L'été prochain, je pense que je serai en France!!

paulcuthbert

Really wanna go see my first Tour next summer...

Can't wait for the route announcement soon so I can make plans to make tracks!

Who's coming to France?

redddraggon

You do know Lance is probably not going to be there?

luckao

I'm more tempted to catch the Giro. Having now seen both has pretty much settled it.

paulcuthbert

He'll probably be there, just not as a rider...

Anyway, that doesn't matter to me. I love riding my bike, I've always wanted to go see le Tour since I was about 8, and since I won't be studying for my MSc next summer and I'll have disposable income, I'M TAKING A HOLIDAY!!!

It's time to go climb some real mountains - not the hills I have in Ireland/Scotland. Cannot wait. It's gonna be fan-damn-tastic!

dodgy

Aren't we some way off the route announcement? :?:

paulcuthbert

It's usually September/October isn't it? That's soon enough to book flights and arrange plans with French friends - hopefully the ones who like driving from the Alps to Mont Ventoux!

doddy178

the week between Paris-Tours and Giro di Lombardia usually.

But we know it's an Alpine year with them in the final weeks and the start is in the Vendée.
Can't help but thinking Alpe D'Huez is a sure bet for a stage finish, not been there since 2008.

takethehighroad

I'm guessing it will be the stages in the Vendee, drop down with three or so sprinters stages, into the Pyrenees for a day or two, then across the south with a finish maybe in Marseille. Then straight up through the Alps, maybe four days worth, with a final time trial in somewhere like Strasbourg, Metz etc.

greasedscotsman

paulcuthbert wrote:

Really wanna go see my first Tour next summer...

Can't wait for the route announcement soon so I can make plans to make tracks!

Who's coming to France?

Me! Although it will be the 12th time I've been, still get excited by the whole thing though

Ben6899

Paul, I'll join ya!

afx237vi

You could all go with Eddie from Belfast, he of Eurosport fame. He's building quite a cult following... it might end up like that bit in Forrest Gump when he starts running for no apparent reason at all.

inseine

I'm already there (here!). Not sure whether to pop in to Paris for the finish.

Tusher

Can I come with you, Paul?

I had so hoped to go to the Depart this year, but it was not to be.

deejay

greasedscotsman wrote:

Me! Although it will be the 12th time I've been, still get excited by the whole thing though

Well I've logged a few more than that but it's the vans that got me and the slobs that go with them.(anyway the Tee shirt was getting worn out )
Those endless convoys (even worse now) moving off the mountain following one another till long past midnight looking for their next spot on the course.
I swore in 2002 that I wouldn't return as it got so crowded (and more vans) because the US had found they had a winner. They didn't even know what a cycle race was in 2000.
I had to return though because they put a TT up D' Huez and I was up there yet again. (I had never seen the place so overcrowded)
My 2nd time was with camping gear on the bike and train to Grenoble and at a guess that way again to see more than the vans do these days. (well they have TV these days with the French sats pointing one way and the Belgians/Dutch the other way)

paulcuthbert

It's starting in Vendée??? That's fantastic!! One of my best friends is going to be in La Rochelle next summer. Perfect!! Go for the first few days there, then travel across to les Alpes for the third week.

So excited now!

Tusher

Are you having a break between your Masters and starting a PhD?

paulcuthbert

Tusher wrote:

Are you having a break between your Masters and starting a PhD?

Nah, I'm done!! I don't think I could take any more. 6 years has been enough for me

Tusher

Surely not the world of 9-5?

Just think of all the fun you'll be missing out on as a student? The poverty, the dead lines, the library...............go on, you know you want to.

greasedscotsman

deejay wrote:

greasedscotsman wrote:

Me! Although it will be the 12th time I've been, still get excited by the whole thing though

Well I've logged a few more than that but it's the vans that got me and the slobs that go with them.(anyway the Tee shirt was getting worn out )
Those endless convoys (even worse now) moving off the mountain following one another till long past midnight looking for their next spot on the course.
I swore in 2002 that I wouldn't return as it got so crowded (and more vans) because the US had found they had a winner. They didn't even know what a cycle race was in 2000.
I had to return though because they put a TT up D' Huez and I was up there yet again. (I had never seen the place so overcrowded)
My 2nd time was with camping gear on the bike and train to Grenoble and at a guess that way again to see more than the vans do these days. (well they have TV these days with the French sats pointing one way and the Belgians/Dutch the other way)

