Watching the tour on the mountain

Neilos24

Hello all,
Just registered to this forum as it looks like the most active cycling one around! Was after a bit of advice regarding the tour, specifically Stage 14: Saint-Gaudens to Plateau de Beille and wondered if you guys/gals could help?

My girlfriend has surprised me with a trip to Toulouse this weekend with a view to watching the tour and I was wondering what the chances are of getting to the top of the big mountains in this stage, was thinking Col de la Core or Col d’Agnes. Don’t think we’ve got a chance regarding the finish as it’s my understanding that people camp up there overnight and it’s not something we’ll be able to do.

We have a hire car and are prepared to leave v.early on Saturday morning, what do you guys think? Have we got a chance? Anyone been to the mountain stages?
Many thanks for any advice

Neilos

donkykong

hi, it will be busy there, the roads close on average around 10 am on the day to car traffic, bikes can go past the gendarmes as well as walkers, but thats it, otherwise do as i do wild camp up the mountains the night before, theres hundreds of motorhomes up there, so you,ll not be on youre lonesomes - enjoy.

alan_a

Hi Neilos,

I followed the entire tour in a camper van last year. Although I never went to Col d'Agnes or Col de La Core here are my thoughts.

Saturday stage in the Pyrenees will be very very busy. The Basques and most camper vans in Europe will have been on the mountain for a couple of days. Your last hope of getting a car up the mountain will be Friday morning. By the Saturday morning the police will have closed the road to cars very early IMO since it's a Saturday it will be pre 9am since there will be nowhere on the mountain left to park your car.

Come Saturday morning most day trippers will leave their car in the valley and walk or cycle up the mountain. That would be my advice. Hire a bike and spin your way up. If these guys can do it you can do it.



No matter what you are doing on the friday evening cancel it, buy a cheap tent and sleeping bag and get up the mountain and enjoy the atmosphere.

zoom gordo

like this but lumpier:

http://zoom-gordo.blogspot.com/2011/07/ ... -have.html

avoidingmyphd

you'll be OK on the day if you have bikes.
Nice and early, drive to Tarascon-sur-Ariège, basically due South of Toulouse. Park there, or slightly earlier if the parking is backed up already. Park facing back towards Toulouse.
Here you will hit the road closures, and be 30k from the finish and so 15k from the bottom of the climb. Get on your bikes, and ride along the route ahead of the race. Climb as high as you like, enjoying the crowds.
After the race passes, join the crazily busy descent (which will include the tour riders going back down to their buses, weaving faster through the crowd than would seem sensible even on a clear road).
Easy. And the best way to enjoy the tour if you start out in a place which makes driving close to the stage finish feasible, which you will be. And take a picnic and an umbrella.

Neilos24

Thanks for the response appreciated it.

We fly in late friday afternoon, so getting up there on the friday won't be possible and it's even less likely that i'll get my girlfriend on a bike up a mountain (i'm just happy she likes the tour!).

So i guess the options are either try to get on the mountain before they shut the roads to cars, possibly getting there 5/6am and chancing our luck or aim for an area between the climbs. Looking at the map, do you think we would see much at Tarascon?

pomtarr

Tarascon looks pretty flat TBH.

Get yourselves onto a upward gradient, They'll be going much slower than on the flat so you'll see more action. You want to see some suffering, right?! Go up as far as you can walk from the car and pick a spot. Take everything you need for the day. Enjoy!

rick_chasey

I've ridden that entire stage apart from the final haul up to Plateau to Beille. (But I did the col de Mente first...)

avoidingmyphd

Neilos24 wrote:

Looking at the map, do you think we would see much at Tarascon?

No. Don't try and watch it there. They will fly by at 70kph+ as at that point they are gently descending the valley floor. It'll be rubbish.

pomtarr wrote:

Get yourselves onto a upward gradient

That!
Once the N20 is closed from Tarascon, you can use the (hillier) D20 just to the North East (which is a hassle to get to if you aren't concentrating). This will bring you out walking distance from the bottom of the climb. Then just walk as high as you can manage.

Le Commentateur

{quote]Come Saturday morning most day trippers will leave their car in the valley and walk or cycle up the mountain. That would be my advice.[/quote]

+1

Stock up with picnic lunch, park the car somewhere away from the race route (so you can get away afterwards more easily than those who park on the final climb and endure a multi-hour traffic jam getting off the mountain) and hike or bike it to a good spot.

For anyone who can get to the Col d'Agnes, there's a nice little bar-cafe a couple of kms below the summit at the Étang de Lers lake. If you can get there early enough (e.g. in a camper van the day before) you may be able to park there and walk up to the summit of the col. If the weather turns bad I'd stay in the bar – it was freezing cold with mist the day I rode over that one.

Neilos24

D20 it is then, followed by a walk! Once again thanks for the advice, will let you know how we get on