Reasons to like Cambridge

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-26564061 Boo to the tour de France.....OMG the roads will be bedlam and a good excuse to stay in bed but I do love our skill at knitting and yarn bombing. Woo hoo!

Huzzah to the Tour is what I say! Great to have an international event in our backyard.

Other reasons to like Cambridge: Science Week. I am a non-scientist but have learned loads via this event over the years. It's free and all.

I also think the Tour in Cambridge is a great thing. Even if you dislike it then it is only for one day.

Some other reasons to like Cambridge:

Incredible historical architecture (just LOOK at the collages)
The history of so many sciencey things being discovered right here,
Lots of open space and commons, often with cows grazing right in the city centre,
The countryside is easily accessible,
Getting to London is a doddle via the train,
Lots of real ale pubs,
Comparatively safe,
A very good MP,
Pete UM.

The ASO - the organisation that runs the Tour - has existed for more than 110 years; they've become rather good at doing it with as little disruption as possible. Of course, there will be some disruption: the Tour is the biggest annual sports event in the world, considerably larger than the World Cup and comparable to the Olympics (but less than you think: Parkside will be shut most of the day, but elsewhere the race uses rolling road closures - and because the Tour moves at high speed, they're re-opened very quickly). As a result, it'll attract something like 400,000 to half a million people to Cambridge, and a large percentage of those people are going to buy food and souvenirs and need hotel rooms, pumping a massive amount of money into the city. So one day of disruption is a pretty good trade-off, really.

Anyone going to 'Is Monogamy Dead?' on Weds evening at CB2's?

no i will be to busy bed hopping! Well OK drumming then

I think the Tour is a great thing for Cambridge. We might be world-class in academia, but we’re a piss-poor town for sport (Cambridge United?).

In addition,
There’s all that parkland and green space. When we get a teeny a bit of sun, it feels like you’re on holiday.
SO much going on, all the time. If you’re ever in any doubt, visit a railing near the market square. It’ll be covered in posters for LOADS of stuff.
The Science Festival, the Festival of Ideas, the Wordfest, the Film Festival.
Strawberry Fair. Remember it is run by a gang of unpaid volunteers. That’s pretty amazing.
Lots of weird little museums.

the race uses rolling road closures

Of course not. The powers-that-be of Cambridge would never miss an opportunity like that! Just imagine how many car drivers they can piss off: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Tour-de-France-24-hour-road-closu...

It has secret garden parties

But it also has Bigmal.