cycling on roads closed for the TDF

curium
curium Posts: 815
edited July 2014 in Pro race
A tour maker has told me that apparently you can cycle on the tour route the same day as the pros as long as you're ahead of the caravan.

Can anyone confirm if this is true?
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Comments

  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    I believe there is a course checking car a while ahead of the caravan and that is the point at which the road becomes closed to bikes and pedestrians. Not sure how far ahead of the caravan it is.
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,551
    For Yorkshire see: http://www.northyorks.gov.uk/article/29 ... on-the-day
    The intention is that cyclists and pedestrians will be able to access the closed roads up until the route is handed over to the race organisers. This will be approximately 1 hour before the arrival of the Tour's promotional caravan.

    Once the last police vehicle in the race convoy has passed after the race, cyclists can ride on the route again. The roads will stay closed to vehicles for a period to allow the crowds to leave. When it is safe to do so, official and operational vehicles will come on to the route to remove any infrastructure, clean the streets and collect staff before the road fully reopens.

    Normal rules of the road apply, so make sure you cycle on the correct side of the road. Even though the roads are closed to normal traffic, official and operational vehicles and emergency vehicles may be on the route, so be aware. Cyclists should ride safely and responsibly, and be mindful of vehicles, pedestrians and other road users on the route.

    Note the Caravan is scheduled to be about 2 hours before the actual riders come through. So you'll want to be in position and off the road at least three hours before the riders.
  • typekitty
    typekitty Posts: 188
    As a TourMaker, it was implied at training that you had to be one in order to get onto the roads before they were closed – so effectively the uniform is your all-access pass.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    3 hours before the race I can't see them stopping people cycling along the route - there are likely to be quite a few people and they can't stop/arrest them all - at worst you can just take a detour and rejoin the route further on.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • 11teeth
    11teeth Posts: 2
    It appears that the official line from Essex and Cambridgeshire councils is that riding on the Stage 3 route is not permitted once their roads are closed (around 7am, some eariler?). Seems a rather frustrating position when its encouraged up in Yorkshire. Does anyone have any local information on this? Perhaps in terms of the likelihood of getting kicked off the route if you try your luck? Was planning to get the first train out Liverpool Street station to Cambridge and ride the route as far as possible before the caravan catches up and then settle in for the show. As it's only a flat 150km I reckon it's possible to beat the caravan to central London, even the Mall if the start was early enough.
  • gattocattivo
    gattocattivo Posts: 500
    I was hoping to ride round the London bits in the morning. Is there anywhere we can get official information on this? Who is actually in charge?
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    That's usually the rule in France...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • gattocattivo
    gattocattivo Posts: 500
    "The route will not be available to ride after the road closures are put in or before the roads reopen."
    https://www.tfl.gov.uk/campaign/tour-de ... nformation
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,551
    Cambridge https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/le-tour-cambridge-route
    Roads will be closed to both vehicles and bicycles. Footpaths will be open to pedestrians - cyclists may dismount and wheel their cycles on foot. There will also be specially identified road crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists.

    Essex http://www.letouressex.com/en-gb/faq.aspx
    Can members of the public ride the route before or after the race?
    The roads that form the race route in Essex will close to traffic at 7.30 on Monday 7 July to ensure that the infrastructure needed for the event, including signage and safety barriers, can be installed safely. As a result, it won’t be possible for members of the public to cycle on the route while the roads are closed.
    However, Essex is a great county to cycle in and if you would like to emulate the cycling icons competing in the Tour de France, then you can. When not being used for the Tour, the roads will be open as normal, so cycle safely.


    London http://www.tfl.gov.uk/campaign/tour-de- ... tcmp=15545
    Most streets on and near the race route in London will be open on the morning of Monday 7 July until 10:00, when they will be closed. However, road closures need to come into effect earlier so that barriers and other event infrastructure can be installed to ensure the safety of competitors and spectators.

    All roads will be opened as quickly as possible after the events have finished from around 18:00.
  • gattocattivo
    gattocattivo Posts: 500
    "Essex is a great county to cycle in and if you would like to emulate the cycling icons competing in the Tour de France, then you can. When not being used for the Tour, the roads will be open as normal, so cycle safely."

    Excellent! So I could just cycle safely in Essex on another day, same as I do every week! I can't wait!
  • curium
    curium Posts: 815
    This country is run by fcuking kill joys! I'm really upset by this.

    The London stage will be over in a flash no matter where you view from. The Mall will be packed with no access to riders it sounds like. The riders will transfer straight to France so there will be no hotels to stakeout or training rides to follow.

    TV really will be the best place to catch this stage from except I've never seen the TDF live so how can I as a Londoner not turn out to see them whizz by!

    The only ray of hope was the chance to cycle through the Limehouse Link Tunnel (without traffic) down to the embankment to wait for the riders.

    I hope you northerners remember this next time you're biting about the Tour of the Southeast!!! Swings & fcuking roundabouts! :evil:

    I may have to give thought to getting a train up to Sheffield on Saturday night and rough sleeping to watch them come through on Sunday. Will wait and see what the forecast looks like...
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    curium wrote:
    The riders will transfer straight to France so there will be no hotels to stakeout or training rides to follow.

