Are you allowed to fall in cycling behind the tour as it passes so you can ride the route with all of the people still milling about the roads and the general atmos with banners/displays etc?
I could imagine that quite a few would want to do this so it would be quite busy and possible dangerous but can’t imagine how they would stop people. Thoughts?

how long are you planning to keep up with them for….

Presumably you’d need to wait for the lantern rouge or whatever the broom wagon’s called and the fnisish is probably closed off so they can dissmantle the finishline and extract the green edge bus.

So assuming you set off as soon as they’d started, you’d be 2-3 hours behind them at the finish, not sure how long the atmosphere lasts once they’re passed, if you want to ride through a load of shouty drunk people just grab some lights and go into town on a Saturday night.

@frank – I wasn’t at all 🙂 we’re likely to be on them ancient 26″ wheeled bikes, just thought it would be fun to be amongst all the people on the route for a few miles, then have a pint and some lunch!

I believe that once the caravan has passed everyone basically buggers off, why wouldn’t you!? So you’ll actually be attempting to ride behind the thousands of spectators who are now trying to get home.

njee20 – Member
I believe that once the caravan has passed everyone basically buggers off, why wouldn’t you!? So you’ll actually be attempting to ride behind the thousands of spectators who are now trying to get home

^^ this, and invaribly coming at you.. It’ll be harder than riding through treacle.

The roads will stay shut until the riders have all past and the spectators have safely dispersed. Only then will the roads reopen.

So basically – no you can’t!

Well arguably if you follow on behind your ARE spectators dispersing.

You can do it in France, because I’ve done it, but you’ll never be able to do it in the UK due to our unrealistic expectations of security and risk, and inherent jobsworthiness.

I’ve done this a number of times in France and it’s fine although it does depend if you are going with or against the flow.

Col de le madeleine, I arrived later than planned so had to wait on the lower slopes until after the caravanne, tour riders and then broom wagon had passed (the official rear-end of the tour). Once this had gone the spectators dispersed pretty quicky as I ‘followed’ the riders up the 21k climb to 2,000 metres.

Alternatively, when I was at the top of alpe d’huez and wanted to get back to Bourg d’Oisins at the same time as about 300,000 other people it took a long time (although it was still much quicker than walking or in a car).

As matey boy says up there it will probably be totally different if you are thinking of doing this in the UK

Did this on part of the Olympic TT route in 2012, including the start/finish. It was great fun, including getting cheered on by thousands of pissed up spectators.

The marshals were told it was OK to let people ride. But obvioulsy its a different lot organising the TdF.

The marshals were told it was OK to let people ride. But obvioulsy its a different lot organising the TdF.

We tried to do it after the Olympic road race. We’d already hung around for at least 20 minutes after the race had gone through, just sitting in a cafe.

Then we tried to get onto the route (barriers were opened up in places to allow the crowds to disperse) and we were stopped from following the road the race had gone down because (and I quote) “you might catch them up”.

Now fair enough, the marshals were probably just following instructions but we did point out the logic flaw there in catching up the world’s fastest riders when they had a 20-30 minute lead over us…

So I can’t imagine the TdF is going to be any more lenient in that respect and, as mentioned, the roads will be so congested anyway by then.

You can do it in France, because I’ve done it.

So have I. In 2006 I was MTBing in Morzine with friends. We made our way up to the Col du Ranfolly and watch the testosterone-addled Landis cheat his way to victory. Once the riders and caravan had gone past we rode back into town, mostly on the road.

To be honest, we didn’t think of it as ‘riding the route’, we were just trying to get back into Morzine (and into a bar) before everyone else.

http://road.cc/content/news/120600-bob-brayshaw-interview-inside-tour-de-france-machine-grand-départs-head-safety

Roads closed to cyclists half hour before caravan passes
Road.cc: A lot of cyclists are planning on riding to their viewing point, possibly on the Tour route once it’s been closed to motor traffic. Will this be possible and how long before the caravan/race passes will roads be closed to cyclists?

Bob Brayshaw: Cyclists and pedestrians will be able to use the route up until 30 minutes before the caravan arrives. Along the route pedestrian access will be available through stewarded crossing points.

Although the route must be clear half an hour before the caravan coming through, about two hours before the race, this guidance may change on the day for operational reasons. Follow the advice of stewards to stay safe. If you are planning to take your bike with you, plan to make it your primary mode of transport, so ride it to and from the Tour.

