TDF 2015 stages 4 & 5 advice, please!

davebianchimk
davebianchimk Posts: 7
edited June 2015 in Pro race
My wife and I have decided to take a quick break to see stages 4 & 5 of this year's TDF. The plan is to spectate at the last section of cobbles before the end of stage 4 and to watch somewhere in the first 30kms of stage 5.

We've not done this before - could anyone help with a couple of queries, please?

Despite spending hours on various sites and wrecking my eyesight studying Google Earth I really can't identify the precise location of the Stage 4 D'Avesnes-les-Aubert to Carnieres pavé section. Can anyone give me a steer, please? It shouldn't be that difficult but I'm damned if I can find it! If we had days to recce all would be OK but we'll be driving straight to the area from Calais. And once I've located it, how close does anyone reckon I can park? Will it need, say, a mile or so's walking?

I hope to watch stage 5 at some little anonymous village en route to enjoy the publicity caravan and watch the peleton at higher speed. I'm hoping that getting to the as-yet-unnominated village won't be that difficult but I'm wondering if I'm living in a fool's paradise? When we went to Yorkshire last year there was considerable traffic lockdown for hours before but somehow I have this idea that if I pick a sufficiently insignificant village/crossroads in the middle of nowhere (with a bar?) I can park fairly close and just walk up.

Anyone with any help or comments, please? As you can tell, I'm in uncomfortably new territory here! :?

Cheers.

Comments

  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,337
    davebianchimk wrote:
    My wife and I have decided to take a quick break to see stages 4 & 5 of this year's TDF. The plan is to spectate at the last section of cobbles before the end of stage 4 and to watch somewhere in the first 30kms of stage 5.

    We've not done this before - could anyone help with a couple of queries, please?

    Despite spending hours on various sites and wrecking my eyesight studying Google Earth I really can't identify the precise location of the Stage 4 D'Avesnes-les-Aubert to Carnieres pavé section. Can anyone give me a steer, please? It shouldn't be that difficult but I'm damned if I can find it! If we had days to recce all would be OK but we'll be driving straight to the area from Calais. And once I've located it, how close does anyone reckon I can park? Will it need, say, a mile or so's walking?

    I hope to watch stage 5 at some little anonymous village en route to enjoy the publicity caravan and watch the peloton at higher speed. I'm hoping that getting to the as-yet-unnominated village won't be that difficult but I'm wondering if I'm living in a fool's paradise? When we went to Yorkshire last year there was considerable traffic lockdown for hours before but somehow I have this idea that if I pick a sufficiently insignificant village/crossroads in the middle of nowhere (with a bar?) I can park fairly close and just walk up.

    Anyone with any help or comments, please? As you can tell, I'm in uncomfortably new territory here! :?

    Cheers.
    The website was updated yesterday with details - can you work it out from that? e.g., Stage 4 http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2015/us/stage-4.html
    https://www.facebook.com/unanglaisendiois
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    edited June 2015
    It's on the D97, between the junction of the D97 and D942 and Carnieres. Sort of here...

    https://goo.gl/maps/otYi8

    No idea how close you'll manage to park, but I was at penultimate section of cobblestones at last year's race and parked out 5 minutes walk away.

    Your plan for stage 5 is easily do-able. Done much the same a couple of times before and going to do it again for this stage this year.
  • tim000
    tim000 Posts: 718
    this months cycle sport mag has a free guide for TDF viewing http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/publication/cycle-sport
  • alanp23
    alanp23 Posts: 696
    I'm doing the same but opposite.

    I'm going to be watching the first pave section of stage 4 and then rushing off to Calais. (So I need to find somewhere with easy escape access)

    I've got the same worries about crowds at the pave sections, but I wouldn't be too concerned about stopping in a small village the next day. The crowds in Yorkshire were exceptional. You shouldn't have too much trouble.
    Top Ten finisher - PTP Tour of Britain 2016
  • davebianchimk
    davebianchimk Posts: 7
    tim000 wrote:
    this months cycle sport mag has a free guide for TDF viewing http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/publication/cycle-sport

    Aha! Thanks for that. From the specimen guide on the website for SS17 it looks as if it just may give the location detail I need, although sometimes the route maps are just a little vague.
    But I really appreciate the help - off to WH Smith this afternoon!
    Cheers, Dave :D
  • davebianchimk
    davebianchimk Posts: 7
    [/quote]
    The website was updated yesterday with details - can you work it out from that? e.g., Stage 4 http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2015/us/stage-4.html[/quote]

    Yep; a bit more detail's always useful - thanks. The timings help a lot for planning the day.
    Cheers, Dave
  • davebianchimk
    davebianchimk Posts: 7
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    It's on the D97, between the junction of the D97 and D942 and Carnieres. Sort of here...

    https://goo.gl/maps/otYi8

    No idea how close you'll manage to park, but I was at penultimate section of cobblestones at last year's race and parked out 5 minutes walk away.