    What a disaster. Bang goes my Contador plan.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,224
    curium wrote:
    The riders will transfer straight to France so there will be no hotels to stakeout or training rides to follow.

    What a disaster. Bang goes my Contador plan.

    Probably a good idea, FF.

    The chances of being able to get into his room AND there being a four-poster bed to hide on are unlikely.
  • woody1545
    woody1545 Posts: 322
    I've done it a few times in France. Basically start at the crack of dawn, ride the route and have a beer waiting for them to rock up. What surprised me is that nobody else seems to do it! Yorkshire might be a different story. Have fun.
  • woody1545
    woody1545 Posts: 322
    I've done it a few times in France. Basically start at the crack of dawn, ride the route and have a beer waiting for them to rock up. What surprised me is that nobody else seems to do it! Yorkshire might be a different story. Have fun.
  • zx6man
    zx6man Posts: 1,092
    Local council (Leeds) info says 30 mins before the caravan arrives roads will still be open for cyclists
  • philwint
    philwint Posts: 763
    zx6man wrote:
    Local council (Leeds) info says 30 mins before the caravan arrives roads will still be open for cyclists

    Yup - seems very hard of the southern fans :(

    My biggest problem now is whether i can fit a baguette, bottle of wine and slab of camembert into my jersey pocket for Holme Moss, of if I'll need to take a rucksack!
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,551
    philwint wrote:
    zx6man wrote:
    Local council (Leeds) info says 30 mins before the caravan arrives roads will still be open for cyclists

    Yup - seems very hard of the southern fans :(

    My biggest problem now is whether i can fit a baguette, bottle of wine and slab of camembert into my jersey pocket for Holme Moss, of if I'll need to take a rucksack!

    Surely the wine can go in your bottle cage...
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    dish_dash wrote:
    philwint wrote:
    zx6man wrote:
    Local council (Leeds) info says 30 mins before the caravan arrives roads will still be open for cyclists

    Yup - seems very hard of the southern fans :(

    My biggest problem now is whether i can fit a baguette, bottle of wine and slab of camembert into my jersey pocket for Holme Moss, of if I'll need to take a rucksack!

    Surely the wine can go in your bottle cage...

    Old school. I like it.
    oopsmark.ca-wine-bike-rack.jpeg
    il_fullxfull.284796919.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • philwint
    philwint Posts: 763
    Old school. I like it.

    Amazing :)

    But dish_dash is right, can't believe i didn't think of that.......
  • zx6man
    zx6man Posts: 1,092
    heading up with clarion folks Phil?
  • ducknumber1
    ducknumber1 Posts: 1,155
    philwint wrote:
    zx6man wrote:
    Local council (Leeds) info says 30 mins before the caravan arrives roads will still be open for cyclists

    Yup - seems very hard of the southern fans :(

    My biggest problem now is whether i can fit a baguette, bottle of wine and slab of camembert into my jersey pocket for Holme Moss, of if I'll need to take a rucksack!

    I will definitely going rucksack, biggest decision is if I can carry a camping chair over my shoulders too.
  • philwint
    philwint Posts: 763
    zx6man wrote:
    heading up with clarion folks Phil?

    No more of a family(s) day out for me. The Clarion boys are heading to Oxenhope I think.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    curium wrote:
    The riders will transfer straight to France so there will be no hotels to stakeout or training rides to follow.

    What a disaster. Bang goes my Contador plan.

    Get yourself to Cambridge on Sunday night.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,091
    dish_dash wrote:
    philwint wrote:
    zx6man wrote:
    Local council (Leeds) info says 30 mins before the caravan arrives roads will still be open for cyclists

    Yup - seems very hard of the southern fans :(

    My biggest problem now is whether i can fit a baguette, bottle of wine and slab of camembert into my jersey pocket for Holme Moss, of if I'll need to take a rucksack!

    Surely the wine can go in your bottle cage...

    I've long since been convinced that the standard wine bottle set the diameter for bottle cages, and was proof that the French were the source of all that is good in cycling. As I've got older and wiser, I've also taken it as proof that wine should be considered a sports drink and an essential part of any serious post-ride recovery...
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Though probably unlikely, I feel that some serious, long-term research should be done regarding this hypothesis.
  • term1te
    term1te Posts: 1,462
    Cycled to Porrentruy for a stage finish a few years back with my son and his friend. The most direct route included the last 10km of the stage, which we rode along a couple of hours before the pros. It was great getting the cheers from the early spectators, although they did pull us to the side a couple of hundred meters from the finish, just as we were building up speed for the sprint. The boys loved it, that's the way to get the next generation into the sport.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    hammerite wrote:
    curium wrote:
    The riders will transfer straight to France so there will be no hotels to stakeout or training rides to follow.

    What a disaster. Bang goes my Contador plan.

    Get yourself to Cambridge on Sunday night.

    Just checked, you can get 2 for the price of 1. Stalk Contador and nobble Froome. Sky and Tinkoff are staying in the same Marriott in Peterborough.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Sounds like a plan.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Sounds like a plan.

    Does your rhubarb rustle on a Contador stalk?
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.