help for newbie tour spectator

bossman13

hi guys - can anyone please help me with info re how best to catch a tour stage?

i am in area of saint-fargeau for stage 11 and really keen to grab some of the action. only problem is that i have no idea where i would need to go, what to do with car etc etc as this is the finish town so not sure on accessibility on the day?

also, i see there is a cat4 climb not far from the finish - do you think this would be better viewing at a slightly slower pace!!??

finally, can you just drive into any of the smaller towns on the day (a couple hrs in advance) to catch action and caravan etc, or is it a case of havong to be there overnight to get a decent spot?

thanks loads - any help appreciated

Kléber

They will fly over the climb but it's always worth going. Unless it's in the high mountains the roads will only be closed from the morning onwards and you can usually drive along a side road and park close to the junction with the route. Treat it as a day out, you can see the publicity machine come past first and then the riders whizz by very quickly. It's a long wait just to see them go but it's still fun, think about taking some food and drink, something to sit on etc.

edhornby

wot kleber said

best thing to do, put bike in back of car, load food and stuff in rucksac, park about 5 miles away, ride bike to where the route is, find the steepest bit to watch it (cos the flat bits they will hammer past) and there will be lots of other people doing the same

get free stuff from the promotional caravan - talk cycling with other spectators, get slightly sunburnt, ride bike back to car afterwards

good day out !

juggler

despite what people may say, it's not really a spectator sport from the side of the road.... best bet is to find a place on route and find a bar wih the TV on so you can follow the race...last year saw the finish in Nimes... was about 50 m from the finish line, luckily a bar was just there, so we watched the run in on wide screen TV while drinking beer, then rushed out for the final sprint.... saw the top of Cav's back as they were about 3 deep on the roadside, but not too crowded... and then saw the podium presentation.... going to the start is ok, if you want to spot riders and look at the bikes etc, then they roll out of town at a slow pace.

From wht i have seen, the Tour is not as corwded as you might expect... Nimes was pretty quiet last year during the afternoon, i like you maybe was expecting great excitement/crowds etc....but you have to remember it's a long route and the number of people spread along the road

butcher_boy

AS already said...

The pace never slows on anything less than a b00dy mountain. You wait all day on a CAT4 CAT3 and there gone in the blink of an eye.

Still recommend doing it though & the bigs days in the mountain are great, Though you really need to get up & camp on the hill for these. Good party going on so take some Vino!!!


TV coverage really is the best way to watch most road cycling

FJS

In contrast to what juggler suggests, I would always go and see the Tour come whizzing by if you're already in the region. He's right you can follow the race unfolding and results much better from behind a screen back home (or in a bar), but it's a great experience, the long waiting and slow built-up, suddenly the impressive army of police motors sweeping by and then in a few seconds the riders. I'm in Barcelona now, and will definitely go and watch the race on Montjuic. I know I won't be able to follow what's going on, but it's a great experience.

Kléber

Just treat it as a day out rather than a chance to watch a strategic moment of the race. Cycling is like chess on wheels and watching from the roadside is bit like glimpsing one move on the chessboard, you can't follow that much.

But see it as a picnic and a chance to see what the race is all about and you'll enjoy the day, you'll see things that the TV never shows, the smell of sweat, the purring gears, the stick-like legs, the thousands of vehicles that make up the race.

dougzz

I've watched flat, decent and climbs, climbs are the best, Alpe d'Huez last year was fabulous. The steeper the better as they are obviously slowed and strung out and you see more. Although the speed they climb at is unreal, has to be seen to be believed.

I think there's a lot of good info here, treat it as a day out as you do spend a lot of time waiting, and the actual bikes coming bye is all to quick. Enjoy the caravan, you can spot the French as they are really up for the freebies, diving in the road for a key chain or fridge magnet, absolute mayhem, lol. Great to see big mobs of Dutchman or German's all supporting their man. The crazy cheering as some have a go type comes bye on a mountain bike weaving from side to side on a steep climb, all builds a great atmosphere.

In terms of practicalities the French police are really relaxed about parking, so long as you're not in the way they seem to care less. Last year they used a close section of an A type dual carriage way near the foot of Alpe d'Huez as a car park. You need a decent map so you can see the TdF route and avoid the roads they'll be using, as they seem to have a fairly casual attitude to what they close and when. On the Bonette last year they shut the road up from Jausier about 8PM, only to drive off and leave it open again about 10PM, but then around an hour later closed it again. The next morning it was a similar pattern of stopping traffic at a certain point, only to allow traffic further up an hour or so later. But all that matters not at all as it's just great fun being part of the TdF experience.