    Your plan for stage 5 is easily do-able. Done much the same a couple of times before and going to do it again for this stage this year.

    Thanks for the help. Yep; I'd nailed it down to that area - there is only a short list of candidates for the actual road/track being taken but Google Street View kinda lets you down just at the crucial point for judging surfaces. But I think you're dead right - I reckon it starts on the D97/D942 junction and takes the westerly fork off the big triangular patch of concrete or gravel, finishing up in the village to the east of Carnieres. My only slight concern is that that route doesn't actually reach Carnieres.

    But from the stage timings it looks as if I'll have a little while to recce when I get down there. If that goes well - more time for a beer! :)

    Sounds like SS5 will be OK too; always great to hear from someone who's already done something very similar.

    Many thanks for the help

    Dave
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    davebianchimk wrote:
    My only slight concern is that that route doesn't actually reach .

    There is quite a good map in this guide...

    http://cycling.buysubscriptions.com/Spe ... uide-2015/

    And from that I reckon it does this...

    https://www.strava.com/routes/2497165

    To be honest, if your looking for a bar, head to Carnieres. It should be pretty obvious where it is, just follow the crowds.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    davebianchimk wrote:
    Sounds like SS5 will be OK too; always great to hear from someone who's already done something very similar.

    Video I shot in 2010. As you can see, not too many people around. :D

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_Dn4ox7WtA
  • disquieting_museeuws
    disquieting_museeuws Posts: 601
    Could I ask a question while we're on the subject as I'm also researching cobbled sections for a TDF visit?

    Me and my GF plan to ride from Paris to the start in Utrecht - we would like to take in some of the more gentle early Paris-Roubaix sectors (I'm thinking Troisvilles, Saint-Python, Verchain-Maugre to Querenaing (also in the 2015 TDF I think), Querenaing to Maing). Would these sectors be OK on our touring / Cyclocross bikes with panniers on board?

    Also, how about Wallers-Arenberg (probably the path alongside rather than the pave)? This also has the merit that it would take us close to the river bike paths to Tournai, and onto Oudenaarde, and thence northward after a stop for the RVV museum etc.
  • davebianchimk
    davebianchimk Posts: 7
    greasedscotsman wrote:

    There is quite a good map in this guide...

    http://cycling.buysubscriptions.com/Spe ... uide-2015/

    And from that I reckon it does this...

    https://www.strava.com/routes/2497165

    To be honest, if your looking for a bar, head to Carnieres. It should be pretty obvious where it is, just follow the crowds.

    Hmm; that's interesting. The Strava route is not what I was expecting as Google Earth suggests that at its jct with D942 it was just a normal tarmac road. But I can't see why else just 3 kms of road would be saved as a route.

    As you say; it should be obvious where it is on the day. I suppose I'm over-fretting - because I always do! :roll:

    Thanks for taking the time to help.
  • davebianchimk
    davebianchimk Posts: 7
    alanp23 wrote:
    I'm doing the same but opposite.

    I'm going to be watching the first pave section of stage 4 and then rushing off to Calais. (So I need to find somewhere with easy escape access)

    I've got the same worries about crowds at the pave sections, but I wouldn't be too concerned about stopping in a small village the next day. The crowds in Yorkshire were exceptional. You shouldn't have too much trouble.

    Well; best of luck with your "escape to Calais"! As you say; it's not really watching S5 that's the concern - I'll have plenty of time and I'm heartened by the replies here. When you watch pave sections on the box you get the impression that they're well attended and that people may have had to walk a way to get there. But the ferry timing will give me probably 3 hours to recce so the conclusion is that I ought to just relax and see what comes! And the stage is only 2.3kms long anyway...

    As you say, your concern is exactly the reverse of mine! I hope it works out OK.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    You could always go to another section if you're worried about finding that one, although I reckon 3 hours to find it is more than enough time.

    I'm either going to head to Saint Python...

    https://goo.gl/maps/hcmwz

    Which starts with a climb, could be interesting. Or Fontaine au Tertre a Quievy...

    https://goo.gl/maps/AbcQ8
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    More detailed maps now on the TdF website.

    http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TDF/2015/400/carte.pdf

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