Tour de France/Tour de Fleece 2021 Stage 4

The Cycling: Stage 4 is 150.4km and starts in Redon and ends in Fougeres.  The lady who caused the big crash on Saturday, Stage 1, has still not been found. Virtually flat terrain today. The riders staged a bit of a protest with regards to safety and how many big crashes have occurred already in the form of a go-slow at the start of the race. Mark Cavendish won the stage.  

Team Challenge: "It is a flat stage today as the riders travel 150km from Redon to Fougères with a speedy section in the medieval town of Vitré.  Of course, no medieval town is complete without its own fairy-tale castle and Château de Vitré is it.

Today's challenge is to spin your favourite fibre; the fluff that you have been coveting, the top that you can't stop touching.  Now is the time to make your dreams come true!".

What I planned to do and what I achieved: Once again, I am not doing the challenge but I spun all day to finish up the Welsh Hill Speckled Face and the last skein is a little less than 125g but is 280m, which adds another 840m to the team total (280m for each single, there's of 2 of them, and then another 280m for the ply).  I've washed all 3 skeins and they are now on the hanging drier.

A close up of of the Welsh Hill Speckled Face on the drier

Tour de France/Tour de Fleece 2021 Stage 3

The Cycling: Stage 3 is 182.9km and starts in Lorient and ends in Pontivy.  Two category 4 climbs on the route today. There were a number of crashes towards the end of the stage, with one mid-peleton crash just 4km out from the finish line and a final crash bringing two riders down just 150m from the finish line. Tim Merlier won the stage.  

Team Challenge: "The finishing destination for Stage 3 is Pontivy, a town with a lot of cycling heritage, a river and a canal.  It has also had a bit of an identity crisis over the years having being called Pontivy (twice), Napoléonville (twice), and Bourbonville. 'Pontivy' harks back to a Lindisfarne monk named Ivy who built a bridge over the river (Pont d'Ivy or Ivy's bridge).

Today's challenge: spin something a bit watery.  It could be Aquarius, Glitzy Ocean, something Aqua or a bolt from the blue.  Extra kudos if you can produce a very tenuous link connecting your definitely-not-water-coloured fluff to water".

What I planned to do and what I achieved: I carried on spinning the second skein of Welsh Hill Speckled Face and finished plying it. I've measured it at 281m/125g, which means another 843m is added to the team final total.  The most tenuous link to the challenge that I can come up is that sheep drink water.

Today's skein forefront with yesterday’s skein in the background.

Tour de France/Tour de Fleece 2021 Stage 2

The Cycling: Stage 2 is 183.5km and starts in Perros-Guirec and ends in Mur-de-Bretagne.  The supporter who caused the crash yesterday is still in hiding but is being sought by the ASO with a possibility of taking legal action against her. Today there are 6 lower category climbs than yesterday and an uphill finish. Mathieu van der Poel won the stage.  

Team Challenge: "Today the race leaves Perros-Guirec, a pretty town known for its striking pink granite.  If you got off to a rocky start yesterday then it is time for a clean slate.  Your challenge today is to spin a characterful yarn using rocks and minerals as your inspiration.  You can use colour, texture or both.  

Let's see what sort of gems you can hew from your fibre.  (Okay, no more puns today)"

What I planned to do and what I achieved: Again, I'm not in a position to spin anything for the optional challenge but I did manage to ply my first skein of Welsh Hill Speckled Face this morning.  I have measured it and its 308m/124g of 2ply sport weight, which means that is 924m towards the team final amounts.  I won't wash it until all 3 skeins are complete. I have started spinning the next skein too.

The skein I plied this morning.  It will be washed once I have spun all 3 skeins.

Tour de France/Tour de Fleece 2021 Stage 1

The Cycling: Stage 1 is 197.8km and starts in Brest and ends in Landerneau.  There were 6 classified climbs on the route.  There were a few small crashes in the early stages of the race that were of little consequence before a supporter on the side of the road was so engrossed with playing to the cameras with a big sign that she failed to pay attention to or be aware of the peloton that she got in the way and the vast majority of the peloton was brought down.  Not all of the riders were able to continue with the Tour and had to pull out of the competition without completing a single stage of the race and the supporter ran off and is currently in hiding.  Julian Alaphilippe won the stage.

Team Challenge: "Welcome to stage one, everyone!  They say that half the challenge is turning up, so the rest of this should be a breeze.

Sylvain Chavanel holds the record for the greatest number of Tour de France races participated in.  He started 18 and finished 16, which is quite an achievement.

Today the cyclists have a course that is looking a little hilly with a few impressive gradients and just like that we have a seamless link in to today's challenge: Spin a gradient!"

What I planned to do and what I achieved: I'm not in a position to spin a gradient for the challenge but I've just finished combing the Welsh Hill Speckled Face fleece for my British Breeds project so my plan is to make a start on spinning the 375g of lovely hand combed top that I got from that.  I divided it into 3 equal amounts to allow 125g per skein and then halved each clump for each ply.  I am trying to remove as much of the last of the hair and kemp as I spin as well so that will reduce each one slightly and take me a little longer to spin than normal but will make for a much nicer yarn in the end.

I got the first single spun before tea time and then I sat and and spun a second single before bed time.  The plan is to ply in the morning and then get cracking on the next skein.