TdF Prologue - watching; where, and when arrive

ajevans
ajevans Posts: 373
edited July 2007 in Pro race
Apologies if this topic has already been covered, I couldn't find the threads.

Firstly where would be the best place to watch the prologue from?

Secondly what time would be a sensible time to arrive?

The first is rather subjective, and second is hard to gauge, but I would appreciate your opinions

Comments

  • dave35
    dave35 Posts: 1,124
    Best place would be Hyde Park, you can see it all on the big screens and walk round some of the course from there.
  • richa
    richa Posts: 1,631
    Arrive early if you want spot on the railings. Later if you don't minbd being further back.

    Take a camping chair, sit and enjoy the build up...



    Rich
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    Rich
  • ajevans
    ajevans Posts: 373
    How early is early?
  • canon dale
    canon dale Posts: 212
    We're on the first train from Loughboro at 6:20, expect to be in the smoke for 8:10 and in place by 11:00 ish in hope that'll give a fair to good spot.

    Mr camping chair will be with us and be our best friend!
    "If you build it, they will come"
  • richa
    richa Posts: 1,631
    The official time schedule is...
    <font face="Courier New">
    Caravane...13:00
    First......15:00
    Last.......18:08
    </font id="Courier New">
    http://www.letour.fr/2007/TDF/COURSE/us ... ape_0.html

    Reckon in place by 11ish should be fine.

    Rich
    <font size="1"><font color="green">Etape2007.Blogspot.Com</font id="green"></font id="size1">
    <font size="1"><font color="red">Map Surrey Hills Project</font id="red"></font id="size1">
    Rich
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by RichA</i>

    The official time schedule is...
    <font face="Courier New">
    Caravane...13:00
    First......15:00
    Last.......18:08
    </font id="Courier New">
    http://www.letour.fr/2007/TDF/COURSE/us ... ape_0.html

    Reckon in place by 11ish should be fine.

    Rich
    <font size="1"><font color="green">Etape2007.Blogspot.Com</font id="green"></font id="size1">
    <font size="1"><font color="red">Map Surrey Hills Project</font id="red"></font id="size1">

    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    These are the times quoted on the TDF website, does anyone know, are they definitely local times i.e. BST or are they French time or CET?
    The TDF website isn't clear on this
  • dave35
    dave35 Posts: 1,124
    I've seen the prologue before, and it's not that difficult to get a spot later than 11 a.m. instead of staying in the same place, walk round the course and there will be spaces to see the riders, take a coolbag with some food and beer in and enjoy the day.Head into covent garden after for dinner and a few more beers-great.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    Also does anyone who's been to a prologue before know if you can get something that tells you the order of the riders at the race itself - or if they publish it on the internet the day before.

    (I want to bore my non-cycling fan friends about the riders as they come through)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    I've also seen the prologue before and agree with dave35 that it's not usually that difficult to get a spot when the event is on, instead of arriving somewhere years early and staying in the same place - unless you want to make a real long picnic of the day, like people do along the route of the mountain stages.

    Though I suppose it may be more crowded than a prologue on the Continent, because it's such a big and unusual thing for the UK and for British cyclists.

    And also agree with dave35 that it's best to walk part of the course (including start and finish) so you get to see a bit of everything. Perhaps do start and finish early on (before the favoured riders take off, when it's less crowded thereabouts) and then settle down at some nice bit in one of the parks to have your picnic and await the main contenders. Around the start area is normally the only chance you have to see the riders or their bikes close-up and relatively motionless.

    I suppose it's also possible moving around a lot might not be easy - the British police and authorities always seem to go overboard in control measures compared to their counterparts at similar events abroad, and this might restrict how free you are to move around.

    I've known the starting order by buying that morning's local regional paper, though I imagine it may be also published in that morning's L'Equipe and nowadays available on Internet a day or two beforehand.
  • monty_dogcp
    monty_dogcp Posts: 382
    The only exclusion to the above is if you want to get a spot by the start ramp - you'll need to get there early and stay there judging by the crowds I've seen as previous events.
  • as50215
    as50215 Posts: 78
    Just a quick question about our plans, a place in car has come up so now I can come up for the tour :) we plan on driving up to Hounslow West and jumping on the tube straight to hyde park corner, does this sound ok to people that know the area well ?
  • Rob Sallnow
    Rob Sallnow Posts: 6,279
    as50215 wrote:
    Just a quick question about our plans, a place in car has come up so now I can come up for the tour :) we plan on driving up to Hounslow West and jumping on the tube straight to hyde park corner, does this sound ok to people that know the area well ?

    http://www.tourdefrancelondon.com/pdf/d ... ue-map.pdf

    This map says under Hyde Park Corner that access may be restricted.
    I'd rather walk than use Shimano
  • as50215
    as50215 Posts: 78
    Thanks for the reply but its an exit only station for crowd control so going back just have to walk to next station :)
  • nirveous
    nirveous Posts: 79
    Yep, I'm going to Hyde Park. That's right, I'm from MBUK, but I'm going to watch some roadying.
  • honeythief
    honeythief Posts: 32
    does anyone think there will be some "quiet" parts on the route?
  • PutneyJoe
    PutneyJoe Posts: 242
    Anyone know what time Wiggins and Millar will ride? I've got to pick up my son from a fricken birthday party in the afternoon and then rush up there. But I don't want to miss their rides so tv is the other option.
  • red_tom
    red_tom Posts: 1,266
    I'm going for the corner of Parliment sq nearest Parliment. There's a big screen there and should hopefully get a good view of the riders coming down Whitehall and navigating the square. Camping out from 11am (I'm 6' 5'', ginger and incredibly spenno Rapha top that my missus bought me for our anniversary if anyone else is around there.)
    __________________________________________________________________
    Part ninja, all ginger.
  • Totalnewbie
    Totalnewbie Posts: 932
    Am currently wondering whether to cycle over to Hyde Park and leave bike in one of the parking spots (only live about 3 miles away) or whether crowds make that a bad idea.

    Thinking about it, am not sure I could be bothered to get there very early though as I'll be on my own and there's a limit to how long I can kill time before getting bored...
  • davesnothere
    davesnothere Posts: 620
    I'm a mountain biker too but I follow le tour

    and seeing as it's passing less than a mile from my house it would be rude to not ride over and watch it roll past
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