Watching The Tour de France.

This is on my bucket list. I’d be going over probably for four nights and doing some road or MTB riding also. I assume best thing is wait for the route and then scramble for accommodation? Any recommendations for locations would be welcome. I’d love to spend a day on one of the iconic climbs and cycle around that area in the forthcoming days.

Although as dull as ditchwater on TV, by far the best experience watching the race live was a time trial. Took bikes and then daisy-chained the route.

In contrast, have watched the peloton bimble through town at Sunday morning social pace like they were in the neutral zone.

Generally, however, spectating at the Spring Classics is much more satisfying.

There’s been a few threads on this subject. Only one I could find on a very quick forum search was this:

Watching the TdF?

but there’s definitely a few more knocking around. I’ll have a proper look later.

We’ve been a few times, excellent every time. First time was at a roadside somewhere near to Amiens. I had spent hours looking on maps / streetview to get a viewpoint that was close to a cafe, as well as good views, it worked out really well. The Caravan is a spectacle on its own, and takes around a hour to pass through.
2nd time we did just the same near to Gerardsbergen in Belgium, stood straight opposite a bar, and it was a really good spot, though the peloton passed through in seconds. Third time we went to the start, which was different, in that we saw little of the riders, far too many people there, but we got Peter Sagans autograph on a postcard, and the Trade Stands were good, the OH won a Credit Agricole jersey. The Tour ‘village’ is all fenced off, so you see the riders, but get nowhere near to them.

The best, IMO, was a mountain section. Get there 2 hours beforehand at least, we werent going to the top, just 1/4 of the way up, where the crowds werent so bad. The road was shut to vehicles around 7am I was told, Police were there, so no one drives up. The riders came through around 2pm. It was an excellent spot, we could see them in the valley on a main road before they turned off up the hairpins, we could see 4 hairpins where we were, and even after only a mile or so, some of the riders were struggling, but others were so fast it was like they had a motor on their bikes (just like the 2 e-bikes that passed me on Sunday). The spread was only around 20 minutes at that point, at the top it’d be a lot more.
Another bonus was the helicopters coming in to refuel in a school playground in the valley, that was a spectacle on its own, probably 8 helicopters following the race. Be prepared for mad traffic after the race has passed, luckily we’ve been on the motorbike each time, but traffic queues have been long, so staying where you are for a couple of hours after they pass could be a good call.
Oh, another thing I remembered, which was quite bizarre, our first time, little village south of Amiens, nice cafe/bar/local shop, absolutely packed with drinkers, the Tour was due to pass around 3pm, we got there around 12, had drinks and snacks, went to get another at 1pm, ‘sorry, we’re closed’. The Owner then promptly told everyone to get out, and got quite aggressive in forcing people out, he shut for the week at 1pm on a Saturday, and he wasnt being persuaded to stay open. So 100+ people filed out, he could have taken 1000eur+ in the next hour, but chose to shut up. Different to the bar in Gerardsbergen, who went full on ‘get the money in’ with a bar set up outside, hot dogs/frites etc at 9am.

A few years ago I stayed with some friends in Bardonecchia, just over the French/Italian border, then cycled up and over to watch the tour at the top of the Izoard. Then had a few days cycling around the area, some decent climbs – Finestre, Sestriere, Montgenevre, Mont Cenis, we also got the train to Modane (only takes a few mins) and then rode Telegraphe and Galibier. Really nice food and wine in that area too. And an easy train to Turin for a rest day pottering about. Highly recommend.

I assume best thing is wait for the route and then scramble for accommodation?

The route is already out. Not the exact details and timings but certainly all the cols and start/finish towns:

https://www.letour.fr/en/overall-route

Currently in Umbria, Italy…. Giro starts next week and I’m planning to watch stage 6 (Strada Bianche stage) and stage 8 around Monte Sibillini.

Then the TdF starts in Florence and goes through Bologna this year and given we want to head north to the alps will probably end up watching that, too.

Definitely worth getting in position for the publicity caravan. BITD we used to cycle into the start town and would be riding alongside the riders as they rode from their hotels to the start, language of the peleton was French in those days.

It’s also on my bucket list. Although I was lucky enough to see Le Tour when it came to Swaledale. The views from Gunnerside were great as Jens Voigt had a ‘good minute’ breakaway as a lone rider.

We could see the peloton weave its way through the valley, across the bridge and pass really close to the field we were standing in. The atmosphere was fabulous, something very exciting to remember for a racing fan for the rest of my life.

Definitely worth getting in position for the publicity caravan.

They’ve cut down on that dramatically. It kind of looks a bit bad for a million vehicles to be chucking plastic tat out the windows so that tat has been banned, the convoy cut down considerably. It’s still a sight and they can still chuck sweets and marginally more worthwhile tat around the place.

Also, if you’re wanting to watch on any of the mountain passes, you’ll have to be there WELL before (like hours before!) the publicity caravan anyway. Take food, water, suncream, umbrella plus all the clothing you might need for sitting around on a mountainside. It might be 30 degrees or it might be 5 degrees and sideways rain!

Some of the folk in camper vans will have been there for a couple of days and on certain mountains like Alp d’Huez, it’ll just have been one continuous party for the previous 48hrs.

Have only watched two stages in France so I’m possibly not qualified to advise, but both were very different experiences logistically.

The first on Col du Manse, last minute decision as we were in the area (Briancon) and took the car just seeing how far in we could get…we made it all the way to the hairpin where Thomas (in a later year) hit the telegraph pole. Short walk to the top while waiting for the riders to come through.

Second time was AdH, we took bikes on the car and drove in as close as we could before abandoning the car (in La Grave, responsibly!) and cycling the rest.

Both fantastic occasions, treat is a full day out and get started nice and early.

I’ve always preferred mountain stages, particularly an hors category finish climb where the road is closed for the whole day. Take the bikes, buy supplies in the morning and ride up enjoying the carnival atmosphere – Alpe d’Huez, Ventoux, Tourmalet – find a spot where you can sit on the mountainside and watch it come towards you.

Pyrenees is better for roadside than Alps, not crazy busy and stuck for hours trying to get off the mountain

Easy option is to find a campsite relatively near to the route and make a day of it. Take a picnic or buy food nearby. the bit where the riders go past often doesnt last long but it’s a great experience. Mountain stages a bit more atmospheric perhaps. But race starts and finishes also great.

Cycle up the mountain stage bit of the route, until you find the van selling food and drinks. We spent a lovely afternoon in a Pyrenean meadow doing just this.

I’ve seen the finish in Paris 3 times by luck or design by far the most worthwhile for me.

Nice one. Really fancy getting there early for the party atmosphere. Seen videos of music dancing and drinking. Sounds great fun!