Thinking of doing the Mega again this year. The only time I’ve done it before was in a chalet with lots of others about 10 years ago. This time I’m thinking of road tripping it down in my van, maybe pick up the tour for a day on the way down. Does anyone know if there’s any spots I can camp in my van for free nearby?

Wilding at Alpe D’huez is a no go, the gendarmes will move you on to the aire de camping.

You might have some joy further up the valley to Les2Alpe or on the D530 towards Venosc as there’s some layby’s near the river.

My vote would be just use the Camping Municipal at Allemont, it’s around 6E per night inc. showers and a locked gate etc. there’s a bus up to the top from my memory or to Oz Station/Vaujany. it’s a 15-20 min ride on the flat to Bourg.

There is free camping by the DMC lift is there not?

Not in my experience, we got there late on night in summer and had the feds knocking on the door at 5am moving us on. we were just near the DMC lift.

They don’t like it as there is a 10E a night Aire in the town.

We wild camped on the roundabout out back of the town for like a week for the Tour de France no one said a word to us or anyone else staying there!

LeTour is different but the Dutch will get there first!

Loads of people camping under the DMC loft all race week.

Shower in the pool for one Euro too.

cheers chaps i suppose I could give the camping under the lift a go first and if moved on will try out a few of those campsites.

I’d be amazed if you are, there are probably 50-100 people under there all week, every week i’ve been there.

Yes, me too. For the last coupe of years I have been it’s been pretty busy, even some of the smaller teams had their camper vans parked up there. It’s a great location to get up the hill quickly too.

Stayed in that Allemont place 25ish years ago. Rode ADH on my Raleigh Apex complete with flex stem, nearly died…..also did what turned out to be a 60 mile ride over two mountains with a load of Dutch roadies, I was on the Apex with knobblies, can only presume something got lost in translation! I wasn’t last to the top though!

Humourous clothing etc at 3:35 in this home video. (Later on was me doing the Criox de Fer from the campsite and back, crashed at one point understeering off a road, luckily mountain side, not drop..)

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9yCtSCopZo[/video]