Actually, come to think of it, next year will be my 13th time, forgot I went to see the race on the Champs Elysees in '99. Remember seeing the odd American here and there. Then went again to see the same stage in '05 and the guys selling t-shirts were speaking in English! Bloody Americans

paulcuthbert

Tusher wrote:

Surely not the world of 9-5?

Just think of all the fun you'll be missing out on as a student? The poverty, the dead lines, the library...............go on, you know you want to.

I was clever and always worked hard at both uni and in work as a student, so I've been lucky to avoid the poverty for the most part. 2 jobs in the summer, staying at home and not spending a penny, and riding your bike for entertainment is the way forward it seems!

Hopefully I'll get a job and then I'll be able to cycle to work every day - then do longer rides on the weekends and some evenings. It's gonna be great!!

Plus, if I'm going to France next summer I need to re-learn all the French I've forgotten since uni has taken over my life! So I'll enjoy studying that with no pressure when I'm not working/cycling.

Life will be good

donrhummy

Luckao wrote:

I'm more tempted to catch the Giro. Having now seen both has pretty much settled it.

Agreed. The giro is the best GT race in the world. The TDF happens to be more famous and thus has more of the top cyclists and publicity, but the Giro is the most beautiful, grueling, amazing GT race.

Kléber

I've never found the Tour, or any race that matter, that great to watch. The riders fly by.

Now being in the right parts of Italy in June or France in July is brilliant, you want to aim to try and overlap your visit with the race but not to follow every stage from the roadside. Riding bits of the route is good. As is finding a classic rural café to sit in and watch the race on TV.

paulcuthbert

Kléber wrote:

I've never found the Tour, or any race that matter, that great to watch. The riders fly by.

Now being in the right parts of Italy in June or France in July is brilliant, you want to aim to try and overlap your visit with the race but not to follow every stage from the roadside. Riding bits of the route is good. As is finding a classic rural café to sit in and watch the race on TV.

That's exactly what I want to do! Get up early, get out on my bike and do a mountain (or maybe two!) in the morning, and then watch the race with a beer in the afternoon - then just take it even easier in the evenings! And of course check out some stages from the roadside. But a lot of it is about going to experience what the riders do in terms of climbing/descending - not just see them fly by! I can't wait to do my first French Alps!

I'm more drawn to the Tour because I have a lot of French friends in different parts of France, I speak good French, and I know the geography a little better - so I'm more likely to know where all the famous climbs are that I want to do when I'm there. Plus, I've always watched the Tour on TV since I was a kid. So naturally I've got more reason to go see the Tour than the Giro.

Oh yeah, and the French food is much more exotic for me, because I make a lot of Italian food myself. The meal I had in a small family restaurant in Nice is the best meal I've ever had in my life! The most beautiful young French girl serving the food obviously helped too. I'm definitely going back there!

Kléber

Yes, that all sounds good. Aim to make the race a part of the background and experience France rather than spending hours by the road waiting for the race to flash past.

knedlicky

paulcuthbert wrote:

It's starting in Vendée??? That's fantastic!! One of my best friends is going to be in La Rochelle next summer. Perfect!! Go for the first few days there, then travel across to les Alpes for the third week.!

After the Vendee area, there’s a rumour the Tour 2011 might go into the Massif Central on the way to Pyrenees. Then via Narbonne/Nimes into the southern Alps, Risoul is tipped as a Tour stage end town (Dauphine Libere went here this year).Then some roaming around the Galibier area (it’ll be the 100th anniversary of the TdF crossing the Galibier) before heading out towards Paris.
But not necessarily Alpe d’Huez – some say that might be included in the Giro.

paulcuthbert

knedlicky wrote:

After the Vendee area, there’s a rumour the Tour 2011 might go into the Massif Central on the way to Pyrenees. Then via Narbonne/Nimes into the southern Alps, Risoul is tipped as a Tour stage end town (Dauphine Libere went here this year).Then some roaming around the Galibier area (it’ll be the 100th anniversary of the TdF crossing the Galibier) before heading out towards Paris.
But not necessarily Alpe d’Huez – some say that might be included in the Giro.

