Calderdale CTC – 2017
Members of Calderdale CTC and Halifax Imperial Wheelers cycling clubs visited Halifax’s twin town Aachen on the occasion of the visit to Aachen of the Tour de France. The groups had previously visited Aachen in 2015 when they enjoyed rides in the company of riders from the Aachen Cycling Club RC Ausvogel 09.
Group member Reid Anderson said “when the 2017 Tour de France route was published and we saw the second stage was passing through Aachen we decided we had to go and see it and meet up again with our friends from RC Ausvogel who had made us so welcome a couple of years ago. We also met up with German members of the Halifax – Aachen Town Twinning Group who we also had met on our previous visit. On the evening before the Tour arrived in the city, RC Ausvogel organised cycle races on the cobbles around the Town Hall and the Cathedral – it would be nice if Calderdale could do the same around Halifax Town centre”
On the Sunday of the race the cyclists were taken on a tour of the countryside around Aachen, visiting Drielandenpunt, the point at which the borders of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands converge. They then went on to Belgium to watch the Tour pass by. “It was raining when we arrived at our viewing point, but we were adopted by some friendly Belgians who invited us into their barn for drinks and to watch the race on TV” Reid said. “We have invited RC Ausvogel members to come and visit for the Tour of Yorkshire in 2019, and if they are unable to make it, we are hoping they can come over to see the Road Cycling World Championships in 2019”
