TdF beginner help request

GiantMike

Boujour hommes

I'm off to see the TdF this year (most stages from 3 to 8 ) so I am looking for some guidance on what to expect. I've planned my vantage points, some flat and some mountain, but I need to know what happens in the 3 hours before and 1 hour after the riders go through.

For example:

at what point are the roads closed so I can't ride along them?
how long after the last rider are the roads opened again?
will I need to get to a decent viewing point early, or is it quite relaxed?
is it compulsory to run alongside the leaders in a comedy outfit?

Ideally, I'd like to ride up the mountain, sit in a great spot for 30 mins before the riders go through, an then ride down to the campsite. I'm guessing it won't be that easy.

All tips/advice welcome.

Merci beaucoup

Mike

mallinov

I was in Courchevel the last time the tour came through and there were camper vans parking up at the prime spots at least a week before the tour came through so you might be slightly optimistic if you're planning on rocking up on the day for the best spots.

On the plus side you can still use the roads on the day - the gendarmes use a rolling road block, or they did in Courchevel at least, so you should be ok to use the roads up to a few hours before the leaders come through. On a bike that is, you may have more difficulties in a car. Also the roads were open almost immediately for pedestrians and cyclists but there was a wait of several hours for cars after the last guys went through.

Each stage is unique though - I've outlined what happened on a mountain stage a flat day will obviously be different.

GiantMike

Cheers Mallinov

Anybody else been??

TheStone

To be on the safe side, I'd head up a few hours before they're expected. You can walk
up anytime, but they'll stop you on a bike an hour or two before.

The 'caravan' (lots of advertising trucks/busses) throwing free stuff out happens the
hour before.

The roads open very quickly after the last rider, but if it's a mountain stage, there can be as
much as an hour between the first and last.

I wouldn't worry about getting a good spot. Tends to work out. The atmosphere is always
great, but the cycle race itself is not the best of spectator sports.

Stage 3 and 8 look to be your best. The cobble sections of stage 3 will be interesting, but
very busy. For stage 8, Col de la Ramaz could be good, possible early attack and really nice
mountain.

GiantMike

Cool.

I guess I'll be making a day of each event. Are the Caravan 'goodies' worth grabbing, or just cheapy plastic trinkets??

verylonglegs

Some of it is standard company promotional stuff, keyrings etc and some may be stuff produced for the tour, think I have a skoda/tdf sun hat somewhere..classy eh
You may have to be prepared to fight for it though, some of the scuffles resemble an aid truck handing out grain to a starving population. The determination some people have to get that free babybel sample is incredible.

Once piece of useful advice I was given is don’t worry too much about taking pictures if its your first time going to see the big name riders, just watch, take it in and enjoy it rather than watching them go past through a camera screen.

If you a driving to a mountain stage expect traffic jams too, especially if it’s the last climb of the day as a few hundred thousand spectators converging in a valley with only a couple of exit roads creates congestion. I once spent 6 hours in traffic getting back over the tourmalet after a stage!

GiantMike

Babybel samples? I'll certainly be at the front fighting for those gems!!

I agree about the photos. With a million or so professional 'toggies following the Tour, why try to take photos yourself? I'm planning to soak up as much of the atmosphere as possible.

Rindle

Its worth grabbing the stuff they throw out even just for a bit of fun. Most of it is a bit rubbish but the Haribo are alwaysworth grabbing.

Don't forget to take pleny of water and sun tan lotion if your going ot be standing around a lot. its always amazed me the massive amount of toasted people I see every time I go.