The Grand Departs - cyclists pull piano up England's longest hill

On Saturday 5 April, to mark 100 days to the Grand Départ of the Tour De France 2014 in Yorkshire, a grand piano and several pianists were pulled up one of the climbs of Stage 2 by a team of cyclists.

The piano was loaded on the PianoPorté, a purpose-built trailer trailer designed and engineered by sculptor Andy Plant, and hitched to nine pairs of standard MTB bikes welded together. Playing a specially composed piece, the Piano Cycle, live in transit the pianists were pulled up Cragg Vale, the longest continuous ascent in England, climbing close to 1000ft in five and a half miles.

A large crowd of cyclists and walkers accompanied the human powered jazz train at a brisk pace onto the moor, stopping twice to 'water the horses', firstly at the Robin Hood, where Bernard Hinault enjoyed a pint a few weeks ago, and then at a pop-up bar provided by popular local brewers The Little Valley Brewery.

Local Strava KOM and QOM Richard Bideu and Vicky Clarke's times of 15:07 and 17:18 remained unchallenged. After setting a course record of 4 hours in the new time trial category of 18-seat cycle towing a grand piano and large pianist, there was some disappointment expressed on discovering that vans were waiting to take the instrument back down the hill.

Rumours of Rochdale CC taking an upright piano up the same route and down the 12% side of Blackstone edge remain unconfirmed. The composer of Piano Cycle, Dave Nelson will perform the full work at 6.30pm on Sunday 13 April as part of Hebden Bridge Piano Festival.