How Many TDF have YOU seen ?

[Fight.The.Power]

Only newbies visit Tour stage finishes or flat stages (like I did - twice) just to get a glimpse of the riders. But even this can get very interesting if you stick to the team buses/cars after finish. Good chance to get autographs, grab a leftover bottle or talk to the riders - although I always preferred race starts for all of this.

When standing on a climb in the Pyrenees or the Alpes it may take half an hour between the passage of the first and last rider, plus you get the spectacle of the caravane publicitaire an hour or so before the race. It's fascinating and highly recommended. But I have to admit that for me nothing sounds as dull as watching tennis for twelve hours.

I can see what you are saying but I have been to 5 stage finishes and loved them all. OK 3 were on the Champs Elysees which is always fantastic.

My most disappointing for the racing/atmosphere was on the Col de Vizzavona on stage 2 last year although the views were the most spectacular I have ever seen.

Personally I think when I have watched an ITT (Chartres) or TTT (Nice) I have thought that they are best from a spectators point of view because you do get several hours of action and actually have a chance to pick out riders you know and cheer them on.

HOWEVER, I have not yet been to an Alpine or Pyrenean MTF so please bare that in mind !

And as far as the tennis goes, I had to endure almost two hours of that crap already this year as I was waiting for the ES coverage to start. Jesus what a waste of time that sport is !

To me ; to you; to me ; to you . . . . .

 

[vladimir]

1 stage 2001, Alpe D'Huez (stage with the famous stare from Lance to Jan before he attacked)
2 stages 2003, Alpe D'Huez and Ax 3 Domaines
2 stages 2006. Alpe D'Huez plus in the middle of the stage where Floyd Landis made his famous solo attack
4 stages this year (stage 16-19) if you can count in staying in a local bar 500 meters beyond the finish line in Bergerac because of the weather At least we saw a very annoyd Sagan cycling away from the finish area

Very nice to be back wathing live this year after an eight year break. However the most enjoyable stage of all was probably Sastre's win at Ax 3 Domaines in 2003. We took the cable car from the valley in the morning, found a nice bar with lots of Basque fans and then followed the final climb on the big screen near the finish line.

 

[SKSemtex]

Only newbies visit Tour stage finishes or flat stages (like I did - twice) just to get a glimpse of the riders. But even this can get very interesting if you stick to the team buses/cars after finish. Good chance to get autographs, grab a leftover bottle or talk to the riders - although I always preferred race starts for all of this.

When standing on a climb in the Pyrenees or the Alpes it may take half an hour between the passage of the first and last rider, plus you get the spectacle of the caravane publicitaire an hour or so before the race. It's fascinating and highly recommended. But I have to admit that for me nothing sounds as dull as watching tennis for twelve hours.

Yes. I was that kind of newbies. As our family had never been in Corsica before, we decided to combine our holiday with the visit of the Tour. Odds that Sagan get some stage win there + take the yellow jersey were pretty high. So Corsica was obvious choice.
It was almost perfect day. Sunny day, finish line was next to beach and we met lot of Sagan fans from Slovakia, willing to keep the position for us while we were enjoying the sea.. Atmosphere was amazing, there were two big screens just opposite to us, we saw the caravan for a first time in our life .......and all of a sudden the Orica bus came. Our position was directly on the finish line next to the hit gate. Police came and forced us out. We were running like crazy up and down to find some "visible “place and as soon as we got one, we found out that Sagan hit the dirt. It was like nightmare.
At least we had the chance to go to bus (impossible in England) and get some pictures and autographs. So the day was saved.
This year because of the same yellow jersey opportunity the Yorkshire was again the number one choice but this was the last time I went for finish line. Next year I will do the Alps – hopefully with bikes.
Anyway we have found it very entertaining to spend our holiday or weekends chasing Sagan big races (MSR, RVV, P-R, Worlds, TdS, TDF, Worlds). Thanks to Ryanair and Wizz I have not paid more than 60 EUR per returned tickets so far (must be booked on December, January) and with the present prices for rented cars and booking application it is possible to have and amazing trip for less than 600 EUR per couple. It is definitely worth to try. Especially Worlds and RVV.

