Now that you've shone a light on this event, you've really sparked my interest in it.
I don't quite know why I didn't have an awareness of the event before now.
I have a biking mate who has gone to Normandy a few times and another who goes every year pretty much without fail.
In recent years, i've been trying to get the time to go over as a ride together but so far it's not worked out for me for one reason or another, but I can see that the RTTW is going to be much easier to arrange.
None of us are directly connected to the military. Only a distant connection, like many.
I know that shouldn't make much of a difference, other than perhaps those that do have, are likely to a have a deeper awareness and an emotional connection to the subject and therefore want to attend a live event such as this, when they happen.
I don't think that my either of them have attended the RTTW because i'm sure that they would have mentioned it, so I think i'll have a chat with them.
It seems to make sense to me that the preferable way to take part in an event like this, is to ride there with friends.