Tour de France is PANTS!!

jerry3571

Thankyou very much for choosing to ban the top riders from this years Tour. My girlfriend has booked a room in Paris to see the finish on the Sunday as an Xmas present. I was hoping to see some bike riders I recognised but "Le Tour" has since banned the best of the rest; except Cadel Evans from riding. I expect that if the new Astana Team has gone then High Road should be gone in the near future too.
Why can't they pull thier fingers out before everyone books thier trips to France.
I might get Watchdog on it and say that I've booked my Hols and now feel ripped off. 180 odd riders who I haven't a clue who they are?? I'm off to Skeggy next year for sure.
Cheers Jerry.

top_bhoy

They heard that you were getting a Xmas present in July and decided to boycott such blatant commercialism :shock: I hope you enjoy Skeggy then when you go there next year - I prefer Paris myself any day of the week. Being able to watch Le Tour is just an added bonus. :twisted:

matthewbradford

Don't worry about it Jerry,

I wanted to go to see the tour for about 15 years and eventually booked up to go to the Alps in 2006. I was excited about going to the first post armstrong race and to watch the favourites battle it out. The week before the tour puerto broke and all of the favourites were banned. I still enjoyed the experience of witnessing the tour and went back last year and will be going again in 2008.

having gone to skeegy last year too, i would stick with Paris

1892

Get yourself an Astana cycling shirt & go in that just to p155 them off

primalcarl

matthewbradford - do you have much trouble going to the alps to watch stages? I really want to, is it expensive?

matthewbradford

I always my ambition to get a motorhome and follow the tour, but due to the expense couldn't afford it. My wife talked me into buying a caravan and we take this every year, combining the tour with the family holiday. I watched seven mountain stages in the last 2 years.

This year we've got our crossing free, courtesy of tesco clubcard points. then its the cost of diesel and site fees. The whole lot will probably come to well under a grand for the 4 of us for two weeks.

There are plenty of good campsites in the Alps and a trip can be done reasonably cheaply if you don't want 5* luxury. I'm staying in Bourg D'Oisans this year for the stage finish to Alpe D'huez. Will probably try and ride it a couple of times myself.

If you drive I would.
1. Get a Tent
2. Price a crossing
3. Work out driving costs (including tolls) on http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/ ... mePage.htm
4. Book a campsite.

The more friends/family you can persuade to go. the cheaper it becomes

jerry3571

Alpe D'Huez is a good bet when the Tour goes up there but you have to book ASAP after the Tour presentation is held otherwise things will be booked up.
Duex Alpes resort would be a good bet if you're late booking. Other skiing resorts provide accommadation too.Sestriere, Courchevel Val d'Isere.
Lakes and Moutain brochures can help too from Travel Agents.
Cheers Jerry

cougie

Jerry - you have 4 months to learn all about the new riders. Easy.

Jeff Jones

The first year I went to the Tour was 1998. I quite enjoyed it, although it was perhaps more for the riding I did rather than the racing.

SamWise72

I managed to meet Contador on the eve of the Tour Prologue last year, without trying! I was running a training session for local council workers in the Novotel at Excel, in the docklands, and the Discovery team were using it as their team hotel (as were a couple of others). I totally neglected my arriving delegates, because Giro decided to deliver their helmets, and have a fitting in the reception area, so Hincapie, Contador et al were all out there, trying on the awesome TT helmets with the teeth on them!

Anyway, a little later, my workshop was underway, and Contador walks in, having got the wrong door for a photoshoot! He speaks almost no English, so it took a bit of figuring, but I walked him to the correct room. Lo and behold, he then went on and won the tour!

Mark Alexander

jerry3571 wrote:

Thankyou very much for choosing to ban the top riders from this years Tour. My girlfriend has booked a room in Paris to see the finish on the Sunday as an Xmas present. I was hoping to see some bike riders I recognised but "Le Tour" has since banned the best of the rest; except Cadel Evans from riding. I expect that if the new Astana Team has gone then High Road should be gone in the near future too.
Why can't they pull thier fingers out before everyone books thier trips to France.
I might get Watchdog on it and say that I've booked my Hols and now feel ripped off. 180 odd riders who I haven't a clue who they are?? I'm off to Skeggy next year for sure.
Cheers Jerry.

Just as a thought, will you recognize any of them sprinting at 40+ anyway?

System_1

If you want to see famous people why don't you just take a holiday in London and hang about outside some of the more upmarket bars. Think yourself lucky you have both the time and finances to go see the greatest race on the planet. I wouldn't really care if the top riders were there or not, the rest of them will hardly be pootling about at 15mph. It'll be just as exciting without the top riders. Don't worry about it, just go and enjoy.

Smokin Joe

There will be top riders in the Tour, because anyone who finishes on the podium will automatically become one.

I wouldn't care if it was only first cats riding, the spectacle and the drama will be just as good.