 

[Akuryo]

Not entirely sure, cause I was a kid, but I think I started around 2003 and watched it ever since. But I have to admit I enjoy the cobbled classics a lot more than I do "le Tour".

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Our position was directly on the finish line next to the hit gate. .

You must have been less than 10 metres away from me !

I can remember seeing all you Sagan fans with your flags !

 

[SKSemtex]

You must have been less than 10 metres away from me !

I can remember seeing all you Sagan fans with your flags !

World is getting really small. Especially my wife is quite visible and hearable.

 

[skidmark]

Great post!

I just to had to highlight that one part.

It's funny, I actually couldn't see Levi when they first appeared, he was behind Rasmussen and Contador, so it was like a real surprise. I know it's easy to make a cheap joke about him being such a wheelsucker and/or so short that he was so close behind 2 other riders that I couldn't see him, but it was the actual truth. I was like 'okay, it's the two main contenders again, and... ohhhhh damn'.

 

[skidmark]

Only newbies visit Tour stage finishes or flat stages (like I did - twice) just to get a glimpse of the riders. But even this can get very interesting if you stick to the team buses/cars after finish. Good chance to get autographs, grab a leftover bottle or talk to the riders - although I always preferred race starts for all of this.

When standing on a climb in the Pyrenees or the Alpes it may take half an hour between the passage of the first and last rider, plus you get the spectacle of the caravane publicitaire an hour or so before the race. It's fascinating and highly recommended. But I have to admit that for me nothing sounds as dull as watching tennis for twelve hours.

One other thing that I don't think has been highlighted about enjoying mountain stages as a bike enthusiast, beyond a pro cycling fan, is the experience of riding up the mountain. First of all, even though I haven't interacted directly with 500 thousand other fans on Verbier for example, the experience of riding up 3-4 hours before the stage is fantastic. Some people are cheering you on, but mostly you're struck by how many people are riding up that mountain. I have no idea how to estimate, but I'd guess at least 20 thousand people were riding bikes up that mountain, probably more. It's just a cool feeling of solidarity, like we're all testing ourselves in our own way before the riders test themselves. After finding a spot and locking up our bikes, it was nice to sit for awhile overlooking the valley, hearing gasps and grunts of people climbing, and the whirring of freewheels of people going back down.

Another element to that which I found really unique, related to what I mentioned above, is that we were all testing ourselves riding up this mountain, but it's the same playing field for the sport that the athletes are using. I guess the Etape does that more fully, but of course you can't just go onto a court at Wimbeldon and play hours before the matches, so it's pretty neat to do that in the mountains. It certainly made me appreciate more fully how insanely good these cyclists are, when I struggled to keep like 12 km/h going up and they're busting up there at 25 km/h. So yeah, the combination of that feeling, being able to see the riders go past from a foot away, the general atmosphere of support for anyone who makes it up, and the other intangibles (it's cool to hang out on a mountainside for free; we've been given cheese and beer and given a place to sit to watch the race on TV before it comes up, these were more interactive experiences that I had on the rest of my France travels)... it's a pretty singular experience, that doesn't really compare to watching other sports. I guess I'm just into all those things.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

i think i've seen only 7 or 8

but watching live stages... well it isn't bad, it's fun, but you don't have much of a clue what's going on most of the time.

TV provides better overview. So I prefer watching TV.. if I go to the race, it's more fun to go to the start..
Only exception is yearly amstel gold race meeting of dutch forum.

 

[doperhopper]

i think i've seen only 7 or 8

but watching live stages... well it isn't bad, it's fun, but you don't have much of a clue what's going on most of the time.

TV provides better overview. So I prefer watching TV.. if I go to the race, it's more fun to go to the start..
Only exception is yearly amstel gold race meeting of dutch forum.

well, there are always big screens near the finish, one can watch in the local pubs, and last but not least, there are camper vans with TV everywhere (best source of info on the mountain, they should be somehow rewarded by the organizers) - sure, mostly in french, but enough for basic info (and usually plenty of english-speakers around willing to discuss)

 

[Christian]

I think I have seen 4.

One around 1997 or so in Thionville. One in early 2000's in Luxembourg. Then 2006 in Strasbourg and 2010 or 2011 in Brussels.

