TDF Paris Final Stage 21st July '13

Weeman1973

Well, what a luck boy I am! as I turned 40 the other day, Mrs Weeman1973 has treated me to a weekend in Paris on the weekend of the final stage! the hotel she has booked is just off the Champs-Élysées so hopefully I will be able to get at least a glimpse of many of the riders doing the circuit.

Anybody been to the Champs-Élysées before for the final day and can offer advice on how / where to go etc. for decent views.

I believe the finish is to be in the evening this year to celebrate it's 100th anniversary?

eskay

I have been (for Lance's 5th tour win......). It gets very busy. People line the barriers to get a good position very early and when the race comes through the crowd is 6 or 7 deep at the barriers. We managed to sit in a window sill of a bank that was high up (about 100m down from the arc de triomphe on the downhill part). Somepeople take ladders!!

greasedscotsman

Bring your bike with you and do this!

https://twitter.com/tourdefrance/status ... 4370540544

southdownswolf

I am spending my 40th in Inverness as part of my JOGLE...

But I do also have a long weekend in Paris to watch the last day of the Tour too :-)
Will be the first time watching in Paris, but have been to see the Tour many times before in the Alps. I just wish I could go to the penultimate stage in Annecy. Most beautiful place in Europe.

snowley

What a lovely wife you have!!

As said above, the earlier you can get there the better. It will be extremely busy the whole way round the circuit so have an explore the day before and take a pick of where you would like to watch. Then go for it!!

greasedscotsman

eskay wrote:

(for Lance's 5th tour win......)

Not sure when that was, Lance hasn't won the Tour!

meesterbond

Watched it last year after riding L2P. We stayed in a hotel on the Rue de Rivoli with a balcony view of the race. We'd pop out onto the balcony to see the peloton go passed then inside to catch the rest of the lap on the TV.

If you want to get anywhere near the finish then I'd look to be in position mid morning latest.

geoffh73

Was there for Indurains first win, Stood at the top near where they turn round to come back down.
Going slightly slower there so see slightly more of them in my opinion. Would get there early though to stand a chance of been at the front.

dodgerdog

Your not an ex runner weetman1973 are you? Waterloo vintage?

bernithebiker

I'll be there too. Staying in hotel on Champs Elysee.

Working as a cycle guide for Ronan Pensec's Tour de France tour; 130 riders starting in Marseille and following the Tour all the way to the end.

Apparently we have grandstand seats but not sure that's the best place to see the action, we shall see.....

jimmybloom

Going this year too..little bit excited!

A friend and I have grandstand seats pretty much on the finish line, hopefully will get a pretty good view of the action!

Just a shame the WAG's had to tag along to ruin a perfectly good boys weekend!

typekitty

Heading there this year, too.

Went in 2011 and while amazing, a very long day of standing in the same place. We were stood for maybe 5 hours, in the sun. Totally worth it but can be trying with people pushing in. Get in early, take water! Love the people with ladders, bloody brilliant.

bernithebiker

typekitty wrote:

We were stood for maybe 5 hours, in the sun.

Sounds good to me!

thegibdog

We went last year, ended up watching from the end of the Tuileries overlooking the Place de la Concorde because there were seats (plenty of metal chairs in the Gardens that you can use), a bit of shade for a while and a view of a big screen. Not exactly close but we'd been in the Pyrenees earlier in the week and got near to the action then.