Gary MacGowan Interview 07

Gary MacGowan has been working to make the Tour happen in London and Kent

In July 2006 LondonCycleSport met up with Gary MacGowan and Stephen Taylor of Transport for London.

Gary is the Technical Manager in TfL Special Projects, the team with the job of making the Grand Depart of the 2007 London start of the Tour de France happen, whilst Steve is the press officer for TFL.

Both Gary and Steve had no hesitation in telling us that London likes to do things big, and fewer things are bigger than the Tour. 'We want a 'Megafest'', but within TFL's Cycling Action Plan to deliver more people on bikes in the capital, they told us.

This will also be the last big sporting event before the 2012 Olympics.

John: Just how do you go about getting the Tour to come to London

Gary: We had to learn, the ASO (Tour organisers) told us to bid and we went away to do just that.

The ASO has clear guidelines, in fact our bid was seen as excellent, but the hoped for 2006 start was not possible. Just as well because of the conflicting Football World Cup.

John: What convinced the ASO to go with London?

Gary: We did massive research of what a 'Grand Depart' is. The World is watching the start and we want it to be a huge festival for London and a celebration of cycling. We visited the Grand Departs in Liege in 2004, the Vendee region in 2005 and travelled out to Strasbourg for the 2006 start.

Gary and Steve continued by outlining that London's massive support for cycling worked in their favour, the ASO faith in London was well founded as they said that the London launch in February was the best they had been too.

CAP
TFL see the Tour de France and the Tour of Britain in the context of Cycling Action Plan (CAP) for London, which has seen a 72% increase in cycle journeys.

Gary: We want 2007 to be special and present a festival of cycling and 'Turn London Yellow'. We want to create that 'Wimbledon effect' but one that lasts for more than two weeks and gets people onto cycles. People who would not normally cycle will embrace the Tours and encourage them to take that step (or pedal stroke).

The Tours also offer opportunities for tourism and the London and Kentish economies. It is estimated that the increase could be as much as ten fold.

Gary MacGowan rode the 2006 Paris Roubaix with us. He has also made some long and epic rides across the World

Two Tours
Gary works within the Special Projects Team of TFL, and there is a difference of what this team will be doing in regard to the two Tours.

The Tour de France people, ASO are only responsible for the race and not the infrastructure, whilst the Tour of Britain is purely the responsibly of the British Tour people. They organise the road closures etc, whilst TFL acts as a sponsor.

In 2006 Gary and TFL suggested that rather than hold the normal TOB criterium that they hold a stage that would venture out of Westminster and into London proper. TFL of course helped to open doors and coordinated with the many bodies involved, but it is TOB who must get it sorted. Gary said 'How many years can you hold a crit?'

The Tour de France is a different matter and TFL will have to provide all the infrastructure, whilst the ASO runs the race.

Gary: The Tour de France is an awesome prospect, we don't want helicopter shots of London grid locked, but we want it to be a London wide event that will inspire.

John: have you had much resistance?

Gary: Very little, we are meeting stakeholders every day and explain why we are doing it, and what benefits it will bring to London.

John: What can Londoners expect in 2007?

Gary: The TOB and the Grand Depart offer a great opportunity for London as part of our plan to make London a World Class Cycling city. The Grand Depart will not be aimed at die hard fans alone, and is designed to drive non cyclist's towards increasing bike use.

We intend the London Grand Depart to be interactive with Londoner's and it's an opportunity for cycling clubs and bodies to reach out to the general public, including cycle commuters and non cyclist's.

We asked Gary if he's was the best job in world? (as suggested to us when we told a friend that we were going to meet Gary)

Gary: It's amazing to see behind the scenes of the Tour de France and the glamour of the event is fantastic. 4,800 people, 35 kilometre of cables and it moves to another location each day. And It's not everyday you bump into cycling legends as I have done.

John: I guess to balance that out is the 100's of meetings you must sit through?

Gary: Yes, but without them, this exciting project wouldn't be happening.