Going to the Tour

Lichtblick
Lichtblick Posts: 1,434
edited March 2014 in Pro race
To my astonishment, I'm going to the Tour this year, and in France. If all planning so far works out, I'll see three stages with hopefully, two stage finishes and two stage starts. This will/may mean moving base - but we might make base inbetween the two. (base = overnight accommodation)

I am so excited I can hardly concentrate on anything else. So far I've booked my flights to+from, and am leaving up to the others to find the base or bases to stay in.

This is what I've been told to expect:

* early start to get to Start Towns starts
* late finish on those days to see finishes and get back to base
* be prepared for up to five miles (!) of walking from nearest possible place to park car, to somewhere to see action, and the same to get back to car (!!) (not too happy about that) (actually, not at all happy about that)
* driving around on little back roads to get to next action-viewing
* if it rains on those days, tough
* where to wee? no idea, tough
* take food and drink

Anything else I should prepare for? I'm up for this, of course. The dates are fixed and therefore the stages.

Comments

  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Lichtblick wrote:
    To my astonishment, I'm going to the Tour this year, and in France. If all planning so far works out, I'll see three stages with hopefully, two stage finishes and two stage starts. This will/may mean moving base - but we might make base inbetween the two. (base = overnight accommodation)

    I am so excited I can hardly concentrate on anything else. So far I've booked my flights to+from, and am leaving up to the others to find the base or bases to stay in.

    This is what I've been told to expect:

    * early start to get to Start Towns starts
    * late finish on those days to see finishes and get back to base
    * be prepared for up to five miles (!) of walking from nearest possible place to park car, to somewhere to see action, and the same to get back to car (!!) (not too happy about that) (actually, not at all happy about that)
    * driving around on little back roads to get to next action-viewing
    * if it rains on those days, tough
    * where to wee? no idea, tough
    * take food and drink

    Anything else I should prepare for? I'm up for this, of course. The dates are fixed and therefore the stages.



    OK, so firstly, which 3 stages?
  • Lichtblick
    Lichtblick Posts: 1,434
    Hi

    8 9 and 10 - can't do anything about that.

    8: finish
    9: start and finish
    10: start

    Sat 12th, Sun 13th, Mon 14th July.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,200
    Well stage 10 should be nice and quiet and easy anyway. Nothing's ever happened on the 14th of July in France apart from the one time a few rowdies stormed a prison, but that was a long time ago and everybody's forgotten about it by now.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Lichtblick wrote:

    *
    * be prepared for up to five miles (!) of walking from nearest possible place to park car, to somewhere to see action, and the same to get back to car (!!) (not too happy about that) (actually, not at all happy about that)
    *
    .

    park and sleep on the course is the best option
  • Lichtblick
    Lichtblick Posts: 1,434
    I don't do roughing it. ;-)
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    take a bike?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Lichtblick
    Lichtblick Posts: 1,434
    Good idea, but I'm flying there.....
  • Lichtblick
    Lichtblick Posts: 1,434
    AFAICS, stage 8 finishes in Gerardmer, tick
    stage 9 starts in Gerardmer, tick
    stage 9 ends in Mulhouse, tick
    stage 10 starts starts in Mulhouse, tick.

    The base should be therefore somewhere between Gerardmer and Mulhouse - or - move base.

    Experienced Tour attendees may be blasé about my excitement. Ok.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    with not time to ride any other days I s'pose....

    Skateboard? ;)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • no offence but stop being a prima donna and join the rest of us ( millions +) who have been doing it year after year from all over the world

    if you cant walk 5 miles to see this spectacle you might be better at an air show ....or Top Gear
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    So pleased for you Lichtblick. Give us a full run down of your experience when you are back (plus piccies!)
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • Lichtblick
    Lichtblick Posts: 1,434
    no offence but stop being a prima donna and join the rest of us ( millions +) who have been doing it year after year from all over the world

    if you cant walk 5 miles to see this spectacle you might be better at an air show ....or Top Gear

    Meh. :shock:
  • Lichtblick
    Lichtblick Posts: 1,434
    So pleased for you Lichtblick. Give us a full run down of your experience when you are back (plus piccies!)

    Hey thanks! :D Piccies when I get back will be several stages later, but I'll bear it in mind.
  • Booner69
    Booner69 Posts: 31
    My missus, likes cafes, shops, toilets, shelter, sleep and doesn't like walking and waiting in the middle of nowhere. I don't mind and love the Tour.... so we compromise and go to Paris to watch it and I get bonus husbandry and fathership points :-)
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    One obvious point is that if you get there super early then park then obviously you won't have to walk so far. Is it possible to park up then mooch around looking at something French for the day, watch the race in a bar with a Pastis and then go to the roadside?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,099
    I'd be astonished if you had to park as far as 5 miles from the start and/or finish points. I've never had to walk much more than a mile or so.
    Team My Man 2022:

    Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
  • lucan2
    lucan2 Posts: 293
    Likewise, I have never had to walk more than 1/2 a mile - which is good, because 'er indoors doesn't rough it so i have to carry chairs, umbrellas, picnic hamper and the coldbox with the wine.

    Plan where you'll watch and approach it from the side of the route. I usually get to the point where the road is closed, park and walk from there. That's usually a hundred metres or so from the route.