Allez Yorkshire! DIO supports the 2014 Tour de France
Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) staff pulled out all the stops to support this year’s Tour de France (TdF) as cyclists raced through military training areas in Yorkshire.
With up to 7,000 people lining the routes during some sections, the prestigious road race began in Leeds and saw Day One Stage One cycle racing taking place through the hills and dales of North Yorkshire from Leeds to Harrogate.
The North Yorkshire section ran through Bellerby Ranges and Ripon Parks, two of DIO’s training sites at Catterick and Ripon Training Areas.
DIO staff prepared to welcome ‘le Tour’ by providing assistance to the local Emergency Services. They worked closely with Mountain Rescue Teams, Local Authority Highways support staff and national Police operating from Wathgill Camp as part of an MOD approved Forward Operating Base.
The services were able to provide direct support to the race in the Richmondshire and Harrogate Districts. Working together at Wathgill allowed their operational planning to continue smoothly and effectively.
As well as supporting the emergency services, DIO staff worked with colleagues from industry partner Landmarc to minimise disruption to military users of the training areas before and after the race weekend.
With support form the Army, the DIO team erected additional signage, carried out pre-race mobile patrols, and developed media messages to reinforce public safety and help to reduce the number of spectators straying on to military training areas.
Lt Col Graham Whitmore, from 15 North East Brigade, in York, was the MOD point of contact with the Tour advisers and worked closely with DIO staff. He said:
“I thought DIO staff were terrific in terms of the support they contributed to the planning and operating phase of the event. I was very impressed with the flexibility and adaptability they demonstrated as we worked with the Tour organisers to help them stage a hugely successful event.”
Talking about the race, Nigel Smith, Area Manager (Richmond & Thirsk) from North Yorkshire County Council, said:
“It has been a pleasure to be a part of this team – my sincere thanks to all! There has been an awful lot of time, effort and commitment invested by all teams in the event itself, keeping the ‘day job’ going and in many cases doing both. It is down to the dedication of all involved that we have been able to make this event a success.”
Lt Col Mark Holden, Commander DIO SD Training North said:
“Whilst DIO’s priority is to support our armed forces as they prepare for operations, we have been pleased to able to offer our time and efforts in support of this significant international event. Supporting this event has demonstrated how our team and other agencies can work together effectively when under pressure. The occasion had its challenges but excellent cross-team working, co-operation and hard work ensured that this stage of the race was a success and the public safely enjoyed the event.”
Ends
Further information:
Press enquiries to Tony Moran, Senior Communications Officer 0121 311 3879 or email tony.moran572@mod.uk
DIO website: www.gov.uk/dio
Twitter: @mod_dio
Read DIO’s blog: https://insidedio.blog.gov.uk/
Notes to Editors
1) The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) plays a vital role in supporting our Armed Forces by building, maintaining and servicing what the men and women who serve our country need to live, work, train and deploy on operations.
2) DIO is part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). It is responsible for managing and maintaining land and properties, as well as providing related support services, to meet the current and future needs of the MOD and personnel at home and abroad, and to support current operations.
3) Our work includes supporting operational units by providing and improving single living and service family accommodation; training areas and historic military sites. DIO actively manages these to ensure the needs of Defence are met, value for money is achieved, and its heritage is protected, and to achieve its environmental goals.
4) Picture caption – please credit ‘Crown copyright/MOD 2014’:
Lieutenant Colonel Graham Whitmore (second from left) and colleagues Maj Sean Norman and Maj Duncan Mortimer meet Acting Chief Constable Dee Collins, from North Yorkshire Police, at Tour de France Gold Command, Wakefield Police HQ.
Red Arrows get the race rolling with a flypast at Harewood House,Leeds
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