Paris-Roubaix 2012

Welcome to the site!

I've never tried to watch Paris-Roubaix from the side of the road and I think you'll get by far the best view from the TV. I'm hoping to go this year and my plan at present is to watch it on the TV at the velodrome, rather than to stand along the route. Because it's an A to B race you have to get ahead of the riders, watch them pass and then drive ahead to see them further up, otherwise you only get one look, and they go by very fast! I've done this at several races around here and it's bad enough when you know your way around, especially with road closures as well. To get ahead of them on roads you don't know, with a lot of traffic about would be hard, I would think. If you don't want to go to the velodrome maybe just choose a location along the route (Arenberg, for example), watch them scream past, then go and find a bar to watch the rest. Other tips would be to pack lots of sandwiches, rain gear, something to pass the time while waiting, maybe even a little folding stool so you're not standing for ages.

Enjoy!

Get a road map and race route map and aim to get to several sections of pave - is do-able but hard and you'll need a good navigator. Get to the start, kick some tyres, take some photos, head off and do what you can do avoid traffic jams and road blocks. It's a great day out.

OK much of what I am about to say will depend on the size of the vehicle you use. Lets' assume that it's a people carrier or large estate car.
On Friday go to either Arenberg or Carrefor de L'Arbre you'll see lots of Pros on final tests. This is Good Friday in 2012 so campsites may be full.
On Saturday go to Compiegne by lunch time as the start promos begin at about 2-30 with the Team Presentation. Park as far away as safe, bearing in mind you will have bikes and THERE WILL BE THIEVES ABOUT. Deliberate caps.
The presentations take place outisde the Palace at the Avenue Royal, some Team buses park close some park at the large roundabout a kilometre or so along the avenue.
Check Google maps and you'll see.
Check Letour.fr web site as sometimes the Team hotels are listed. If not use saturday morning to check out the local Novotel, Campanile etc.
Go to the hotels after the presentations and you will see final prep. I watched one rider spend 20 minutes checking his saddle height in 2004, it was fascinating. Mind-bogglingly boring for anyone else but I loved it.
He was previous winner so you get to understand how important comfort is on the day.
On Sunday morning park where you did the previous afternoon in the direction you will be leaving. If you park at the end of the avenue royal you may not be blocked in.
Aim to see everything but leave about 15 minutes before the start. Check the web site in case the start time has changed owing to the weather, remember the small caravan leaves about 15 mins before race start

Now at troisville syou have a few choices.
1 The start of the pave.
Park to the right of the pave start to leave early.
The fighting at the start takes place about 50 metres before the start and you will see elbows, bunnyhopping over kerbs and all sorts.
2 The middle
The stage crossed the main N road so you want to be beyond the buildings and park up the slight rise. Couple of choices here.
It's downhill to the main road, it's fast and there will be break away so you want to be parked ready to disappear if the break is longer than 5 minutes as this will affect your choices of later stages.
on the northern side it's a slight rise to a 90 dgree off camber left hander. The world's press will be here and so will everybody else. It's about a k walk back to the main road and you will then hit traffic and against team cars flying along at 100k per hour along the pave. It will be dangerous.
3 the end of Secteur 1
Park in Inchy
You will be delayed here after the race so again this is the choice if you want to miss Arenberg and Orchies later BUT
the end of the pave is downhill and there are massive ruts just before the downhill and you can see for a good k down the hill and up a slight rise.
You could also walk to the 90 deg bend in 2 above.
Leaving the secteur back along the route walking is very dangerous as team cars come off the pave onto tar at 100kph+ and are very unstable. There is a tarmac 90 right at the nd of some houses and in 2005 I saw an Espace, a team car and 2 motorbike gendarmes all trying to get around the bend using the same piece of tarmac. I swear the team car with a dozen bikes was on two wheels. Twas brilliant!

I've had to rejoin as site wasn't letting me in hence the newbie references

This is great stuff, we are also going this year with the kids. My 10 year old said he really wanted to go and watch P-R this year. He wasn't even prompted... chapeau!

So... Compiegne for the t-15 mins start, then out to the first roundabout.

From there, we want to get well ahead to some cobbles. I need a safety margin on time, bearing in mind my youngest will be 7 and so we can't guarantee high speed course-to-car transfers, and I don't want to drive like a maniac. Where would you recommend? Do you think it is possible to get to two further spots?

Thanks - this is our first time to the classics and I need to give everyone a cracking day out... then we might be able to go again next year!

Neil
Try and do the presentation on the saturday from about 2 pm it's well worth it.
On the sunday I would do the start, kmO then Pave sector 1 at Inchy. There's a great viewing point that's well up off the road on either side. That's important because you want to be on the correct side if it's dusty so you don't get covered.
Wait until the whole peloton and the caravan has passed and then go back to the autoroute at Cambrai and take your time to travel to Carrefour de L'Arbre. I suggest the autoroute so you can make any pitstop required at a reasonable services rather than just go alongside the route as most frenchmen, and women, seem prepared to do!
Most, likely, winners seem to put the hammer down on the sector before the L'Arbre (4?) rather than on the Gruson sector so I would aim for that. There is a rough track that will take you into the middle of either sector but it will be easier to get away from the middle of sector 4 rather than Gruson-3.
The itinerary is usually on the letour.fr site about a fortnight before the event but as it's always by description of roads it might need a bit of interpretation to understand on google maps. Ask if you want nearer the time.
Hope that helps.