Oh fantastic - one of my good friends lives near to Nimes. It'd be a good base for a day trip to Carpentras and a ride up to Mont Ventoux.

It's sounding good so far!

Gazzaputt

I'm off to the start from Passage du Gois - Mont des Alouette. 2nd day Les Essarts, Team time-trial, 23 km and 3rd day start in Olonne-sur-Mer.

Manged to wangle the family holiday to coincide with the area and time!

Cannot wait.

deejay

paulcuthbert wrote:

That's exactly what I want to do! Get up early, get out on my bike and do a mountain (or maybe two!) in the morning, and then watch the race with a beer in the afternoon - then just take it even easier in the evenings! And of course check out some stages from the roadside. But a lot of it is about going to experience what the riders do in terms of climbing/descending - not just see them fly by! I can't wait to do my first French Alps!

Here we go young man, it's so tempting this one
,,,,,ie, going to experience, etc.
You might then realise when you get there just what a fraud Mr Armstrong has been. ?
After all your time in the library you may then realise what the real world is about and why we older "Cyclists" feel so strongly about the bum. :roll:
I was going to the TDF before he was born and watched and listened to his pathetic performances (compared to what his mouth said) before the cancer.
I do hope your experiences help you overcome your childhood fantasies about him otherwise your masters is not a lot of good without your "own original" thoughts.
You are on a different learning curve now. (arn't we all)

paulcuthbert wrote:

Oh yeah, and the French food is much more exotic for me, because I make a lot of Italian food myself. The meal I had in a small family restaurant in Nice is the best meal I've ever had in my life! The most beautiful young French girl serving the food obviously helped too. I'm definitely going back there!

Italian food lovely but French.
Ever since my youth when we ordered a meal and found it was Horse Meat covered in a delicious sauce.
Later in France with my girl (wife now) and she explained that up to the 1950's when Europe didn't have fridges the French sauces would cover meat that was going off. (past the sell-by date) intead of throwing it away.
That's how the regional hot pots and sauces developed through the ages.
France is a lot cleaner now and in the towns the resturants are more international but in rural areas it could still be old fashioned.

It's a bit early to say have a good time but I hope you do and enjoy making the plans as that's half the fun.

paulcuthbert

deejay wrote:

You might then realise when you get there just what a fraud Mr Armstrong has been. ?
I do hope your experiences help you overcome your childhood fantasies about him otherwise your masters is not a lot of good without your "own original" thoughts.
You are on a different learning curve now. (arn't we all)

That's really not the reason I'm going...
Can we please just drop LA from at least 1 thread? I don't want this thread turned into another 10 page epic about LA and doping.

It's about going to France to see a bit of bike racing, but more importantly, going to experience the country, the culture, the cuisine, and the cols!

deejay wrote:

Italian food lovely but French.
Ever since my youth when we ordered a meal and found it was Horse Meat covered in a delicious sauce.
Later in France with my girl (wife now) and she explained that up to the 1950's when Europe didn't have fridges the French sauces would cover meat that was going off. (past the sell-by date) intead of throwing it away.
That's how the regional hot pots and sauces developed through the ages.
France is a lot cleaner now and in the towns the resturants are more international but in rural areas it could still be old fashioned

I had horse meat in Slovenia and it was GOOD!!!

deejay wrote:

It's a bit early to say have a good time but I hope you do and enjoy making the plans as that's half the fun.

Thank you so much! I'm really looking forward to it already..

Dgh

The tour is the biggest race. If a rider wins the giro, people say "yeah, but he didn;t win the tour".

That said, Italy is more fun than France, and the food is better.

paulcuthbert

I've been to Italy and France before, and I preferred France.

I have more of an affiliation with it in more ways than one. Maybe one day I'll go see the Giro or Vuelta or other races in Europe.. but 2011 has got to be le Tour!