A certain bike race is coming to Otley on 5 July 2014 and this cache traces the route of Le Tour through Otley. Pick up the clues along the way then stick them in the formula to work out the final co-ordinates to the cache.
The cache will involve a walk or cycle of around two miles. You could of course drive it, there is reasonable parking close to all the clues, though you will still have a walk of a half mile or so to the final. Cyclists should have no problem getting to the final, though as the last couple of hundred yards are unpaved you might not want to ride there on your best racing wheels and featherlight tyres. There are waypoints for each stage, though you don't need them to complete the cache, but they may help in showing whether you're in the right place or not.
The Tour starts with the Grand Depart in Leeds, followed by the ceremonial start at Harewood House. The depart reel (where the racing starts) is on an inauspicious bit of the A659 west of Harewood Bridge. The route then passes through Arthington and Pool before reaching Otley. That's where this cache starts......
The given co-ordinates mark the ornamental dry stone wall with Otley sign, showing the start of the traverse of the town, and that's where this journey starts.
At the first bus stop heading west find the bus stop number - this is 4A01B721
Continue west passing the garden centre on your left and cemetery on your right, before reaching the turn on your left to East Busk Lane. Have a look down the street at the fantastic mural on the wall of the now derelict Summercross Pub. Look at the road sign for East Busk Lane - how many other streets does this road lead to = C.
The route continues along the A659 past Otley Rugby Club until you approach the centre of town. But first, before you get there note the pub on your right and the date above the large archway just to it's right. This date = D
Continue west into the heart of Otley, passing the Market Square and Buttercross on your left - if you're visiting on a Tuesday, Friday and Saturday this will be full with market stalls, as it will be on the last Sunday each month for the farmer's market. At the traffic lights with the staggered junction next to the Buttercross, go straight over into Westgate and up the short hill, taking time to admire the polka dot mural on your right. You pass a supermarket on your left then reach another pub on your right. Here, as the main road bears left, the route turns right into Ilkley Road, a late diversion to the route to allow the A659/A660 roundabout to remain open on race day. Continue down the road until you pass the last house on the right hand side, It's number is EFG [as there are new houses being built here, until the new numbers are sorted out I'll give you the correct number to avoid any confusion. The required number is 137]
Finally the route bears left up a small rise - opposite this rise is the old entrance to Otley Mills. The date over the entrance is H.
At the top of the rise the route turns right, joins the A660 and heads off to Ilkley, Skipton, up and down a few dales before finishing in Harrogate.
So, after that lot, the final cache location is at:
N53 A C . [A+B] [(H-D)/C] [(H-D)/F]
W001 [E+F] [F-E] . A [G-A] [G+E]
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.