Access to TdF roads

gjkathome

Hi,

It's a few years since I last went to watch the Tour. I had the impression that the police were gradually getting more restrictive with letting people ride up to see the race. This year I am hoping to watch the Morzine to St-Jean-de-Maurienne stage by riding up to the Col de la Madelaine from St Jean (against the direction of the race). Can anyone advise how long in advance of the race the police are likely to close that possibility to cyclists?

Graham

BikingBernie

In my recent experience you need to allow at least one hour between you getting to your viewing spot and the first Tour vehicle arriving at the same point, be this the advance police escort, a press car or a publicity caravan vehicle. (Naturally, it will be at least an hour after this that the race actually comes through). On a climb that will take you an hour, this means having at least 2 hours in hand at the bottom. For peace of mind and in case the caravan is running ahead of schedule add at least another hour. Others may have found the police closing things down even earlier on particularly popular climbs.

Yes things are getting more restrictive, but it does make sense. For example, the police need plenty of time in hand to clear any accident or other incident that might occur so that the passage of the race is not interrupted.

cougie

I think it depends a bit on the roads.

I know on the Alpe last time I was there they had some kind of showcase on - they were letting the French Paralympic squad (i presume) ride up it beforehand so that extended the time.

disgruntledgoat

I went up the Petit St. Bernard last year, think it was closed to cars at 10am and they weren't letting anybody ride up it after about 1330, with the race passing my vantage (about 3km from the summit) at about 1530.

The police didn't seem to be too fussed about letting anybody move up and down the road even when the caravan came through. The motorcycle escorts were gesticulating wildly as they approached... Indeed, the one poor escort who was with Kenny Van Hummel was trying to clear a few hundred people who'd already started to make their way back down the mountain.

angrynortherner

On the Col de Saisses I rode up the descent (eg against the direction of the stage) and they refused to let ANYONE ride up past a certain point 2km from the summit by 1030 (riders through at 1).

There seemed to be staggered closures on the way up the mountain.

MrT

Rode up Ventoux last year .Slightly bonkers but...for obvious reasons road closed night before..we set off at 8.30 am from bedouin...by 10.00am Gendarmes getting twitchy and trying in vain to stop people riding...by 12.00pm they were. Other mountain experience suggests road closed to cars 6.30am....bikies ok until about 10.00am, much depends on local gendarmeries attitude.

knedlicky

About 20 years back, I wanted to ride up the Madeleine from the opposite direction about 4 hours before the riders would have reached the crest and the police in the valley told me I was an hour too late.

I think the police have become more restrictive. Both in the Alps and the Vosges 5-10 years ago, we had no problems riding up a pass in the direction they were travelling up to 2 hours before they arrived, but last year in the Vosges riding up a pass in the direction they were travelling was stopped about 5 hours in advance.