Tour spectators thread

craigus89

So who is off to watch a stage/stages of the Tour this year? Which stages? What are your plans?

We are staying in Annecy for a week which overlaps with the rest day in Annecy and stages 9 & 10 which are fairly close by.

Stage 9 in-particular we're looking forward to, after looping around lake Annecy the route goes up the Col de la Croix Fry which is one of mine and my wifes favourite climbs. Looking at the route if you watched near the top of that climb you could easily descend down to the north and watch the finale in Le Grand Bornand which is at the bottom of the Colombiere.

Stage 11 finishes on Alpe d'Huez but I'm unsure on the logistics of watching that stage on the Alpe. Anyone been before? Presumably there is no chance of parking in the valley on the day and walking/cycling up?

specialgueststar

Will be in Carcassonne but for how many days each side of the rest day is still unknown

Dorset_Boy

Will see them fly by around mid-stage on Stage 7, between Alencon & Mamers.
Then see them in Annecy on the Tuesday as we're there (St Jorioz) all that week.

With regards to seeing the Alpe d'Huez stage: We saw it in 2015 having driven over that morning from La Toussuire, via Grenoble. We parked on the D448 just before Villard -Reculas and then rode around from there via Huez and watched on the big bank overlooking turn 1.

greasedscotsman

I was planning on seeing the Roubaix, La Grand Bornand and Alpe d'Huez stages, but as I'll be switching jobs around that time, I'm going to have to settle for just the Roubaix stage. Just need to decide if I should go to Mons en Pevele or Camphin en Pevele.

Craigus89 wrote:

Stage 11 finishes on Alpe d'Huez but I'm unsure on the logistics of watching that stage on the Alpe. Anyone been before? Presumably there is no chance of parking in the valley on the day and walking/cycling up?

You should be able to park up somewhere and ride to where you want to see the race. Don't see this being a problem.

craigus89

Dorset Boy wrote:

Will see them fly by around mid-stage on Stage 7, between Alencon & Mamers.
Then see them in Annecy on the Tuesday as we're there (St Jorioz) all that week.

With regards to seeing the Alpe d'Huez stage: We saw it in 2015 having driven over that morning from La Toussuire, via Grenoble. We parked on the D448 just before Villard -Reculas and then rode around from there via Huez and watched on the big bank overlooking turn 1.

Have you stayed there before? We stay on the other side in Veyrier-du-Lac, but one of our favourite spots is in St Jorioz but closer to the Chateau that sticks out, a little bit of grass right on the lake shore that is shaded by some large trees, stunning place to chill with a cold beer and look at the mountains on the other side.

Thanks both for the info on Alpe d'Huez, we'll drive down there early and give it a go.

specialgueststar

Dorset Boy wrote:

.

. We parked on the D448 just before Villard -Reculas and then rode around from there via Huez and watched on the big bank overlooking turn 1.

Not for the faint hearted !

ridgerider

I'm off to Cluses for 3 days cycling based around stage 10 to Le Grand Bornand.

Anyone up for a ride?

jam1e

Hugely disappointed this thread isn’t dedicated to people like this gentleman...

https://goo.gl/images/MWT1KG

davidof

Craigus89 wrote:

Stage 11 finishes on Alpe d'Huez but I'm unsure on the logistics of watching that stage on the Alpe. Anyone been before? Presumably there is no chance of parking in the valley on the day and walking/cycling up?

My Parents in-law go up but maybe not this year as they are well into their 70s. They normally park at Oz, take the telecabine from Oz to the DMC then down to Huez and watch from Dutch corner. It is quite long. They have also parked in the valley or taken the bus from Grenoble and walked up but it is a very steep and hot path up though the hairpins.

My dad in law also followed from the police helicopter one year, the whole stage except for a fuel stop. Alright for some.

ridgerider

Spoiler alert...it's stage 12 that finishes on the Alpe.

Circumstances mean I might also be able to watch stage 11 as well, which is a 60 mile mountain sprint so might be interesting. The finish looked a bit 'vanilla' at the Dauphine, so might look at somewhere half way.

stagehopper

I'm in Amiens for the weekend of the stage arrival on the Saturday and the cobbled stage to Roubaix on the Sunday.

lucan2

I am only 45 minutes from the finish in Amiens and even closer to the start in Arras, but will be working on both days, sadly.

But I will be in Paris for the finish.

Mapaputsi

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I’m interested about the experience of being a spectator at a tour stage – in my mind you get to see the leaders/peloton for a split second as they thunder by, or maybe a couple of seconds on the side of a mountain. Seems strange to me.. Please enlighten me about the experience!

ronnierocket

For those thinking of spectating, a really nice thing to do is to climb the hill the night before. I climbed the I'zoard the night before the tour and there was a fantastic atmosphere on the hill with the people in the campervans having BBQ and giving lots of encouragement as you climbed.

I have only only watched one stage, from the the Col de I'zoard and it was great watching the helicopters etc coming down the valley from the Col de Lauteret which only added to the anticipation. If any stages are like that I would position myself somewhere like that.

Pross

As appears to be becoming customary, the route passes near my chosen holiday destination a couple of weeks before we go there. Last year there was a KoM on the Dordogne stage that started about 400m from our campsite entrance a week or so before we got there.

rick_chasey

greasedscotsman wrote:

I was planning on seeing the Roubaix......stages,

You DO surprise me!

greasedscotsman

Maybe I should just move over there.

No_Ta_Doctor

Mapaputsi wrote:

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I’m interested about the experience of being a spectator at a tour stage – in my mind you get to see the leaders/peloton for a split second as they thunder by, or maybe a couple of seconds on the side of a mountain. Seems strange to me.. Please enlighten me about the experience!

