming to visit from Belgium the weekend of Strade Bianche. We are both huge fans of pro racing, so we don't want to miss the race but we don't want to have be holed up somewhere to watch it when he has so little time in Edinburgh. Since we're both fond of a beer or three a pub seems the logical choice, but are there any that would be showing the race?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help
Is there a pub in Edinburgh that shows live cycling races?
(13 posts)- Started 2 years ago by Midnightknitter
- Latest reply from fimm
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Posted 2 years ago #
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The Tourmalet bar in Leith, or the Ventoux in Tollcross, are your best bets I reckon.
Posted 2 years ago # -
My husband and his friend went to the Ventoux once, in the hope of watching a Vuelta (I think) stage. They asked the man behind the bar if they were showing it. He had no idea what they were talking about.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Reckon you might struggle to find somewhere showing cycling on a Saturday afternoon. Ventoux might be cycling themed, but the couple of times I've been there it never felt like a cycling kind of place - or that nice, to be honest.
I suppose you could try some multi-screened sports bar and ask them to put it on, or chance your luck with somewhere quiet that might be amenable to changing the channel.
Sorry, appreciate that's not a great help.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Tourmalet bar does show cycling live on the screen there. Or it did.
Posted 2 years ago # -
we need a look mum no hands branch up here.
I stopped in a few times when I was in London. Once they 'fixed' a puncture on a freezing cold day (after I had walked to Old street from Stoke Newington as nothing else was open), only for me to discover when I came to leave work that they had replaced the wrong tube, but helpfully pumped up the flat one so that it got me from Old st to Whitehall).
But always hankered to visit for a burger and beer and bike themed entertainment.
Posted 2 years ago # -
For the last couple of years I've facebook messaged Tourmalet before each grand tour and have received the message back that their projector is [still] broken. Would be nice if some others also applied pressure. I'd love to go watch the queen stage of a big race with some fellow cycling fans.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I should add that I've had conversations about cycling with the staff in the Tourmalet before and they knew their stuff. Just depends who you get I suppose.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I know it's not really the same but what about taking an ipad with a gcn+/eurosport subscription to a pub with good wifi and watching it there.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Thanks so much everyone for the replies. I didn't think that there would be anywhere, but it's still a bit disappointing to have it confirmed. The tablet in the pub option is the best one although watching Strade on a tiny screen feels very wrong.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I remember a few years back I did the Forth and Tay Audax the day after Strade Bianche. The second control was at a Bike Shop in Auchterarder that also did excellent coffee and cake.
The Highlights of the previous day were on a big screen and I do remember dwelling more than I should, as the race was absolutely captivating. It isn't long enough to be a Monument, but epic in every other way - perhaps my favourite race of the year.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I was in Tourmalet last night and started chatting with the barman/manager as he was wearing an FDJ hat. After a quick discussion about Paris-Nice he told me that they would be showing the classics this year in the bar.
I asked him about other races. In particular I was interested in seeing key stages from grand tours. He said that they don't have a proper licence so need to be careful not to break any rules. They are allowed to show individual days and it's worth their while doing it if 6 people request it. Normally they will try and show the Ventoux and Tourmalet stages of TDF. The obvious candidate this year is the super Plange des Belle Files stage.
Anyway, hope to see some of you in the bar.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Good info, Wout Van Aerthur Seat, thank you.
This seems an appropriate place to say that I like your forum name...Posted 2 years ago #
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