Seems pretty much like you can ride a bike on the closed roads, but not drive car, up until 30mins before the caravan comes through, the timings are all on the Tour Grand Depart website – here: http://letour.yorkshire.com/the-grand-depart-2014/timings

Reading around, it’s pretty much the same on the way out – the roads will be shut until it is safe to open them, there will be loads of people trying to get around and back home, so depending on which section it is, you might find that you are fighting against the tide or with the crowd on the day, but the road is likely to be open again, at least at some points, by the time you get round to Harrogate.

on my volunteer itinerary it say I will be expected to be on my route marshall spot in Cambridge from 6:45 until 17:00

I expect this to be the tours slowest day if they don’t get to me by 5 PM

Higgo, I was up there that day too

(sorry for the blurred pic)

Me too, me too. Although I didn’t get a picture of Mr Landis until I infiltrated the start village next day: https://www.flickr.com/photos/elliot100/196880983/in/set-72157594209740037 Smug git.

Elliot, that’s probably cos I was up there with you! (and Huey and Sue and ‘Dirk’)

I was there on Landis day though although on Joux Plane.

in contrary to the higher mentionned 30 minutes before race roads do get closed earlier than that often especially on busy spectator points or hills. Joux Plane final climb so 4pm passage of riders was closed for cars before I showed up at 4 am after an all night drive. the closed for cyclists at 6 a.m. though those already on the mountain where free to cycle up and down for a long time after. On another just passing stage on a 5 dent in the road we decided to go for a swim in the lake about two hours before the race we wanted to get back to our mates. We where told to walk, which obviously we didn’t we got pulled over not much further on we tried again and where informed by some friendly spectators les flics where radioing ahead and close to beiing arrested after our 4th warnin(we where still 4k from where we needed to be). Luckily i spoke the language though its long walking the 4 k walk of shame on your socks(wel we did cut the hairpins through the fields maybe greeting the cows.

Not quite – ISTR you sensibly stayed near the top of the lift, whereas we did an epically sweaty carry/push to what seemed like the top of an Alp and then rode (or slid on my a*se in my case) down some horrific vertical wall of scree and gorse bushes to the Joux Plane…

ah yes, it’s all coming back to me now. I stand corrected.

We had the better time 😆 😉

my experience in the alps last year was that the roads were closed to traffic about four hours before the caravan arrived, but were still open to cyclists for a couple of hours. after that we were made to get off and push.

after the race it was an almighty scramble to get off the mountain (in the opposite direction to the way the riders had gone) by any means possible. no idea how we would have got on trying to follow the riders up the mountain with the crowds coming back down towards us

in yorkshire the impression I get is of overbearing officialdom closing roads far too early and by implication probably opening them again far too late

tbf to the yorkies it was a bit like that after the olympic road race on box hill with stewards trying to keep spectators off the road well after the race had gone through for the final time

perhaps we panic and revert to extreme bossiness in this country?

This is scary as I htink I went skiing with Elliot100 some (many) years ago. This is a small world…

That’s right – must have been well over a decade ago!

So have I. In 2006 I was MTBing in Morzine with friends. We made our way up to the Col du Ranfolly and watch the testosterone-addled Landis cheat his way to victory. Once the riders and caravan had gone past we rode back into town, mostly on the road.

I was there on Landis day though although on Joux Plane.

small world. 2006 me n munqe chick went and rode in chatel when all our holiday mates sacked the day riding to watch the tour. As we got back to Avoriaz we saw the helicopters coming up the valley. Cue mad road descent from Avoriaz into morzine on totally empty roads (on FS with body armour and full faces), into centre of Morzine and (bizarrely) close to the finish line. Struggling to get a view a parked Moto rider gestured for MC to stand on the back of his bike, which she did. Minutes later Landis crosses the line arms aloft for the now infamous win.

Rode up on MTBs to watch LA blow up on the Joux Plane (2002 IIRC) and the roads were SOLID with spectators when the race/caravan had passed.

Also rode much of the closed olympic road course on the sunday morning before the womens race started, only thing we got from marshalls was cheers and applause.

Wow. Had to look it up. 14 years ago (Jan 2000).

Set off early, ride the route before the caravans and on closed roads! My best mates doing it, she’s v excited! I’m not tho as just had a new baby.
Roads r closed to cars ages b4 caravans go thru’ but open to cyclists up to 30 mins before.

You can, you will need to be behind the final police rider. However since you won’t be able to keep up, you will soon find oncoming riders as described above.