2006 was the most fun for me. The nice thing about that time, as well as in Brussels was that I got to see two stages (ITT/départ, resp. arrivée/départ).

Wanted to go to Nancy this year but didn't make it

 

[pmcg76]

First saw the Tour in Dublin in 1998, yes the Festina Year. Remember it being very strange seeing guys I had only witnessed on television warming up in Dublin. I distinctly remember seeing Luc Leblanc riding by and going "OMG, IT'S LUC LEBLANC". Funny now for so many reasons

I was watching the prologue down the Quays a little and I remember the crowds were massive and that was when cycling was nothing in Ireland. It was raining of course and Boardman won and Pantani lost a packet.

Second time I saw the Tour was in Belgium in 07, saw it pass through a town and then was in Ghent for the finish. I remember Steegmans surprisingly taking the win over team-mate Boonen. Didn't really see much as crowds were again massive.

That same year I went to Paris for the finish and got a spot on the Champs not far from the Arc de Triomphe. Enjoyed it but wouldn't rush back as you have to be there forever at the barriers to hold a spot. Otherwise forget getting near the front.

In 2008 I went to the Pyrenees for the stages down there, the first day I cycled over to the Col D'Aspin and remember being attacked by a dog(if your dog is likely to attack cyclists, you shouldn't really bring them to Le Tour) and then chatting to a random South African guy as we climbed the Apsin. That of course was the year of Saunier Duval and Ricco was first over the top and won the stage.

The following day I cycled about halfway up Hautacam before being made get off by a policeman, I went a bit further before I found the big screen so decided to park myself there and watch the race before it passed by. Of course that was the 2nd Saunier Duval day with Piepoli and Cobo dominating proceedings.

I would advise people to try and see the Tour in the mountains, for sure it is the best place to see the race as it is spread out and they are going slower up the climbs. Also easier to get a spot, sit down and chill out with a picnic or whatever.

However, having been to both the Giro and Vuelta also, those races are much better for spectating. I remember driving up to a finish at Sierra Nevada and getting parked no problem within the last 3km. Only the last few km had many fans. Same on the La Pandera climb.

Giro is also much more accessible for fans than Le Tour.

 

[ferryman]

I wouldn't knock going to a finish as a 'newbie' or otherwise. Had a fantastic afternoon in Mulhouse this year. Mrs F who is not particularly a cycling fan is now talking about a mountain stage she enjoyed it that much

TTT last year in Nice was my Tour debut as it were. Madness abounds and the Scandinavians (esp the mad Norwegians) just about shade it over the Aussies on that front Saw the signing on/start after the Nice stage and that is well worth experiencing also for an insight of relaxed riders you just don't see on TV.

 

[Madone]

From 1971 to 2001 and from 2007 to 2014 most of them all three weeks, family disease I guess (best way to have vacation and enjoy my sport, bikes allways in the camper)

 

[Dedelou]

I wouldn't knock going to a finish as a 'newbie' or otherwise. Had a fantastic afternoon in Mulhouse this year. Mrs F who is not particularly a cycling fan is now talking about a mountain stage she enjoyed it that much

TTT last year in Nice was my Tour debut as it were. Madness abounds and the Scandinavians (esp the mad Norwegians) just about shade it over the Aussies on that front Saw the signing on/start after the Nice stage and that is well worth experiencing also for an insight of relaxed riders you just don't see on TV.

remembering the loud "Aussie! Aussie! Hoy! Hoy! Hoy!" at the TTT finish last year and smiling

 

[SKSemtex]

well, there are always big screens near the finish, one can watch in the local pubs, and last but not least, there are camper vans with TV everywhere (best source of info on the mountain, they should be somehow rewarded by the organizers) - sure, mostly in french, but enough for basic info (and usually plenty of english-speakers around willing to discuss)

Very true, people are very friendly and helpful even when it is evident that your favorite is their main competition. I never had this feeling in football stadium.

There is one thing you have not mentioned. Tablets. There is still one holdback - very expensive data roaming. As soon as they go down , you will be able to watch the race on your domestic SIM card and attendance of race live will get another dimension. I cannot wait for this to happen.

 

[Ruby United]

I've only been to two stages of the tdf - 2 and 3 of this year's race. 2 wins easily no contest, I got an amazing spot on Jenkins road