"Snub" as Yorkshire's Tour de France supremo misses out in New Year's Honours List

So it was the thinking of the idea, rather than the doing his job, which should be honoured?

brilliant. I just thought of an underwater helicopter. Knighthood beckons.

Seriously - many other people over the years have spearheaded the idea of hosting the GD and championed the opportunity of hosting it. It just hadn't happened in Yorkshire previously. Why does that make it suddenly different?

Is it anything to do with the fact that one person with Yorkshire in their forum name and two with white roses as avatars think so?

Yes, the people of Britain. What made it a *real* success was the numbers who turned out. Not just locals watching in their own village, not just cycling fans, but people travelling hundreds of miles to be a part of it.

That.

Not the team presentation, or the fact that it started at Harewood House and was officially opened by some royals - the crowds, the atmosphere and the passion. You'll find that most comments from the riders involved were about their amazement at the numbers of spectators. Not about the 'behind the scenes' stuff.

"the people of Britain"???

The vast majority of them (or us) had naff-all to do with the Yorkshire bid, its success and the GD. Which is almost universally accepted as being a considerably better event than London in 2007. And, yes, the best ever.

Prudhomme: ""When you said you would deliver the grandest Grand Depart it was the truth, you have raised the bar for all future hosts of the Tour de France"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/28188083

Gary Verity may or may not be a saint, but it's irrelevant. He drove the whole thing forward from the beginning, the team did a truly fantastic job.

'Bringing the TDF to Yorkshire was not just someone doing "their job". It was a hugely off the wall idea. When first mentioned everyone was incredulous.'

It really wasn't. The UK had staged the Tour, and the GD before. Some people may have been incredulous, many weren't.

'Not only did Gary & the team pull it off, they staged the best Grand depart ever. '

He certainly did a good job. An awful lot of the success of the 'best Grand Depart ever' (IYO) was down to the people of Britain however, not him.

Being present at Stage 2, it is absolutely no wonder he was omitted. What a complete cock up it was imo.

Prior to stage 2, on the day before I scoped out a few good places to watch. Though on race morning to my utter dismay, we had found Clifford's Tower completely fenced off, as was the York City Walls. Many of the side streets were closed off as well.

Rendering ANY advantage of actually seeing the tour, other than at street level. Probably all a result of some ill-perceived security problem or issue I'm sure. The experience was basically decimated by the inept, typical political incompetence of city and local organizers.

By the time we reached the Minster, the crowd was 3 and 4 deep, with zero fucking chance of seeing any of the riders. As Martin Moone would say..oh balls. I could hear the whir of cogs and the roar of the crowds, but had seen nothing in those fleeting few minutes in which the tour passed through.

What is puzzling is that I had heard Stage 1, Leeds-Harrogate was very good. So, out in the country side, no problem, but in the city, the plan was to corral fans and pack them in like animals in a herd, instead of allowing them to spread out. Brill,

After being at the '10 Stage 8 in Avoriaz and the '12 stage 8 in Porrentruy, my expectations were high, but it turns out York seemed like a shit show. Very disappointing indeed.

The upside was that York itself, was quite stunning. An amazing city that turned out to be one of my favorite destinations of all time. The history, the beautiful architecture, the atmosphere, the cuisine, and the people did not disappoint in any way.

Perhaps no one thought to nominate him, rather than the committee 'snubbing' him?

It would have been fitting for Gary to get an award.

Bringing the TDF to Yorkshire was not just someone doing "their job". It was a hugely off the wall idea. When first mentioned everyone was incredulous.

Not only did Gary & the team pull it off, they staged the best Grand depart ever. The whole thing grabbed the imagination of Yorkshire like nothing else before.

So yea an award should have been a given.

Whilst totally agreeing with the sentiment that Verity and his team deserve recognition, it has bee a long time since I've come across a Yorkshireman who has given a second thought to a lack of endorsement from his southern counterparts

The Honours system is an archaic and meaningless feudal practice.

Gary and his team deserve all the credit they've received for the greatest Grand Depart in Tour history. Hopefully its success will be reflected in future cycling events and the county's image both here and abroad. These things are worth far, far more to Yorkshire (and hopefully to Gary Verity himself) than 3 meaningless letters after his name.

I don't particularly agree with the honours system at the best of times, but I've never felt that people should be honoured just for 'doing their job'.

these kind of childish political snubs certainly further diminish the honours system but can never take away from the achievements of the folks they are aimed at.

The opinion of the folks who voted with their feet and lined the roads of Yorkshire for those two days make whatever a bunch of London civil servants think about the whole thing seem distinctly irrelevant.

"Now then, now then" enough said.

Has anyone thought to ask him if he was offered one? The palace don't produce a list of those that decline.

" saw off a rival bid from Scotland that had the support of both British Cycling and the government" - there's the reason!