Stage 19 – Albertville / Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc – we are staying near the finish.

Want to get a good spot to park my camper on a climb BUT not to the point where we kip out on a mountain overnight OR have to walk/cycle a while. I was thinking to avoid the finish and instead drive up towards the top of the days big climb Montée de Bisanne which is 50k from the finish. The caravan is supposed to get there about 14:00.

If we got there about 10:00 how likely will we be able to park up somewhere good to get pre-loaded with wine and cheese?

what are your tips?

Not a chance.

You also need to look at when the road closures commence too, that usually precedes the caravan by a fair bit from memory.

How are you going to get enough beer up there?

you need to be there 36 hours ahead of the race to get a space for a camper

what are your tips?

You need a mankini for when you’re running alongside the peloton.

oh and don’t stand on the inside of the corner on the road

Might need to try and find the road closure time then …

You need a mankini for when you’re running alongside the peloton.

I have a stuffed pig

and space for beer is not a problem

I have a stuffed pig

Dave? Dave? Is that you Dave? You’re still supposed to be running the country for the next few weeks.

Some good info generally and stage specific here. As others have said, if you want to get a camper up, you really need to be going up day before, not least because there won’t be any spaces left if you don’t. For many of the major climbs the road will close the day before, though not clear if the Bisanne is one of those but many of the roads around stage 19 seem to start closing at 5am.

My tip is it is loads better on the telly.

You need a mankini for when you’re running alongside the peloton

The marker you’re trying to beat is wearing traditional holding a stuffed duck riding on a stuffed boar from last year.

My tip is it is loads better on the telly

But you don’t get lots of free sweets and cheese samples when you watch it on the tele

Bottle of red wine, stick of bread, comfy seat. Turn on TV. 🙂

You get to see the whole stage then.

No idea on getting a spot but if you do manage to get up there, watch out for Froomes left. It’s a bit potent.

Slightly off topic, but…

Will the Les Gets lifts be open to take you up to Joux Plaine this year perhaps. Ranfolly is very close and Nauchets isn’t too far away.

My tip is it is loads better on the telly.

No it isn’t

Best tip is to have a sister in law who happens to own a place in St Gervais right on the tdf route! I couldn’t believe it when I found out so I’m flying over to Geneva this Weds for a couple of weeks.

We’ve got a studio booked in Megeve where it passes on two stages. Woohoo. Then a mad dash to Paris on the TGV to watch it in the Champs Elysées.

Anyone from the evening?

@igm nauchetts runs in the summer, top of the bike park (note if you look at IGN maps the ski lifts marked in purple are the ones which normally run in the summer). Ranfouilly doesn’t run – I can also tell you its not worth the climb up the gravel track to the arrete as its not ridable down 😳

OP as above you’d have to be on the climb 1-2 days before. If you have bikes park in Les Gets and either ride up or take the lifts then ride round to Lac Joux Plane and down a bit. Take backpacks full of food, beverages and sun screen. just seen you are in St-Gervais but similar rules apply, maybe there is a cheeky route on mtb’s down from Les Houches lift

Update for anyone interested. I emailed the ski station at Bisanne 1500 about road closure on Montee de Bisanne:

The road between Bisanne 1500, Les Saisies and Bellecombe will be close between 12h and 17h10.

So shut at 12:00 according to this, which is in line with the finish, apart from the final climb which is shut at 05:00.