With The Tour de France coming to our district next year, I decided to check the route for holes.

After all, no one wants to see the Sir Bradley Wiggins’s title challenge ended in Epping Forest.

The area I was most concerned could cause Essex County Council international embarrassment was North Weald, where I stumbled upon several new cracks and caters in High Road and Weald Bridge Road and Wind Hill, near Moreton.

The latter had obviously been repaired some time ago, but is now sinking to such an extent it would be a significant hazard to a cyclist if it isn’t rectified by the time the tour rolls into town.

However, by far the deepest dent I saw on the streets of North Weald was in Kiln Road.

This poses problems to the peloton as it is not on the route, but it could savage a spectator were they to step in it.

Another issue I must talk about is the reallocation of £523,000 from Epping Forest’s local highway panel to other projects by Rodney Bass, the county council's portfolio holder for highways.

The highways man, who is aware of The Guardian's campaign, has re-jigged the finances in order to put £1 million more towards maintenance including pothole repairs.

Although Cllr Bass was unable to specify how much of that would take place in Epping Forest.

When asked if there would be any resurfacing of the route for Le Tour, he said: “The Tour de France organisers were satisfied with the condition of the route.

"We will enxure it is in the right condition for the race."

Cycling’s elite will be pedalling past on July 7 2014 .