Never really been a roadside spectator myself other than a couple of times, but as I understand it the attractions are:
1. You get pretty close to the riders, you can appreciate their speed etc in a way you can't on TV
2. Atmosphere in general
3. For the Tour - the build up of the caravan coming through, where you can assault small children for the chance to catch a disposable biro

At starts and finishes you might even get to say hello to a rider or get an autograph.

You won't get to know much of what's going on in the race unless you have some other means of following and can get a signal.

ridgerider

Helicopters... Its like Apocalypse Now but with bikes...

gsk82

I'm in Bareges on the tourmalet with PyreneesCycling.co.uk for the week. I think we'll see 3 stages and get a bit of riding in. I've only seen the tour when it was here in Yorkshire and a prologue and neutralise zone in Rotterdam.

dabber

gsk82 wrote:

I'm in Bareges on the tourmalet with PyreneesCycling.co.uk for the week. I think we'll see 3 stages and get a bit of riding in. I've only seen the tour when it was here in Yorkshire and a prologue and neutralise zone in Rotterdam.

Looks like there may need to be a route changes/diversions in the area due to the flood damage at Argeles-Gazost and up the Col d'Aubisque.

slowbike

we planned our summer holiday around seeing a stage.
Yes - it's fleeting - but the atmosphere is great and you do get to see the riders whizz past and generally make a lot of noise ..
I know some follow the route in their vans - not sure I'd go that far - but i'm happy to sit on the roadside for 1/2 a day once a year

gsk82

Dabber wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

I'm in Bareges on the tourmalet with PyreneesCycling.co.uk for the week. I think we'll see 3 stages and get a bit of riding in. I've only seen the tour when it was here in Yorkshire and a prologue and neutralise zone in Rotterdam.

Looks like there may need to be a route changes/diversions in the area due to the flood damage at Argeles-Gazost and up the Col d'Aubisque.

I hadn't heard about that. Thanks for the heads up. I was in bareges in 2013 the week before half of the village was wiped out by flooding. I hope it isn't that bad

dabber

gsk82 wrote:

Dabber wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

I'm in Bareges on the tourmalet with PyreneesCycling.co.uk for the week. I think we'll see 3 stages and get a bit of riding in. I've only seen the tour when it was here in Yorkshire and a prologue and neutralise zone in Rotterdam.

Looks like there may need to be a route changes/diversions in the area due to the flood damage at Argeles-Gazost and up the Col d'Aubisque.

I hadn't heard about that. Thanks for the heads up. I was in bareges in 2013 the week before half of the village was wiped out by flooding. I hope it isn't that bad

I've only read that in Cycling Weekly but presume it's right. We're in Bareges on 6th August so hope all routes are open.

tubaonwheels

We're in Sarzeau for the finish of Stage 4, then will be watching on the climb towards end of stage 6 at Mur de Bretagne. Also will catch them on stage 20 on Tourmalet.

gsk82

Dabber wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

Dabber wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

I'm in Bareges on the tourmalet with PyreneesCycling.co.uk for the week. I think we'll see 3 stages and get a bit of riding in. I've only seen the tour when it was here in Yorkshire and a prologue and neutralise zone in Rotterdam.

Looks like there may need to be a route changes/diversions in the area due to the flood damage at Argeles-Gazost and up the Col d'Aubisque.

I hadn't heard about that. Thanks for the heads up. I was in bareges in 2013 the week before half of the village was wiped out by flooding. I hope it isn't that bad

I've only read that in Cycling Weekly but presume it's right. We're in Bareges on 6th August so hope all routes are open.

My man in bareges says no problems there. It's all further down towards lourdes.

thegreatdivide

Craigus89 wrote:

So who is off to watch a stage/stages of the Tour this year? Which stages? What are your plans?

We are staying in Annecy for a week which overlaps with the rest day in Annecy and stages 9 & 10 which are fairly close by.

Stage 9 in-particular we're looking forward to, after looping around lake Annecy the route goes up the Col de la Croix Fry which is one of mine and my wifes favourite climbs. Looking at the route if you watched near the top of that climb you could easily descend down to the north and watch the finale in Le Grand Bornand which is at the bottom of the Colombiere.

Stage 11 finishes on Alpe d'Huez but I'm unsure on the logistics of watching that stage on the Alpe. Anyone been before? Presumably there is no chance of parking in the valley on the day and walking/cycling up?

I'm just back from another trip to La Giettaz (half way up the Aravis) so I know the area well.

Because there’s quite a lot of the route concentrated in the Grand Bo, La Clusaz, Saint Jean de Sixt area I reckon you’ll be faced with a lot of road closure restrictions – even for cyclists. I’ve seen the Gendarme get a bit handy with folk who thought they could just nip down the Col on their bikes.

IMO the best place to park yourself would be between the junction/corner on the D4 just after Saint Jean that heads to the Glieres and Grand Bo itself. That’s probably about 2k of road to move about on. This means you can watch them come off the Aravis descent and catch the finish, with an added chance of some milling about the team buses.

I watched them come over the Fry in 2013 in a thunder storm and they were exhausted (the autobus even stopped so they could all get their jackets on - Cav was fed up) so we got a great look at the riders, but they’ll be hammering it over this year with pretty fresh legs.

siddy1972

I’m in Roubaix with the family - any tips on where to watch? I’ll have a 4 and 6 year old in tow though, so getting far may be troublesome- I reckon with a couple of miles of Roubaix may work though.

Dorset_Boy

Looks like the Road Book is now available:
https://aso.wetransfer.com/downloads/32 ... 814/a53188

Paul 8v

I'm going to the Roubaix stage :-)

peteco

We are going to be at Le Bourg d'Oisans for a few days to see the end of Stage 12 somewhere on Alpe d'Huez, then the depart the next day to Valence.
We also will see them whizz past somewhere on stage 18 near Pau.

Pete